Musical "Shrek" has some flaws but its heart is in the right place

Theater Review |

It's not easy being an ogre, as the hulking swamp grouch Shrek reminds us.

It's not so easy crafting a Broadway musical about one, either. But whatever the shortcomings of "Shrek the Musical," and there are some, this world-premiere show at 5th Avenue Theatre has going for it something that too few splashy, screen-to-stage tuners possess: real heart.

As in the William Steig storybook and DreamWorks animated feature it's loosely based on, "Shrek the Musical" is a disarming comic fable about learning to love and finding beauty in what's been deemed ugly.

The opening number in Jeanine Tesori's varied, largely appealing score, "Big Bright Beautiful World," instills the breezy, lightly ironic tone, as a 7-year old Shrek is cheerfully cast by his parents into a world with no love for beastie boys.

By the second number, a merry "cattle call" of fairy-tale figures (the Sugar Plum Fairy, Peter Pan, Three Little Pigs, et al.), which smartly spoofs "A Chorus Line," it's clear director Jason Moore and cohorts are also out to poke fond fun at Broadway-at-large.

Certainly, David Lindsay-Abaire's frequently clever book and lyrics aren't slavishly faithful to DreamWorks' 2001 hit film. And Tim Hatley's bark-covered and leafy forest settings — plus his delightfully medievalish costumes — have a rustic charm all their own.

Some top-notch Broadway performers flesh out characters that were endearing but, well, more cartoony on screen.

Heavily upholstered, with bright-green head, tubular ears and hands, Brian d'Arcy James is a ringer for the cinematic Shrek, and adopts the same Scottish accent Mike Myers used in the movie. But he's got his own brand of grousing brio and the commanding earthiness of a benign Tony Soprano.

And it's a treat to have inimitable Sutton Foster as Fiona, the princess Shrek rescues, then falls for. Underutilized in the 2007 Seattle debut of Broadway's "Young Frankenstein," here Foster has a better vehicle for her comic verve and sparkling singing — starting with "I Know It's Today," a fetching song about getting impatient for that promised knight in shining armor to arrive.

The rapport between Foster and James is sweetly scrappy in their clever pity-party duet, "I Think I Got You Beat." And in "Morning Person," she (and a chorus of dancing rodents) really hoof it, a la "42nd Street." (Josh Prince devised the show's lively choreography, with an uncredited assist from Rob Ashford.)

But it's Christopher Sieber, a physical-comedy wonder as the snarky, petite villain Lord Farquaad, who gets the biggest cheers ... and no wonder. He's on his knees throughout the show, and whether lounging in a bubble bath, dancing on stubby little faux-legs or riding on a white steed, Sieber's Farquaad is a riot.

Chester Gregory, as Shrek's donkey pal, is a fine singer who nails some catchy R&B tunes, like the Motown-esque "Make a Move." But his wisecracks don't always crackle, and he's stuck with the show's only lame costume: a furry bodysuit that looks like it was made from an old bath towel.

At first, "Shrek the Musical" trots along, refreshingly human-scaled, a kind of cross between "Into the Woods" (without the existential angst) and "Monty Python's Spamalot" (with more romance).

But there are glitches the creators should quickly address. A couple awkwardly placed numbers covering scenic changes. The lack of a love duet. And action bits — a dangerous trek across a rickety bridge, the arrival of a fearsome and flirtatious dragon — that don't scare or thrill enough.

Though that dragon has a great singing voice (it belongs to Kecia Lewis-Evans), it's a mess visually. It has a big, imposing pink puppet head but an extremely diffuse body composed of several scattered cast members wearing spiky pink dresses. What's up with that?

Let's be honest: Whatever the show cost (and producer DreamWorks isn't telling), "Shrek the Musical" can't compete as high-tech eye candy with Disney's biggest stage blockbusters, such as "The Lion King," which "Shrek" briefly spoofs.

But won't Broadway, after some nips and tucks, make a little room for this warm and funny fable, with its all-ages appeal? Perhaps only an ogre a lot meaner than Shrek would not wish it well.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com