Marcia Hines for Brisbane season of Shrek the Musical
Pictured: Ben Mingay, Lucy Durack and Marcia Hines
Tickets for the Brisbane season of the multi-million dollar musical comedy Shrek The Musical will go on sale this Friday, 27 September. The Broadway smash hit will play at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 9 May 2020 following seasons at the Sydney Lyric Theatre and Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne.
Ben Mingay and Lucy Durack will play the lead roles of Shrek and Princess Fiona, both well-known for numerous roles on stage and screen. On screen Ben Mingay has been seen in Packed to the Rafters, Wonderland, Home and Away and House of Bond as Alan Bond. Ben has played Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, the title role in The Phantom of the Opera, Zack in An Officer and A Gentleman, and Billy in the original Australian production of Dirty Dancing which led him to star in the UK and USA productions.
Lucy Durack shot to stardom as Glinda the Good Witch in the original Australian production of Wicked, and has since played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (for which she won a Helpmann and a Sydney Theatre Award), Glinda in GFO’s The Wizard of Oz, Sybil Chase in Private Lives for Melbourne Theatre Company and Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street among others. Her numerous film and television credits include Get Krack!n, Roxy in Sisters, Doctor Doctor, The Letdown, Now Add Honey, Goddess, Upper Middle Bogan, Here Come The Habibs, The Moodys and Dripping in Chocolate. Lucy is currently a judge on Channel 7’s Australia’s Got Talent.
Marcia Hines will play the role of the Dragon in a special guest appearance for the Brisbane season. Marcia made her stage debut at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. She went on to perform in many other stage productions including GFO’s Big River and Jerry’s Girls, the cabaret shows Velvet and Pigalle, and has recently finished playing The Diva in Saturday Night Fever on stage in Sydney. A major recording artist with several hit singles during the 1970s and 80s, Marcia was voted Queen of Pop for three consecutive years from 1976 and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. She also gained popularity as one of the judges on Australian Idol for several seasons from 2003.
With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek the Musical is based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film Shrek and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!.
Shrek the Musical brings the story to life on the stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a short temper, a cookie with attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand … and his name is Shrek.
“I fell in love with Shrek the Musical when I saw it on Broadway and was bowled over by the way audiences responded to the social issues it covers, themes like friendship, discrimination, acceptance, inclusiveness and ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’,” said producer John Frost. “Ben and Lucy and going to be wonderful in their roles, and I’m always thrilled to work with Marcia Hines again. I know Australia is going to fall in love with this hilarious musical comedy as much as I did.”
Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 9 May 2020. Performance Times: Wed-Sat 7.30 pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm and 6pm. Prices: From $49.90 (Transaction fees apply). Bookings: qpac.com.au or phone 136 246. Groups 12+ call (07) 3840 7466