Shrek the Musical’s National Tour to Kick Off June 2010

Shrek the Musical has set a launch date for its national tour for summer 2010. The hit musical, which features book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, is scheduled to make its first stop in Chicago, playing the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, as part of the Broadway in Chicago Season Series. The limited engagement will begin in June 2010.

Earlier this week, Shrek the Musical received 10 nominations for Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Musical, tying for the most nominations for any show this season. The show also received three Drama League Award nominations this week, including Distinguished Production of a Musical.

Shrek the Musical is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek!, as well as the DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, the first chapter of the Shrek movie series. The all-new musical opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, and tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren’t only found in fairy tales.

The show continues its run at the Broadway Theatre, starring Brian d’Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia and Daniel Breaker.