Shrek The Musical: stage vs screen

Shrek began as DreamWorks Animation's 2001 comedy, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow voicing the leads. The Broadway musical, which opened in December 2008, has music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It follows the film's rescue story but adds new songs, new backstories, and a changed wedding. Here is how the two compare.

Stage

Broadway musical (2008)

Screen

Shrek (2001), directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson

1. The film is not a musical

The 2001 film plays existing pop songs, including Smash Mouth's "All Star" over the opening credits and "I'm a Believer" over the ending. The musical has an original score by Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire, with numbers like "Big Bright Beautiful World," "Freak Flag," and "Morning Person." "I'm a Believer" does survive: on Broadway it began as exit music and became a company finale in October 2009.

2. The stage show begins with Shrek's childhood

The film starts with Shrek already living alone in his swamp. The musical opens with his childhood in "Big Bright Beautiful World," where his ogre parents send their seven-year-old son out into the world, warning him that everyone he meets will shun him. That scene explains the bitter loner we meet next, and the song returns in a reprise at the wedding.

3. The fairy tale creatures get songs and a revolt

In both versions, Shrek's swamp is overrun by fairy tale creatures banished by Lord Farquaad. On stage they sing about it in "Story of My Life" and "The Goodbye Song," and push him to go to Duloc to win back his swamp and their homes. Later, in "Freak Flag," Gingy rallies the creatures to revolt and Pinocchio leads them back to Duloc, which sets up the stage show's wedding finale.

4. Fiona is played by three performers

Cameron Diaz voiced one Fiona in the film. On stage she is played as Young Fiona, Teen Fiona, and the grown Fiona, who sing "I Know It's Today" together as she waits in her tower. Grown Fiona also opens Act Two with "Morning Person," greeting the day with a bluebird and helping the Pied Piper charm a crowd of rats, and sings "This Is How a Dream Comes True" with the Dragon.

5. Shrek and Donkey sing about who they are

Donkey pleads to tag along with Shrek in "Don't Let Me Go," and later Shrek sings "Who I'd Be," joined by Fiona and Donkey, about the life he wishes he could have. Act Two adds "Make a Move" and "When Words Fail" as Donkey nudges Shrek toward Fiona. Both versions keep Shrek overhearing Fiona's "ugly beast" remark and wrongly assuming she means him.

6. Farquaad gets a father and a backstory

Lord Farquaad is voiced by John Lithgow in the film. In the musical, Christopher Sieber played him on Broadway on his knees, with fake legs dangling in front. The show adds "The Ballad of Farquaad" and reveals that Grumpy, one of the Seven Dwarfs, is his father, who kicked him out. That family secret is new to the stage show.

7. A bigger, singing Dragon

In the film, the Dragon guards Fiona's castle, falls for Donkey, and later crashes the wedding to devour Farquaad. In the musical, the Dragon is a large puppet, voiced on Broadway by three company members, with songs such as "Donkey Pot Pie" and "This Is How a Dream Comes True." The tour replaced "Donkey Pot Pie" with "Forever."

8. The wedding fight and the ending

In the film, Shrek rides the Dragon to Duloc to stop the wedding. Fiona turns into an ogress at sunset in front of everyone, and Farquaad is devoured. On stage, the fairy tale creatures storm the wedding, Grumpy reveals he is Farquaad's father, and the Dragon incinerates Farquaad. In both, Shrek and Fiona kiss, Fiona stays an ogress, and everyone celebrates.

Shrek The Musical movie vs musical: FAQs