Most Mississippi State University students have likely seen, or at least heard of, the movie “Shrek.”

 The iconic Dreamworks movie has been made into musical. The on-stage production was filmed and can be watched on Netflix. 

“Shrek the Musical” is about an ogre who has been mocked and feared for his whole life. 

Shrek withdraws from the world and enjoys his life in his own isolated swamp, until various fairytale characters suddenly invade it. 

In order to free himself of his unwanted guests, Shrek seeks out Lord Farquaad, who agrees to help Shrek if Shrek will agree to aid Farquaad by rescuing a princess from a dragon.

Shrek sets off to save the princess with a talking donkey as his unwanted sidekick. 

Things become more complicated for Shrek when he meets the princess, Fiona, and begins to develop feelings for her.

The musical launched on Broadway December 14, 2008 and closed January 3, 2010. 

“Shrek the Musical” is a family-friendly, Tony Award winner, filled with large dance numbers, humorous jokes and a creative set and costumes. 

“Shrek the Musical” captures the spirit of the Oscar-winning film by including all the original characters from the film, including Shrek (Brian d’Arcy James), Fiona (Sutton Foster), Donkey (Daniel Breaker) and Lord Farquaad (Christopher Sieber). 

These actors bring the characters to life exactly as fans of the film remember them with powerful vocal performances.

The story in “Shrek the Musical” remains largely unchanged from the movie version, except for the addition of more music.

Nineteen songs are featured in “Shrek the Musical,” including “I’m a Believer,” which was also featured in the original film. 

As in the original film, “I’m a Believer” plays over the final, triumphant scene.

With these songs, comes large dance numbers. One such dance number occurs alongside the song “Freak Flag.” 

During the song, the fairytale characters forced onto Shrek’s swampland are complaining about how different they are and how mistreated they have been.

However, over the course of the song, the characters begin to understand their differences make them who they are. 

The set for this musical is also well done, from the swamp and the forest to the kingdom and the tower. 

The scene changes are seamless with no awkward pauses between scenes.

 The set pieces are also beautifully made including the iconic dragon, which is also built like a set piece rather than a puppet, which works well for the stage.

Each character’s costume remains true to the original movie version. 

The fairytale characters’ costumes are colorful, bright  and flamboyant while remaining believable. 

Pinocchio, for instance, looks just like Pinocchio from the movie. He even appears to be made of wood. 

“Shrek the Musical” was written by David Lindsay-Abaire, who has also written several screenplays including “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Rise of the Guardians” and “Inkheart.”  

“Shrek the Musical” was directed Michael John Warren, who also directed “Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.” 

What makes “Shrek the Musical” different than most options available for streaming on Netflix, is because it was filmed live on Broadway. 

A modern fairytale, “Shrek the Musical,” will peak the interest of anyone who finds catchy tunes, whimsical costumes, beautiful sets and hilarious characters fascinating and fun to watch. 

An excellent choice for weekend watching, “Shrek the Musical” is a perfect choice for when life gets too hectic and you need a break from reality.