Filipino talent brings Shrek to life onstage

FAMILIES, friends, and kids at heart have another fun musical to look forward to this year as Shrek The Musical will be hitting the stage in time for Halloween.

- Brontë H. Lacsamana

The Broadway comedy-fantasy musical from Newport World Resorts’ production arm, the Full House Theater Company (FHTC), will have performances at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) from Oct. 31 to Dec. 6.

Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig, the show features the swamp world of Shrek the ogre. The high-energy show features the original book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. The hit musical was originally produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions.

Some of the fan favorite songs from the Broadway show are “Who I'd Be,” “Don’t Let Me Go,” “The Ballad of Farquaad,” “I Know It’s Today,” and the feelgood finale “I’m A Believer.”

Veteran actor Jamie Wilson, who will be starring as Shrek, told the media at the Aug. 13 preview that the musical tells people “not to judge a book by its cover.”

“It’s about peeling back the layers. I’m glad we get a chance to do that in this fun show through these fun characters,” Mr. Wilson said.

He added that Shrek is ultimately a lovable character: “In a deeper sense, I love Shrek because he’s an everyman, and outcast just because he was born an ogre. He has to fend for himself and find his own way in the world, and he finds that he can be a hero.”

WHY SHREK?