November 7, 2025
Lord Farquaad (Alfredo Reyes) hated fairytale creatures, so he banished them away from the kingdom of Duloc. They camped out in a nasty swamp, which turned out to be the residence of a scary green ogre named Shrek (Jamie Wilson). To get his house back, Shrek struck a deal with Farquaad to find and rescue his dream wife Princess Fiona (Krystal Kane) from the tower guarded by a dragon where she had been locked in since her childhood.
This musical written by David Lindsay-Abaire with music by Jeanine Tesori was adapted from the 1990 children's book "Shrek!" by William Steig, as well as the 2001 Dreamworks animated feature film "Shrek" (2001). This film version, with voices by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, was a well-loved box-office hit that had since spawned its own film franchise of four films, now with a fifth one currently in production planned for a 2027 release.
The first time "Shrek the Musical" was staged locally was back in 2014 by Atlantis Theatrical Production under the direction of the late Bobby Garcia. I was able to watch this show with my whole family at the Meralco Theater, and we enjoyed it very much (MY REVIEW). Franz Imperial led the cast as Shrek, Sheila Valderrama-Martinez as Fiona, Nyoy Volante as Donkey, Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Dragon, and Jett Pangan as Farquaad.
Most people who will watch this musical are already familiar with the story, so the magic lay in how this story will unfold onstage. The stage of the Newport Performing Arts Theater is very expansive, so the stage director will have to know how to "think big". With the last three enormous Full House productions -- "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (2018), "Buruguduy..." (2024), and "Delia D." (2025) -- in his resume, director Dexter Santos is certainly the man for this job.
In cooperation with his talented crew, Santos really knew how to fill that huge stage up with colorful spectacle. The main sets were Shrek's swampy abode deep in the forest to Lord Farquaad's grand palace in the city. However, the main highlight set piece was Dragon herself, executed as a gigantic puppet which totally dominated the stage when she's on -- whether lurking in her dark lair, or breaking through stained glass of the cathedral.
Santos also used the audience area itself to involve the viewers more into the fairy tale action more. There was one long scene when Shrek and Donkey made their way through the audience, engaging with kids along the way. They were joined by dancers carrying lit-up giant sunflowers, as well as forest animals (rendered via moving puppets a la "The Lion King"), plus a cameo appearance by a future adjacent character Puss in Boots.
The costume designer and the make-up artists also had the challenge to make these very well-known animated characters come to life convincingly. Shrek had a whole head and face mask and fat body suit. Fiona had her green dress and red braids, but also an ogre nose and hands when the time comes. Donkey wore a furry body suit with wide hips and jaunty long ears. Farquaad's costume had to create the illusion those tiny legs of his can actually move.
With his expressive voice and body, Jamie Wilson was able to bring out Shrek's kind heart even we cannot see his actual face. Krystal Kane nailed those long high notes of Fiona's songs, as well as the quick changes she required. Even without a snout, Topper Fabregas imbued his delightful Donkey with a cute bouncy gait and a sharp sassy attitude.
Kneeling to play Farquaad must have been physically punishing for Alfredo (formerly known as Bibo) Reyes, but we do not see any of that with his gleeful portrayal of cartoonish villainy. Having played alien plant monster Audrey II before in "Little Shop of Horrors" surely helped vocal powerhouse Julia Serad portray another larger-than-life creature -- the Dragon.
The original songs are mostly sprightly and fun, with catchy melodies, even if there was no clear memorable stand out that will stick. Theater kids will recognize iconic bits from other Broadway musicals like "Wicked" and "Dreamgirls" incorporated into some songs, and cheer. For the finale, the whole cast sang The Monkee's 1966 #1 hit "I'm a Believer" as Shrek and Fiona's wedding song, and surely that tune will have you merrily humming it all the way home.
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"Shrek the Musical" runs from October 31 to December 13, 2025 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater . Tickets are available at Ticketworld, Newport World Resorts Box Office, and Helixpay: P4,500 (SVIP), P4,000 (VIP), P3,000 (Gold), P2,000 (Silver), and P1,500 (Bronze).
