The Party's Ogre: Shrek Ends Broadway Run Jan. 3 | Playbill

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News The Party's Ogre: Shrek Ends Broadway Run Jan. 3 Shrek the Musical plays its final performance at the Broadway Theatre on Jan. 3, following 441 performances and 37 previews. Ben Crawford currently stars in the title role, which was created by Brian d'Arcy James.

The national tour of the family-friendly musical based on the DreamWorks film and the kid-lit favorite will launch at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited engagement in July. A cast album preserves the Broadway score.

Bill Damaschke, president of DreamWorks Theatricals, said in a previous statement, "Bringing Shrek the Musical to Broadway has been a joyous and thrilling adventure, and we couldn't be more proud of our first Broadway show. We now look forward to taking the production to audiences on tour in the U.S. and beyond."

Shrek features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award winner Jeanine Tesori and direction by Tony Award nominee Jason Moore. Following a pre-Broadway engagement at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Shrek the Musical opened at the Broadway Theatre on Dec. 14, 2008.

Shrek the Musical is "an entirely new musical" based on the story and characters from William Steig's book "Shrek!," as well as the DreamWorks Animation film "Shrek," the first chapter of the Shrek movie series. The musical is produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).

The musical, studded with R&B, jazz, rock, power ballads and old-fashioned show tunes, received eight 2009 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, winning Best Costume Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley). The show also received three Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James), Outstanding Set & Costume Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley); and four Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster), Outstanding Set & Costume Design (Tim Hatley). The show "tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales."

Later in the run, Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer" (from the film) was added to the curtain call.

Tickets are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, online at Telecharge.com, or in person at The Broadway Theatre box office (1681 Broadway at 53rd St).

Visit ShrektheMusical.com.

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Christopher Sieber and cast in Shrek the Musical Photo by Joan Marcus
 
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