For most of us, "Shrek" entered the cultural consciousness with the 2001 Pixar animated movie, though, a few of you may have been aware of William Steig's 1990 Picture Book upon which it was based.  Still, the movie was a marvelous slice of parody and was a rampaging joy for parents and children alike.  Essentially a send-up of all the movie fairy tales ever written, it had a very real charm all its own, and can be watched endlessly without losing its appeal, or its bite.
 
In 2008, award winners David Lindsay-Abaire ("Rabbit Hole" and "Fuddy Meers") And Jeanine Tesori ("Caroline, or Change") joined their talents to turn the story into a musical.  With all that talent being stirred into a single pot, you'd think the results would be an out-of-the-ballpark smash. 
 
Up until now, I would have scoffed and said, "too bad it just doesn't work."  But, then again, up to now, I've only seen the edited down "Junior" version** (Alliance in 2014, two lighting gigs since then).  For the first time, I saw the full-length version, and, truth to tell, it was giddy wallow in not-always-childlike glee!
 
Welcome to the kingdom of Duloc!  Well, welcome to a swamp just beyond its borders, home of happily solitary ogre, Shrek.  Into his beautifully slimy home comes a gaggle of fairy tale characters, banished for being a bit too freaky for Lord Farquaad, the little man with the big plans.  To clear out his swamp, Shrek journeys to Duloc to ... well, you know the rest -- quest, princess, tower, dragon, donkey, spell, happily-ever-after!
 
What really made this production work for me were the comedic (and musical) talents of the four principals -- Ryan Everett Wood (Shrek), Randi Garza (Fiona), Quentin Avery Brown (Donkey), and especially Vatican Lokey (Lord Farquaad).  The Farquaad role has always been a problem for me -- it requires the actor to play the role on his knees.  Yes, it's a funny bit, but once you're past that initial laugh, you're stuck with an actor scuttling through the story on his knees.  Awkward, and, too-soon, not very funny.  Here, however, Mr. Lokey finds comedy gold in every moment, every word, every song.  He doesn't rely on the tired visual gag, but milks the over-the-top ego, the over-the-top bluster to be, well, over-the-top funny. (Just to digress for a politically incorrect thought -- why is there no outcry that no "vertically challenged" actors are ever hired for this role?  Where is the "Dwarf Equity Spokesperson" in this age when even a dark-skinned non-Latino cast in "In the Heights" provokes outrage?)
 
Mr. Wood and Ms. Garza are a brilliantly matched couple.  They create original characters without slavishly copying the movie characters (and accents).  Mr. Brown is a whirling dervish of a donkey, galloping through the role unreined, unfettered, unencumbered by a pale Eddie-Murphy impression.  They are backed by an enormous and versatile ensemble (18 voices strong), including some of Atlanta's best and brightest character actors (Austin Tijerina, Marcie Millard, Kayce Grogan-Wallace, Haley Platt) and up-and-comers (Kiersten Wallace, Mabel Tyler, fresh off the "Matilda" tour).
 
This is also one of the best-looking, best-sounding productions in a while -- Sets, Lights, Sound, Costumes, and Make-up are all top-notch and transform the stage into a fairy-tale wonderland.  Kudos especially to the make-up folks and the "Dragon Designers" who avoid all the cheesy traps other productions seem to fall into.  Kudos especially to Director and Choreographer Chase Todd and Music Director Billy Payne who get the "blame" for making this production unmired and admired.
 
I've admitted in the past that I'm not the biggest fan of the score for this show.   In prior productions, I've felt that the songs served only to slow down the story.  I don't know what alchemy Mr. Todd and Mr. Payne performed to flip that assessment on its head -- maybe I just know the songs a bit better after being involved in a couple productions.  In any case, this production made me a "Believer" in the pleasures inherent in the score.
 
But, when all is said and done, why this "full" version works so much better than the "Jr" version, is it keeps the spirit of parody intact.  Yes, really small kids will inevitably get restless as this show goes into its second act, but, speaking as a grown-up, I truly appreciate the return of all that snarky over-the-small-heads humor that made me love the movie in the first place.
 
So, if you love this story as much as I do, dress in your best swamp-greens and sally forth to the swamp for a wonderful wallow in the wonderful "Shrek."  It's a gas!  (Yes, I went there...)