“Shrek: The Musical,” October 10

Thursday, October 10, 7:30 p.m.

Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA

An intimidating ogre, a feisty princess, a wisecracking donkey, a diminutive tyrant, an ambulatory gingerbread man, and other fantastical figures take over Davenport's Adler Theatre on October 10 with the nationally touring arrival of Shrek: The Musical, the Tony-winning fairytale slapstick based on the Oscar-winning animated smash, and a show that Variety called a work of “irreverent charm” that “never stints on spectacle or laughs."

Set in a mythical land of “Once upon a time ...”, Shrek: The Musical tells of a hulking green ogre who, having been mocked and feared his entire life, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in isolation. Suddenly, though, a gang of homeless fairytale characters (among them Pinocchio, Cinderella, and the Three Little Pigs) raid his sanctuary, and announce that they’ve been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. Shrek strikes a deal with them, saying that he'll gets their homes back, but only if he gets his own home back in return. They agree, and when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the lord says he'll give in to Shrek's demands as long as the ogre rescues the trapped Princess Fiona. Shrek obliges, yet finds something strange and appealing about this pretty princess. He likes her – a lot – but why does she always run off when the sun sets?

With the show a Tony Award winner for its costumes and a nominee for awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score, critics have raved about Shrek: The Musical since its 2008 premiere. The Associated Press extoled, "Composer Jeanine Tesori has written attractive, eclectic, pop-flavored melodies that range from a jaunty 'Travel Song' to a gutsy duet called 'I Got You Beat' for Shrek and Fiona that revels in rude noises." USA Today, meanwhile, called the show "a triumph of comic imagination with a heart as big and warm as Santa's. It is the most ingeniously wacky, transcendently tasteless Broadway musical since The Producers, and more family-friendly than that gag-fest."

For the current tour of Shrek: The Musical, Tony Award-winning duo Tesori and book writer David Lindsay-Abaire revisit their first collaboration to deliver a more intimate and engaging experience – a joyful, colorful stage entertainment that leans into the humanity in all of us that celebrates our differences. With all-new original direction and choreography by Danny Mefford (the choreographer for Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen) filled with lush orchestrations, this reimagined production brings the show back to its roots, giving it a new kind of love emphasizing the importance of loving ourselves and one another.

Shrek: The Musical opens the 2024-25 Broadway at the Adler series on October 10, with admission to the 7:30 p.m. show $43-83, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.