Shrek The Musical is coming to Dubai Opera in February

The show had its premiere on New York's Broadway in 2008, before branching out to the UK, China and beyond

Shrek The Musical is based on the 2001 hit film with parts of its sequels also incorporated into the show. Photo: Broadway Entertainment Group

Shrek The Musical, based on the Oscar-winning animated film, is coming to Dubai Opera.

Presented by Broadway Entertainment Group and Live Nation, the show will take place from February 21 to 26 and will feature characters such as Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad and other favourites from the film taking to the stage.

The show is based on the 2001 film, but also has elements of its sequels — including Shrek 2 and Shrek Forever After — incorporated as well. It tells the story of an ogre named Shrek, who lives in a faraway kingdom, and the adventures he goes on to rescue a feisty princess.

The show premiered on Broadway in 2008 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor and Best Actress in 2009.

Since its run on Broadway, it’s been performed on stages across countries including the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Singapore, China and Thailand.

“We are thrilled to bring Shrek the Musical, in all of its bright-green glory, back to the UAE by popular demand. With the receptive, engaging family and millennial audiences throughout the Emirates, we look forward to bringing this fun-filled show to this exciting destination,” said Liz Koops, chief executive of Broadway Entertainment Group.

Other musicals in the UAE

Elf the Musical will be staged at The Theatre at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai for a one-week run starting on Saturday until December 24.

Based on the hit film that starred Will Ferrell, the musical tells the touching story of Buddy, a human who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag as a baby and ends up being raised as an elf. Although he grows up as a misfit in the North Pole, he travels to New York City to find his birth father.

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