Filmed live on Broadway with 10 cameras, under the direction of Michael Warren, the cast features original stars Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek), Sutton Foster (Fiona), Daniel Breaker (Donkey), Christopher Sieber (Lord Farquaad) and John Tartaglia (Pinocchio). Shrek is available from DreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Deluxe Edition Blu-ray and DVD beginning Oct. 15.
Details of the recording follow:
Disc 1 (Blu-ray):
Feature film in high definition Blu-ray Exclusive Features:
From Swamp To Stage: The Making of Shrek the Musical—"Follow the cast and crew of Shrek the Musical as they take you behind the scenes and show you what it really takes to make a Broadway show come to life!"
Additional Features:
Shrek The Musical Songbook with Sing-Along— "Kids and adults alike can pick their favorite song and sing along, as seven songs from the musical will have their lyrics appear on the bottom of the screen as you watch the actual musical performance on screen. You can play all of the tunes uninterrupted or choose to randomize the musical experience with the 'shuffle mode.'”
Disc 2 (DVD):
Feature film in standard definition
Additional features:
Shrek The Musical Songbook with Sing-Along
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 musicalwas 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.
