The holiday season is about joy, wonder, and stories that bring families closer together. This year, one of the most beloved tales of all comes to life onstage at Newport World Resorts with Shrek the Musical.
Shrek the Musical opens on October 31 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, and it gears into the holiday season with heart, hilarity, and a whole lot of swampy spectacle. Here are the reasons why this ogre-sized production is this year’s must-watch holiday show.
Family-friendly holiday treat
Newport World Resorts’ production company, Full House Theater Company (FHTC), made its long-awaited return to family-oriented productions to welcome all ages. “We haven’t done a children’s sort of musical in a while. Our last one was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [in 2017], and then it was followed with a lot of more or less adult material,” FHTC Co-Artistic Director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo shared. “So, ushering in Christmas and Halloween, which is really geared for children, we decided to bring back a musical that is good for families. Shrek was the obvious choice,” she added.
Theme park experience in a theater
The production doubles as a theme park, turning the stage into a feast for the senses with prosthetics, elaborate wigs, and costumes that capture every fairytale quirk. Adding to the spectacle is the use of puppetry to breathe life into characters. At the center of this technical magic is the Dragon, which promises to be a showstopper and one of the most memorable highlights of the production. “We’re creating a new design for the dragon for this specific production,” shared Director Dexter Santos.
His goal is to create a fully immersive stage where audiences feel they have stepped into something larger than life. “My dream for this production is for audiences to feel like they are entering a theme park. It would be nice for children to come and watch, becoming a new generation of theatergoers,” he shared.
Humor, heart, and holiday cheer
Shrek the Musical is as funny as it is heartfelt, a balance that makes it both timeless and timely. The humor sticks to the original Broadway script but leaves plenty of room for the cast to explore the layers of their characters. “The script is our bible,” shared Jamie Wilson who plays the role of Shrek. “So we stick to the script. What’s going to be amazing is the discovery of the script. I think it’s going to be really funny because we have to exercise our sense of humor in this production.”
Younger audiences delight in the slapstick antics and fairytale creatures, while older viewers catch the clever writing, sly wordplay, and lessons embedded in the story. This allows the show to resonate as a true family experience. As cast member Topper Fabregas, who plays Donkey, put it, “The humor caters to the adult, but the whole show is such a feast and such a riot. How nice that we get to be a core memory for children who will come to watch the show.”
Celebrating the season with Freak Flag flying high
Beyond the laughs and spectacle lies a relevant message, especially during the holidays. “One of the musical’s big numbers is Freak Flag, which celebrates diversity and every single person has a place where they belong. Everyone should come and see this show and celebrate that aspect of life,” shared Alfredo Reyes, who plays the character Lord Farquaad.
Set to be the ultimate holiday adventure, Shrek the Musical reminds audiences that the season’s magic is all about love, laughter, and finding joy together. With layered humor, ogre-the-top stagecraft, and songs that uplift, the production captures the joy of the season and ensures that everyone, children and adults, misfit or not, has a place in the show.
Shrek The Musical is based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig. It features book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. The hit musical was originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions. Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), New York, NY, USA. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.
Catch Shrek The Musical starting October 31, 2025, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Additional November show dates are now open. Tickets are available at Ticketworld, Newport World Resorts Box Office, and Helixpay: PHP 4,500 (SVIP), PHP 4,000 (VIP), PHP 3,000 (GOLD), PHP 2,000 (SILVER), and PHP 1,500 (BRONZE). For inquiries, contact Customer Care at 7908-8888 or info@fhtcentertainment.com.
For more information on Shrek The Musical, visit www.newportworldresorts.com/shrekthemusicalph and follow @newportworldresorts and @nwr.musicals on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Join Newport World Resorts Viber Community at https://newportwr.com/nwrvibercommunity for exclusive updates. Every visit is made more rewarding with an Epic Rewards membership, download the Epic Rewards Mobile App for free at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Leads:
Shrek – Jamie Wilson
Fiona – Krystal Kane
Donkey – Topper Fabregas
Lord Farquaad – Alfredo Reyes
Dragon – Julia Serad
Female Ensemble:
Barbara Jance
Brianna Bunagan
Cydel Gabutero
Jannah Baniasia
Julia Santiago
Liway Perez
Ma. Francesca Mata
Meg Ruiz
Miah Canton
Mica Fajardo
Mikaela Regis
Ring Antonio
Male Ensemble:
Alfritz Blanche
Chesko Rodriguez
Francis Gatmaytan
Franco Ramos
Ian Hermogenes
Jep Go
Jordan Andrews
Juancho Gabriel Escoto
Jules dela Paz
Khalil Tambio
Lord Kristoffer Logmao
Luigi Quesada
Marvin Ong
Noel Rayos
Rapah Manalo
Red Nuestro
Rofe Villarino
Swings, Understudies & Covers:
Female Swing – Alyanna Mikaela Wijangco
Male Swing – Fairy Folk Tracks – Noel Rayos
Male Swing – Dancing Tracks – Yaweh Sangalang
Shrek Cover – Nico Dans
Fiona Cover – Cara Barredo
Donkey Understudy – Marvin Ong
Lord Farquaad Cover – Stephen Viñas
Dragon Understudy – Abi Sulit
