There aren’t too many productions out there where the leads fall in love during a tuneful belching contest, but then, few shows value releasing your inner self quite as much as Shrek the Musical.
Dreamworks' Broadway show, which opened last night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, is a lively if slightly uneven re-telling of the hit movie and William Steig’s original book.
No effort has been spared in ensuring that the production overflows with fun factor: the rapidly changing sets are big and bold, there’s an impressive four-person dragon puppet and a dress with built-in fairy lights is rather nifty.
There are some fun sight gags — not least of which is Merritt David Janes’ performance as the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, which involves him walking on his knees for the entire production — and the big musical numbers come off well, not least thanks to the surprisingly witty lyrics.
But the show stumbles when the music stops, losing momentum more than once in over-long scenes of dialogue. In the title role, Lukas Poost seems constrained by his character’s gruff misanthropy (not to mention a hefty green prosthetic mask) and he is overshadowed by Liz Shivener as the bipolar Princess Fiona and André Jordan, who gets most of the laughs as Donkey.
Like countless pantomimes and animated movies before it, Shrek tries to keep the kids entertained with visual gags while lobbing wise cracks over the young ones’ heads to their parents. And, largely, it suceeds. Shrek doesn’t have the flawless perfection of a fairytale princess, but it's no ogre either.
Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., 416-733-9388. To April 1.
