Shrek leaves the swamp for Broadway

“Shrek the Musical” opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York on Sunday, marking DreamWorks’ first theatrical venture on Broadway.

With book and lyrics by Pulitzer winner David Lindsay-Abaire (“Rabbit Hole”) and music by Jeanine Tesori (“Caroline, or Change”), “Shrek the Musical” largely follows the 2001 film from which it was adapted, which was based on the William Steig book.

The musical stars Brian d’Arcy James (seen in Los Angeles in 2005’s “White Christmas”) in the title role, Sutton Foster (seen in L.A. in 2005’s “The Drowsy Chaperone”) as Princess Fiona, Daniel Breaker (“Passing Strange”) as Donkey and Christopher Sieber (seen in L.A. in 2002’s “Into the Woods”) as Lord Farquaad.

So were the sometimes monstrous critics kind?

“If the storytelling is bumpy in patches and the songs don’t quite soar, the show never stints on spectacle or laughs, making it a viable contender for a slice of the Disney market on Broadway,” writes David Rooney of Variety.

Ben Brantley of the New York Times says: “ ‘Shrek,’ for the record, is not bad . . . definitely a cut above the most recent offerings from its creators’ direct competitor in cartoon-inspired musicals, Walt Disney.” Yet, he says: “Aside from a few jolly sequences (nearly all featuring the hypertalented Ms. Foster), this cavalcade of storybook effigies feels like 40 blocks’ worth of a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, accompanied by an exhaustingly jokey running commentary.”

Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press writes: “The folks at DreamWorks have done their darndest to make sure we are entertained at ‘Shrek the Musical,’ the company’s lavish stage adaptation of its hit animated movie. For much of the time, they succeed, thanks to the talent and ingratiating appeal of the show’s four principal performers.”

“There’s a lot to admire and enjoy,” writes Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune, adding, “It just struggles to sufficiently relax into itself.”

Peter Marks of the Washington Post was not so enthusiastic: “Forget your natural scent -- the whole shebang smells.”