Dreamworks will simply not be outdone by Disney.
After witnessing the financial success of Beauty and the Beast, and seeing that The Lion King has essentially become a license to print money, the producers of Shrek are understandably making plans to bring their big green behemoth to the musical stage. This summer, the show's creators will hold a reading of their incipient stage version of the monster hit .
It would be all too easy to dismiss this show as a cynical effort to capitalize on Disney's good fortune. But the music for the show is by the inestimable Jeanine Tesori (Violet, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change) and the book and lyrics are by Pulitzer-Prize winner David Lindsay Abaire (Rabbit Hole, High Fidelity). So it would be a mistake to discount the show's artistic potential. Of course, High Fidelity was a bit of a disaster, but everyone's allowed a chance to cut his musical-theater teeth.
I remain intrigued and open-minded at the prospect for a musical Shrek. It's certainly a worthy property, and the staff are folk to be reckoned with. It will be interesting to see whether Dreamworks can actually outdo Disney by producing a show that is not merely a financial and popular success, but an artistic one as well.
The only thing that keeps me completely pessimistic about this show is how they are casting it.
iwanttobeshrek.com
Posted by: Corey | May 02, 2007 at 10:50 PM