“It's a big bright beautiful world...”
What the world presents is quite
different from the picture formed by expectations in your head. This
reality—and other life's ironies—dawned on Shrek and Princess
Fiona, but the effect on their lives is something that makes everyone
wonder, “Why did I not ever wish for this to happen?”
Shrek is a big, fat, ugly Ogre who was
sent out by his parents at the tender age of seven. He knew from the
start that there's a “big, bright, beautiful world” out there—but
not for him. He thinks that only the physically beautiful deserve it;
not someone who's hideous looking.
Princess Fiona has been locked up in a
tower since she was a child. Every day, she expects that her Prince
Charming will climb up the tower and rescue her from the solitary
loneliness that has been her companion.
Lord Farquaad, the vain, short ruler of
Duloc realizes that he needs to rescue Princess Fiona from the
dragon-guarded tower and marry her, so he could be king. But he
didn't want to do the mission himself.
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They are unsuspecting that their lives will change one fateful day. Sent by Lord Farquaad shortly after
arriving in Duloc, Shrek, together with his new-found quirky friend,
Donkey, embarks on a mission he accepts with the sole purpose of
recovering his swamp from the unjust ruler. The three has different
expectations. Little do they know that their stories are written with
a different plot.
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| Photo by Philippine Star |
Originally shown in Broadway, Shrek theMusical performs live in Manila starting on Sept. 19 till Oct. 12 at
the Meralco Theater. I had the opportunity to watch the Shrektacular
show during the preview night on Sept. 18.
I couldn't contain my happiness as I
was served with a cup full of firsts in a single night. I haven't
seen any of the Shrek films, so I absolutely had no idea about the
story. Another first was watching a live musical. And it was also my
first time at the Meralco theater.
So, how did the musical go?
First of, there's no doubt that the
story is good—perfect for both young and old audiences.
Second, the characters' costumes and
the props are magnificent; the stage design, spectacular. On the
technical side, the audio is undoubtedly excellent, as everything is
clearly heard. The lighting effects are well-planned and -arranged ,
adding to the overall grandiosity of the production.
For the cast's performance, I give each
of them two thumbs up for an undeniably great one. All of them have
successfully immersed themselves in the story and took the spectators
to another world. Not to mention the synchronized movements that I
bet are difficult to memorize and the coordination that all of them
have skillfully mastered.
Looking closely, however, one may see
the glitches in the blocking, but these are too minor to affect the
musical.
Starring in Shrek the Musical are
Rycharde Everley as Shrek, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez as Princess
Fiona, Nyoy Volante as Donkey, Jett Pangan as Lord Farquaad, Nel
Gomez as Pinocchio and Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Dragon. Shrek is
directed by Bobby Garcia.
Applause reverberates around the
theater at the end of each song. Resounding laughter can also be
heard from the audience with each quirk. These reactions are enough
to conclude that Shrek the Musical is a must-see.
Overall, I offer a standing ovation to
the cast and crew for pulling off such an energetic and humorous night of story telling.
You may buy tickets at
ticketworld.com.ph. For details, call Ticketworld 891-9999.
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