BWW Reviews: SHREK THE MUSICAL in Cincinnati

Now through April 24th, Shrek the Musical is playing at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati and it's an ogre-filled show fun for the whole family.

Shrek the Musical follows the story of the DreamWorks movie it's based. A large, green ogre has made his home all alone in a dank swamp and is content with his quiet life until the evil Lord Farquaad casts the fairy-tale characters out of the land of Duloc. In order to claim his land back for his own, Shrek must perform a series of tasks, including rescuing the princess from the tower and slaying the dragon.

The fun thing about Shrek is that there's something in it for everyone. Kids will enjoy seeing familiar characters, like the three little pigs, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and more, not to mention the crude potty humor for the older kids. Adults can appreciate the remarkable score and theatre enthusiasts can see if they can pick out all of the musical theatre references in the show (hint: there are five). Everyone of all age can take to heart the overall message of the play that there's more to a person than outward appearances.

The cast in this production is one of the strongest that Cincinnati has had all season. Eric Petersen is delightful as the ogre, as was his princess Haven Burton as Fiona. Alan Mingo, Jr. stole the scenes as the Donkey, much like Eddie Murphy from the original movie. David F. M. Vaughn plays Lord Farquaad hilariously (and on his knees the whole time too!).

Rounding out the cast of misfit fairy tale characters, the peoples of Duloc and Far, Far Away are: Joe Abraham, Holly Ann Butler, Carrie Compere, Emily Cramer, Tyrone Davis, Jr., Sandra DeNise, Hayley Feinstein, David Foley, Aymee Garcia, Brian Gonzales, Derek Hanson, Benjamin Howes, Cara Kem, Sean McKnight, Mara Newbery, Denny Paschall, Sarah Peak, Keven Quillon, Morgan Rose, Jason W. Shuffler, Blakely Slaybaugh, Danielle Soibelman and Julius Thomas III.

There was a lot of work and creativity put into this musical to make it stand out from the movie. It's not a dry reproduction of a hit movie. The scenery is imaginative and comes alive on the stage. One particular standout part involves the dragon that guards the princess.

Shrek the Musical will play the Aronoff Center from April 12-24, 2011: Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2 & 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $22.50-$66.50 and may be purchased online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com in person at the Broadway in Cincinnati Box Office downtown in the Mercantile Center at 120 E. 4th Street, and the Aronoff Center Box Office or by phone at 1-800-982-2787.