Shrek, Donkey & Pinocchio Announced for
SHREK THE MUSICAL
Starring Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek,
Chester Gregory II as Donkey,
and John Tartaglia as Pinocchio
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SEATTLE — DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are pleased to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL will star Tony Award-nominee Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Chester Gregory II as Donkey and Tony Award-nominee John Tartaglia as Pinocchio.
These actors will be joined on stage by previously announced cast members Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Tony Award-nominee Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad and Kecia Lewis-Evans as The Dragon. Additional casting will be announced soon.
SHREK THE MUSICAL will play an exclusive world premiere engagement at The 5th Avenue Theatre August 14 - September 21, prior to opening on Broadway December 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.
SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner, David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie & Caroline, or Change) and is directed by Tony Award®-nominee Jason Moore, who staged the Tony Award®-winning Best Musical, Avenue Q and Jerry Springer - The Opera in Concert at Carnegie Hall.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is DreamWorks Animation's first venture in legitimate theater. The production was initiated when Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first Shrek film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is being produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).
Other members of the SHREK THE MUSICAL creative team include Tony Award®-winning set and costume designer, Tim Hatley (Monty Python's Spamalot, Private Lives, among others) and three-time Olivier Award-winning lighting designer, Hugh Vanstone, whose Broadway credits include Monty Python's Spamalot, Bombay Dreams, The Blue Room and Art, and sound designer Peter Hylenski (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and upcoming, Cry-Baby)
The choreography is by newcomer Josh Prince, and Tim Weil (Rent) is serving as music director.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on a popular 1990 book by William Steig. The characters of Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, and the other inhabitants of "Far, Far Away" have been featured in three major animated films and a popular television special to date. The first Shrek feature film hit theaters in the summer of 2001, and went on to win the first-ever Academy Award®for Best Animated Feature. The 2004 sequel, Shrek 2, remains the third highest grossing movie of all time and highest grossing animated film of all time. The latest chapter of the Shrek story, Shrek the Third, is the 2nd highest grossing film of 2007. Shrek the Halls, the recent ABC television special, was one of the most watched TV programs of 2007.
SHREK THE MUSICAL tickets are only available through 5th Avenue Theatre season subscriptions at this time. For information, call 206-625-1900 / toll free 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849), stop by The 5th Avenue Theatre box office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle, or visit www.5thavenue.org. Single tickets for SHREK THE MUSICAL go on sale Friday, June 13.
Visit www.shrekthemusical.com
BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES (Shrek). Broadway: The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Sweet Smell of Success (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Titanic, Carousel, Blood Brothers, Les Misérables (national tour). Off-Broadway: Next to Normal (Second Stage), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Atlantic), The Pavilion (Rattlestick), Flight (Melting Pot), The Good Thief (Keen Company; Obie Award; Backstage Garland Award; L.A. Weekly Award; Drama Desk Outer Critics nominations), City Center Encores! Pardon My English, The Wild Party (MTC, Drama Desk nomination), Ancestral Voices (LCT), Public Enemy (Irish Arts), Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (SF, LA, Boston). Film and TV: the upcoming Ghost Town, Enchanted, "Cashmere Mafia," "Rescue Me," "The Education of Max Bickford," Neurotica, Exiled, Sax and Violins. Numerous cast recordings and concert appearances. BS, Theater: Northwestern University. Board Member: Keen Company. www.briandjames.com
SUTTON FOSTER (Princess Fiona). Broadway: Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony® and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misérables, the 20th anniversary of Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe's Pub; Actors' Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel's "Johnny and the Sprites," HBO's "The Flight of the Conchords." Proud Equity member.
CHESTER GREGORY II (Donkey) is an award-winning singer/songwriter/performer. He is currently playing the role of Dupree in Broadway's Cry-Baby at the Marquis Theatre. He was also seen on Broadway as Terk in Disney's Tarzan and as Seaweed in the Broadway hit, Hairspray. Other credits include The Jackie Wilson Story (Jeff, AUDELCO, BTAA and Black Excellence Awards). Other credits include the 2007 film, Hairspray and performing for Michael Jackson. Chester has a BFA from Columbia Chicago. He is proud to debut his album, In Search of High Love. For more information, visit www.ChesterGregory.com and www.MySpace.com/ChesterGregory .
KECIA LEWIS-EVANS(The Dragon) was most recently seen on Broadway as Trix in The Drowsy Chaperone (original cast recording). Broadway: Once on This Island (original cast recording), Ain't Misbehavin', Big River, The Gospel at Colonus, Dreamgirls (dir. Michael Bennett). Off-B'way: Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center/NY Drama Desk nominee), From the Mississippi Delta (Circle in the Square), Once on This Island. Regional: Polk County (McCarter Theatre, Berkeley Rep/Bay Area Theater Critics Award), Smokey Joe's Café (Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities), Dreamgirls (CLOSBC/2000, Ovation Award winner), South Pacific (CLOSBC), Raisin (ICT, Long Beach/L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award nominee), The King and I (Sacramento Music Circus). TV: Guest-starring roles on "Crossing Jordan," "Kate Brasher," "Law & Order," "The Hughleys."
CHRISTOPHER SIEBER (Lord Farquaad) received a Tony Award® nomination for his work in Spamalot and later opened the show in London. Other Broadway: Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into The Woods, Beauty & The Beast, Triumph of Love, and A Christmas Carol. Also, New York City Opera production of Cinderella. Off-Broadway: Avow, The Boys in the Band, and Pal Joey. Regional: Randy Newman's Faust, Paper Moon at Paper Mill, Company, and The Boys From Syracuse at Reprise!. TV: "Pushing Daisies," "Johnny and the Sprites," "It's All Relative," "Two of a Kind," "Sex & The City," "Ed," "Guiding Light," "All My Children," and "Another World." Mr. Sieber has not appeared on "Law & Order."
JOHN TARTAGLIA (Pinocchio) is executive producer and star of Disney Channel's "Johnny and the Sprites" (now airing worldwide). Tartaglia earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Avenue Q, for which he originated the roles of Princeton and Rod. He was most recently seen on Broadway starring as Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. A 10-year veteran of "Sesame Street," Tartaglia is one of the youngest puppeteers ever to perform on the show, starting at the age of 16. In addition to his work on "Sesame Street," he also starred in Sesame Workshop's innovative English as a Foreign Language project, "Sesame English," which currently airs worldwide. Tartaglia has also appeared on Disney Channel's "Bear in the Big Blue House" and "JoJo's Circus," and Discovery Channel's "Animal Jam." He is a past host of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts.
The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle's premier musical theater. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community. The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of nearly 24,000 and an annual attendance of more than 287,000. It ranks among the nation's largest and most respected musical theater companies. The Theatre is committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy. Visit www.5thavenue.org.
Please contact Molly Fortin, Public Relations Manager, at (206) 625-1418 with questions or to schedule individual interviews.
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