Shrek the Musical

Questions and Answers

What analogy does Shrek use to describe ogres?

Onions

Who plays the title role in 'Shrek the Musical'?

Brian d’Arcy James

How does the running time of 'Shrek the Musical' compare to the original movie?

Two and a half hours, a full hour more

Who is Shrek's love interest in 'Shrek the Musical'?

Princess Fiona Signup and view all the answers

What franchise has Shrek proved to be for DreamWorks Animation?

A robust franchise Signup and view all the answers

Who joined the composer Jeanine Tesori and the director Jason Moore to discuss the challenge of adding layers to the screenplay?

David Lindsay-Abaire Signup and view all the answers

What is David Lindsay-Abaire best known for?

Critically acclaimed straight plays like 'Fuddy Meers' and the Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Rabbit Hole.' Signup and view all the answers

Who is known for the long-running puppet musical 'Avenue Q'?

Jason Moore Signup and view all the answers

According to Claudia J. Nahson, what did Steig offer DreamWorks for fleshing out his bare-bones plot?

One idea was to have Shrek’s mother recriminate with Shrek’s father for having thrown him out, for the parents to fight about it. Signup and view all the answers

What are some of the things that the team kept asking questions about?

Why does Farquaad have it in for the fairy-tale creatures, what’s going on with Fiona all those years in the tower, how did Shrek wind up in his swamp in the first place. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Shrek Analogy

Shrek describes ogres as being like onions, having layers.

Shrek the Musical

Brian d'Arcy James played the title role in 'Shrek the Musical'.
The running time of 'Shrek the Musical' is longer than the original movie.
Princess Fiona is Shrek's love interest in 'Shrek the Musical'.

Franchise and Creators

Shrek has proved to be a successful franchise for DreamWorks Animation.
David Lindsay-Abaire is a playwright, known for adapting Shrek into a musical.
Robert Lopez is known for the long-running puppet musical 'Avenue Q'.
Jeanine Tesori, the composer, and Jason Moore, the director, joined David Lindsay-Abaire to discuss the challenges of adding layers to the screenplay.

Original Story and Development

Caldecott Medal winner William Steig wrote the original book 'Shrek!', which DreamWorks adapted into a film.
According to Claudia J. Nahson, Steig offered DreamWorks his bare-bones plot for fleshing out.
The team kept asking questions about the characters' motivations and backstory.