Shrek Musical Crew
The soon-to-open Shrek Musical is being touted as one of the biggest Musicals of the holiday season, and it looks like the shows producers have chosen some of Broadway biggest and most talented stars to help ensure the Shrek Musical is the success many are expecting it to be. Even in tough economic times, Broadway insiders are hopeful that families will flock to this Shrek musical based on the incredibly popular Shrek films. Can a Shrek Musical work? With the talent assembled by Sam Mendes, it looks like it can’t miss.
Screen writer David Lindsay-Abaire has a good base to start from. The Shrek stories were ad immediate hit and spawned a film empire that is not far from over. Shrek the Fourth is set to hit theaters in 2010 and even a fifth installment of the film is already in the works. The Shrek musical is just the latest attempt at getting the most mileage out of the lovable ogre. Starting with the Shrek book that came out in 1990, Lindsay-Abaire has a good base. William Steig was the first to bring the Ogre to life. The original book tells the tale of an “Ugly Ogre” that learns teh true meaning of pretty.
The idea was good enough to generate $267 for the film and turn DreamWorks into an animation powerhouse. The next two sequels out-performed the original film. Will the Shrek Musical be another economical hit? In a statement, producer Sam Mendes said: “The musical of Shrek is certainly the most exciting and ambitious project I have been involved with. To have a book writer as witty and talented as David Lindsay-Abaire is a great gift, and I am particularly thrilled that the ship is being steered by someone as gifted as Jason Moore. I know that they and their chosen collaborators will come up with something that is intensely theatrical, yet retains all the warmth, imagination and comic invention of the movies.”
Shrek on Broadway Musical Writer David Lindsay-Abaire
David Lindsay-Abaire was tapped to write the stage adaptation for the Shrek Musical. Lindsay-Abaire is a Pulitzer-Prize winner for his drama “Rabbit Hole.” He seems to have a good grasp of what children like, as he also worked on the hugely popular “Robots” film in 2005.
He is also a good choice to develop the Shrek Musical, as the show tackles issues he is well aware of. The Shrek Musical tells the tale of Shrek, who up until the play stars lives as an outsider in the swamp. The action follows the ogre as he learns to accept the outside world and live in it. “My plays tend to be peopled with outsiders in search of clarity,” says Lindsay-Abaire, so he should do well with the Shrek Musical.
David Lindsay-Abaire was born on November 30, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to public school until the seventh grade, at which point he attended Milton Academy, the prestigious New England boarding school on a six-year scholarship. It seems that being of lower social standings as his peers might have had an affect on his world outlook. At the school he also worked on his writing craft, penning student productions. Who would have known that writing back then would lead him to write the Shrek Musical?
After high-school, he went on Sarah Lawrence College where he concentrated in theatre. He was in the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at the Juilliard School. He is married to Chris Lindsay-Abaire.
Throughout his career he has received a number of commissions and awards recognizing his talents. Commissions he has received include from South Coast Repertory, Dance Theater Workshop and the Jerome Foundation.
He received awards from the Berilla Kerr Foundation, the Lincoln Center LeComte du Nuoy Fund, Mixed Blood Theater, Primary Stages, the Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival, and the South Carolina Playwrights Festival.
Other plays by Lindsay-Abaire include 2006’s Rabbit Hole which garnered him a Tony Award Nomination for Best Play. He also worked on 2000’s “Kimberly Akimbo” and “Wonder of the World”, 1999’s “Dotting and Dashing” and “Snow Angel,” and 1997 “The L’il Plays” and “A Devil Inside.”
“Wonder of the World”, like “Fuddy Meers,” was produces at the Manhattan Theatre Club. The show starred Sarah Jessica Parker, and met with widespread acclaim. The story once again centers on an individual who does not “fit in” with the norms. In the show, Sarah Jessica Parker stars as a wife abandons her husband for a bus trip to Niagara Falls where she searches for “freedom, enlightenment, and the meaning of life.” While that may be a bit deeper that the material of the Shrek Musical, the story of an outsider on a voyage to find himself should be familiar to anyone who has seen the Shrek films. Lindsay-Abaire’s also wrote the book for the High Fidelity Musical, based on the Nick Hornby novel and film of the same name.
In addition to Robots, Lindsay-Abaire has writing credits for the 2007 film “Inkheart” It has also been rumored to be working on the screenplay for “Spider-Man 4.”
Shrek Musical Director Jason Moore
The Shrek Musical will be directed by Jason Moore who has worked on both theater and television. Moore is a Tony Award-winning director, being nominated in 2004 for his direction of the popular “Avenue Q.” Avenue Q was a big production, so we will see if it helps him with the Shrek Musical
Jason Moore was born October 22, 1970, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He went to school at Northwestern University. Moore first started in theater in the national tour of Les Miserables as the Associate Director of the Broadway production and national tour. He was selected to direct the Shrek Musical earlier this year.
Moore directed the 2003 musical Avenue Q. The show opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in New York. While there, it received the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. Because the show received such a great response, the show was moved to Broadway’s on the Golden Theatre in July 2003. The show has been a huge success and won several Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, the Tony Award for Best Book and the Tony Award for Best Original Score. The show subsequently went on a world tour that is touring to this day, which Moore helped to develop. We will see if the Shrek Musical is able to generate as much success.
Moore has also worked in television, including directing episodes of “Dawson’s Creek,” “One Tree Hill,” Everwood,” and “Brothers and Sisters.” He also directed the Broadway revival of “Steel Magnolias” in 2005.
Shrek Musical Composer Jeanine Tesori
Olivier-winner Jeanine Tesori is the composer. For the Shrek Musical Tesori is probably best known for the Tony-nominated “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” the Broadway musical. She developed 11 new songs for the musical to add to the three from the film.
Before being tapped to work on the Shrek Musical, Tesori composed the music for the Broadway musical “Caroline, or Change.” She also contributed to 1998’s William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on Broadway. Tesori also composed “Violet,” an off-Broadway musical. “Violet” received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1997.
She has been the recipient of other honors including from the Drama Desk as well as Obie awards. Tesori was also recognized by the ASCAP for being the first woman composer to have “two new musicals running concurrently on Broadway.” She also wrote three scores for Broadway that were Tony-nominated. Those are “Twelfth Night,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Caroline, or Change.” “Caroline or Change” won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. We will see if her work on the Shrek Musical results in any awards, though with a track record like hers its easyto imagein it will.
For Broadway musical “The Secret Garden” Tesori wrote the dance arrangements and was also associate conductor. In 2006, she was one of those who worked on “Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children,” produced as Shakespeare in the Park by the Public Theater. She was also associate conductor for The Who’s “Tommy on Broadway.” She received credits for working on the following Broadway musicals: “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “Dream,” and “The Sound of Music,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie;” and “Swing!”
Tesori has served in other capacities besides composer. She has been an arranger, conductor, and musician, piano is her specialty. She is a graduate of Barnard College. She is married to Michael Rafter, and the two have a daughter named Siena. She is also rumored to have worked on Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film “Rapunzel.” Her time on that should do well to help work on the Shrek Musical
About the Shrek Musical
Shrek the Musical is a story about a reclusive ogre and his pal the talkative “Donkey” who go on a voyage to rescue a princess. The film first opened in 2001 and became a runaway financial hit for DreamWorks. It earned more than $267 million in the US. “Shrek 2” became an even bigger success, bringing in $436 million in the US.
The Shrek Musical is being produced by Sam Mendes, an Academy as well as and Olivier Award-winning director, in conjunction with DreamWorks Theatricals. The Shrek Musical is the first offering from DreamWorks Theatricals. Mendes is producing the show under SCAMP Film & Theatre, Ltd, Mendes’ new company.
