Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC), along with Fifth Estate Entertainment and Round Room Live, announced Monday that an all-new version of SHREK THE MUSICAL will begin a cross-country national tour that includes a stop in Milwaukee.
Performances will take place Friday, March 22, 2024 at 7:30pm and Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 2:00pm. Audiences can expect a SHREK that feels both familiar and refreshingly new, inviting everyone to “fall in love all ogre again.”
Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, December 15 at Noon.
Kimberly Akimbo Tony Award-winning duo Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (book) have re-visited their first collaboration to deliver a more intimate and engaging experience.
With all-new original direction and choreography by Danny Mefford (Choreographer, Dear Evan Hansen), this reimagined production of SHREK THE MUSICAL brings the show back to its roots – giving it a new kind of love emphasizing the importance of loving ourselves and one another.
David Lindsay-Abaire says, “It’s been such a gift to get to revisit the show after all these years and rethink some of the choices and reimagine the piece as a whole. This all-new production is leaner and more focused. It’s joyful and funny and feels beautifully hand-crafted in a way that really brings out the things we first fell in love with – the heart and wonder and humor of the story.”
Jeanine Tesori adds, “We wanted to make a show that families could come to, to laugh and be moved. Something that would create a memory, because everybody has felt like an ogre now and then.”
See the creative duo discuss the all-new SHREK more on YouTube. LINK
Based on the hit DreamWorks animated film, SHREK THE MUSICAL is a hilarious fairy tale adventure with a cast of vibrant characters and a ‘shrek-tacular’ score that’s perfect for the young and the young-at-heart! Our unlikely hero finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and the feisty Princess Fiona who resists her rescue.
Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand…and his name is Shrek. It’s not easy being green, but this irreverently fun musical proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre!
The tour cast features Nicholas Hambruch (Shrek), Cecily Dionne Davis (Fiona), Naphtali Yaakov Curry (Donkey), Timmy Lewis (Lord Farquaad), Jamir Brown (Pinocchio), Tori Kocher (Dragon), Kelly Prendergast (Gingy/US Fiona), Hope Schafer (Mama Ogre/Wicked Witch/Blue Bird), Riley Johnston (Pig/Knight/2nd Shrek US), Katherine Paladichuk (Teen Fiona/Peter Pan), Sage Jepson (Wolf/Shrek US), Cynthia Ana Rivera (Mama Bear/ Dragon US), Carson Zoch (Pig/Pinocchio Cover), Demetrio Alomar (Papa Ogre/Papa Bear), Ally Choe (Young Fiona/Ugly Duckling/Gingy US), Leon Ray (Pig), Casey Lamont (Female Swing), and John Cardenas (Male Swing). Harrison Roth is music director.
SHREK THE MUSICAL features scenic design by Steven Kemp, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Herrick Goldman, sound design by Ben Selke, Puppet Design by Camille LaBarre, and Props by Cam Upton, orchestrations by John Clancy, tour music supervision by Chris Fenwick, and casting by Wojcik Casting Team. The executive producer for the tour is Dani Davis.
The original SHREK THE MUSICAL opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, running for 441 performances and 37 previews. The musical received eight Tony Award nominations, winning one.
To purchase tickets, visit www.MarcusCenter.org, call 414-273-7206, or visit the MPAC Box Office at 929 North Water Street, Downtown Milwaukee.
For more information, visit www.shrekthemusicaltour.com.
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
