gather round girls…..it’s storytime!
once upon a time in a land far, far away 3 princesses went on a magical adventure to a land called duloc. on their adventure they met a talking donkey, a not-so-ordinary princess and a big ugly ogre-who can SING his way around a swamp. after meeting the fairytale folk, listening to the music and being amazed by the costumes, these princesses decided that duloc is…duloc is….duloc is the perrrrrfeeeeect plaaaaaace!
saturday morning aunt lani, my sister in law kelly and myself grabbed a flight to seattle for a truly perfect day. we arrived in seattle, checked into our hotel and went straight to pike’s market on the waterfront. this is the place that’s famous for the guys that throw fish over the counter and wrap them up. i’ve never seen so much seafood in one spot! not to mention the SIZE of everything. one crawfish escaped and i thought it was going to eat the little girl in the front of the crowd. she thought so too, based on her screaming.
you all know how much i love food. pike’s market was the place for me! the fresh fruit was so big and shiny, it looked fake. once i got past the amazing food, i fell in love with the flowers. i’ve never seen such rich colors and gorgeous bouquets. i could have walked up and down those aisles all day. obviously we got fish and chips for lunch. i think that’s a requirement in seattle? (once inside the city limits you are required to consume a certain amount of seafood before leaving, to avoid a surplus of fish on the street) i was happy to help!
as we ate our way towards the theater, i got more and more excited. once i could see the marquee i thought i was going to burst into song! as usual lani and kelly kept me grounded and emotionally in control. thanks girls.
we walked into the 5th ave theater and once i saw the creative souveniers, i was hooked. after picking some up for the kiddies we headed to our seats. i was so happy to see 6 yr old-60yr olds wearing the green shrek ears proudly throughout the theater. the grand tier had a perfect view of the entire stage. the orchestra pit was covered in big green twisty vines and the place stage was lit in different shades of green and brown. a huge twisted tree stands in the center of the stage from floor to ceiling and if you watch really closely, you can see a slug creeping across it ocassionally. (i am pleased by such simple things)
as the lights go down and the orchestra starts playing, i am taken to the magical land of fairytale creatures and the smelly swamp of an ogre family. the show runs almost 3hrs and i was in awe the entire time. it is moving to broadway in november and will be a MONSTER hit! seeing as it’s still in previews they may add or take away certain songs, change set designs or characters and try to shorten it a bit, so i hate to go on and on about certain things and then have them taken from the show.
so i’ll just say, “it’s a BIG, UGLY, OGRE-the top show!” from costumes to lyrics, i was believing every word. shrek the movie was great at making fun of other movies. shrek the musical tosses in a blend of humor from several broadway shows. totally brilliant! “i’m making a mixed tape!”
at the matinee, i found myself trying so hard to catch every word because i didn’t want to miss anything! the show was so great, we bought tickets to the evening performance too! the second time around i had a feel for the music and was able to enjoy the show so much more. it’s like getting a second helping of amazing food. you already know what you’re in for, but you need a little more to be completely satisfied!
lord farquaad was one of my favorite surprises. i’ve included a link to photos so you guys can check out the brilliant costumes. as a person who’s made props, i kept asking myself, “how did they do that?” over and over again. the show was incredible, but meeting the cast afterwards was really the highlight of the trip.
next to kristin chenoweth, sutton foster is my idol!!!!! i’ve followed her career and adore her as a person and a performer. she is a perfect fiona! i laughed so hard during the scene where her and shrek are having a “bodily function” contest. i can’t imagine “lifting one leg” night after night and being able to stay in character. i’d fall off the stage laughing.
after a day full of great food, seeing shrek twice, meeting the amazing cast, i can say our fairytale had a happy ending.
if you are planning a trip to new york this fall, i’d suggest taking a trip to the swamp. shrek’s bringing ugly back and you don’t want to miss it!
click to see entire Shrek album
here is a clip to a few of the songs. the first one is my favorite. it’s called : “i know it’s today” it shows how fiona grows up in the tower with 3 different girls singing parts. i think it will be the new “popular” so cute and catchy.
“big bright beautful world” is the opening song and rocks! i got chills when grown up shrek breaks onto the scene.
