Shrek The Musical, By David Lindsay-Abaire

Theatre is a form of fine art, in which live performers or actors present either a real or even a fairytale-like story upon spectators. Theatre is known for having subcategories, one of the most common one being musical theatre. Musical theatre characterizes on combining music, spoken dialogue between characters, and acting and dancing numbers as well. Aside from this, the story of a musical usually involves comedy, sadness, love, and anger, which all could be seen through movement and technical aspects as a whole. All of the mentioned characteristics can be seen in David Lindsay-Abaire’s adaption of Shrek the Musical. Director, Lindsay-Abaire manages to capture the audience’s attention, as well as transporting one, the audience member, through

Music in productions such as this one, include songs with catchy lyrics that help advance the plot in a more energetic manner, all through the usage of instrumental pauses played live. Shrek the Musical has elements of action songs, which move the plot forward, as well as character songs, which allow characters to express their thoughts to the spectators. An example of a character song in the musical is seen in Act I, within the song “Big Bright Beautiful World.” In this upbeat comedy song, Shrek explains to the audience how regardless of people rejecting and being afraid of him his entire life, there is nowhere or where he would rather be. As the plot of Shrek the Musical advances, the music heightens the dramatic tension of certain scenes, evoking sentimental feelings. This is can be seen in Act II, during Lord Farquaads’s scene. The music here turns into a ballad, which is usually a more slow beat yet reflective. In the song “The Ballad of Farquaad,” Lord Farquaad himself reveals his unfortunate past of how his father abandoned him in the woods as a child due to the fact that the family business was never his priority. The end scene of Shrek the Musical ends with a production number song called “I’m A Believer,” which leaves the audience with a very positive feel, as Shrek and Fiona begin a new life together and live happily ever after. Aside from

Dialogue in this musical is somewhat brief but purposeful, due to the fact that it drives the main narrative onward. Most of the musical’s performance is combined with music as mentioned above. Throughout the play, each one of the characters manages to be captivating in the sense that they are convincing in their own unique role, while still holding the audience attentive. Characters such as Shrek also portray confidence and comprehension that can effectively convey the emotion that influences their personal actions. The first dance number performed in Shrek the Musical is in Act I, Lord Farquaad’s scene, where he portrays his love for his kingdom, Duloc. Another scene where the dance number is quite imperative for the performance’s quality is the last scene of Act II; this scene, as mentioned above, is where Fiona and Shrek are celebrating their new life together, happily ever after. In this dance number, all of the characters of the musical come together as a whole, and debut an unforgettable yet positively filled entertainment. Both dance numbers found in Shrek the Musical add physical rhythms that accompany the musical’s songs. Besides the performance, the set and lighting are also a key element in Shrek the