Walnut Street Theatre (WST) continues its 211^th season with the Broadway hit, SHREK THE MUSICAL. I was thrilled to attend the press preview with my youngest daughter last week. Having had surgery three weeks prior, I was ready for some laughs.  

Here’s the plot you may already know: a grumpy green ogre and a wisecracking donkey save the land from evil Lord Farquaad and rescue Princess Fiona from a terrible fate. All-new songs and outrageous humor contribute to this modern fairy tale.  

The greatest fairy tale never told comes to life in SHREK THE MUSICAL, the Broadway musical based on the Oscar-winning movie. Shrek finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside his sidekick Donkey and a feisty princess. A short-tempered wannabe king, a cookie with an attitude, and other classic fairy tale misfits partake in the riotously dysfunctional road trip.

SHREK THE MUSICAL is a perfect show for the holiday season. The colorful characters shine in their unique roles. The Donkey delivered the most laughs and his facial expressions were priceless.   

SHREK will move adults and children alike. Shrek embraces what makes you different and rallies for love in different shapes and sizes. I watched the audience give it a standing ovation on opening night.    

Glenn Casale returns to the Walnut to direct SHREK THE MUSICAL. Casale’s work was last seen on the Mainstage during 2017’s Annie. His work includes the 1999 Broadway revival of Peter Pan, which received a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.  

Nichalas Parker assumes the main role of Shrek. Parker undergoes a costume and make-up process that takes up to an hour and a half in order to become the large green ogre. When he is not performing, Parker works as a resident teaching artist in Philadelphia, teaching students with multiple disabilities both at the Walnut Street Theatre and 1812 Productions.

The wise-cracking Donkey is played by fellow WST acting apprentice alum Dana Orange. Audiences may recognize Orange from his regional appearances in Sister Act (Walnut). Completing the lead trio is Julia Udine playing Princess Fiona. Udine was last seen on the Walnut stage in the one-woman show Tell Me on a Sunday. She has appeared in TV’s Law and Order: SVU and All My Children.

SHREK THE MUSICAL runs at the Walnut through January 5, 2020. For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets are also available online 24/7 by visiting www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.

Photo by Mark Garvin: Nichalas L. Parker and Julia Udine