MILWAUKEE — Once upon a time, in a swamp far far away, two ogres fell in love and lived happily ever after.
“Shrek — The Musical” is making its way to Milwaukee.
The musical, based on the 2001 DreamWorks animated movie, will run at the Marcus Performings Arts Center from March 22 to March 23. The national tour will play just two shows in Milwaukee, one Friday night at 7:30 and a second on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The show describes itself as the “tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue.”
Nicholas Hambruch, who plays Shrek, grew up with the film.
“I wore out the ‘Far Far Away’ section of ‘Shrek 2’ on my DVD and I would have Simon Cowell yell at me for every choice I made. It was great; I loved it,” Hambruch said in an interview released by the production.
In an interview released by the show, Cecily Dionne Davis, who plays Princess Fionna, said she remembers watching the films as a child, too.
“I was in love with the movie, the world, just everything about it,” she said.
Davis said she is the first Black Princess Fionna.
“I hope that little girls take away, from seeing me as Princess Fiona, the importance of community and the importance of standing so firm and true into what you feel internally despite everything that you’ve heard in the past, despite what other people are telling you presently. How you feel matters,” Davis said. “Also that [no matter] how cliche it sounds, beauty really does come from the inside. It doesn’t matter if you don’t fit a box. Fiona way surpasses a box. There is not a space big enough to contain her.
“And I want for little girls to feel empowered, to feel like that could be them on stage, that could be them in the real world. They can go frolic around and sing to birds if they want to. Be who you are so unapologetically that there is no doubt that the light surrounding them touches other people. Don’t dim your light for anyone else and continue to keep community in mind,” she added.
Hambruch agreed that “Shrek” is all about being yourself.
“The thing that I think is going to be most compelling this time around is that the characters really get to explore their humanity,” Hambruch said. “We get to explore the themes of friendship and self-acceptance and the ability to choose love over fear,” he said.
To purchase tickets to “Shrek” in Milwaukee, click here.
The show will also run at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire, Wis., from April 12 to 14. To get ticket details on those five performances, click here.
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