As "Shrek" the musical comedy leaps from swamp to stage, the land of far, far away seems just out of range. The show's world premiere, currently in tryouts at 5th Avenue Theatre before its Broadway bow, has delightful moments. Still, the production needs tweaking, though name recognition alone should bring in mega-bucks.Based on the classic William Steig fable and the Oscar-winning 2001 DreamWorks' film, "Shrek," the musical version follows the movie plot more than you might expect. Shrek and Donkey set out to save the swamp and Princess Fiona from evil Lord Farquaad. The tale's message remains: "Don't judge an ogre by his looks." Of course, true love triumphs. And luckily, the gingerbread man scene made the cut. David Lindsay-Abaire's book offers fresh insights and twists to Shrek's childhood, Fiona's pining and Farquaad's family ties to the seven dwarfs. The stage version also pays affectionate homage to Broadway blockbusters, including "A Chorus Line" and "The Lion King."Directed by Jason Moore, Act One of "Shrek" fares better than Act Two, which drags a bit. Josh Prince's choreography is predictable and pleasant, yet ultimately fails to dazzle.However, the singers are terrific-every one of them.But the best thing about the production is hilarious Christopher Sieber, who gives a star turn on his knees. Bound to earn a Tony nod, he's fantastic and funny as the villainous, barrel-chested squirt, Lord Farquaad. Whenever Sieber comes onstage, he steals the show. In "Things Are Looking Up in Duloc," Lord Farquaad's minions dutifully dance on their knees in subservience. When he laments over his hi-ho daddy, Grumpy, in "The Ballad of Farquaad," Lord F bares his hairy chest adorned with Al Sharpton bling, while his tiny ticklish feet dangle over a crown-shaped bathtub full of bubbles. Sutton Foster runs a close second to Sieber's brilliance with her sensational performance as Princess Fiona, a beautiful bi-polar, bossy-pants with a voice of gold. Sutton's in her comedic element. As her gorgeous soprano hits the high notes, birds explode-literally. Princess Fiona cavorts with a blow-up Bambi clone, then nonchalantly tosses it offstage and continues singing.As Shrek, the uber-talented Brian d'Arcy James looks the spitting image of the film Shrek, marvelously voiced by Mike Myers. Although James mimics the Scottish accent and gives a good performance, too often his ornery green giant plays straight ogre for the other characters' antics. Another problem, the signature headpiece hides James' expressive face, making him seem one-dimensional. Despite his great singing voice, most of the songs assigned to Shrek are mediocre. He's best when teamed with Foster's feisty princess, especially during their second-act duet, "I think I Got You Beat," a competitive frolic of body emissions.The fairy tale folks are lively and familiar. The three pigs are fat and jolly--not a trace of lipstick to be seen. Pinocchio's nose grows, the big, bad wolf howls in Grandma drag and Humpty Dumpty waddles around, half-egg, half-wall.A dozen or so rodent hoofers, courtesy of mouse slippers, join the Pied Piper and Fiona for "Morning Person," a rousing tap number. When the flamboyant pink dragon enters, her tail trails along in separate sections, comprised of nine singing dragonettes, swishing around in feathery frocks and pointed Madonna bras. Kecia Lewis-Evans voices the flirtatious monster with R&B panache, while the gigantic puppet-head nods and bats her eyelashes.As Shrek's wisecracking Donkey sidekick, Chester Gregory possesses an amazing vocal range which he shows off in "Make a Move." Gregory tries his best, but Eddie Murphy is a hard ass to follow. The cheeky Donkey-shines we loved in the film rarely surface.Tim Hatley's animation-style couture adds whimsy to the production, and his swamp-green set boasts sliding cartoon cutouts of trees, streamer-evoked foliage and a floor of snake-like roots. There's fog in the swamp and fire in the dragon. Plus plants that steam, trap doors and a rickety bridge to nowhere. The score by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics) touts 20-plus songs in a musical mix of styles--from Motown to Broadway. Regardless of their clever lyrics, some tunes need to be replaced or cut from the show before its New York opening. Simply put, they fall flat. And speaking of flat, there's flat-ulence galore in "Shrek" Thankfully, when Princess Fiona sings "I smell a happy ending," there's no attempt at aromatherapy.[[In-content Ad]]"Shrek" runs Tuesday to Sunday through September 21st at 5th Avenue Theatre, tickets $31-$90, 206-625-1900.
