To be honest, I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing "Shrek the Musical." I saw the original "Shrek," the animated film and basis for the musical, when it came out in 2001, and liked it fine. But subsequent viewings with nieces and nephews left me with the feeling that its cynical humor and reliance on pop-culture references give it an air of blatant commercialism more potent than most animated kids films. The fact that the original "Shrek" spawned three sequels, a couple of TV specials, a movie spin-off, and a musical adaptation within a decade would underscore that point.

But just as the show teaches us, first impressions aren't always correct. "Shrek the Musical" gradually won me over. The colorful fairy-tale characters that inhabit the story are natural fits for the stage, song, and dance. There are some wonderful theatrical moments, especially in the second half. And for kids, fart jokes work in just about every medium. While by no means perfect, the current production brought in by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League is a crowd pleaser, and a great live-theater introduction for children.

"Shrek the Musical" tells the story of Shrek, a curmudgeonly ogre abandoned by his parents at age 7, who enjoys a peaceful life in a swamp, avoiding all other people at all costs. His solitary life is destroyed when a bunch of fairy-tale characters are placed in a resettlement camp on his land by Lord Farquaad, the Napoleonic dictator of the kingdom of Duloc. Shrek goes to Farquaad to get his swamp back, which the simpering, diminutive lord agrees to do, if Shrek can rescue his ticket to kinghood, Princess Fiona, from a dragon-guarded tower. Accompanied by an annoying talking donkey, Shrek attempts to save the damsel in distress, who has a few secrets of her own.

It's always interesting to see how stories change as they are translated into different media. With "Shrek the Musical," that means more than 15 original songs, a greater focus on making its protagonist more sympathetic, more stage time for the supporting cast, and some totally new scenes.

The show actually works best when it departs from the source material, as it does during most of the superior second act. Freed from the constrictions of the film, Act II features some hilarious digressive song and dance numbers by Fiona, Donkey, Farquaad, and the fairy-tale characters. Whereas the "Shrek" films feature countless references to other movies, the musical instead frequently includes nods to other Broadway fare, with "Wicked," "West Side Story," "Les Miserables," "Dreamgirls," and "The Lion King" all getting knowing winks.

There are areas where the show comes up short. Some of the dialogue is clunky or tries too hard (see: just about everything Donkey says in Act I that's not lifted directly from the film). The songs, though serviceable, are almost universally forgettable; the only one with any stickiness is Fiona's sweet "I Know it's Today." The sets mostly look rushed and unfinished, and some of the "theater magic" required to pull off the final scene was clumsily done.

But there are other places where you see the skill and imagination of the crew and designers. The puppetry work that went into the dragon is jaw-dropping - I wondered how they were going to pull of that crucial plot point, and it is executed brilliantly. Similarly, anything to do with Farquaad is a grand slam, from his silly but effective costumes to the imaginative song and dance numbers in which he's featured.

Speaking of Farquaad, the actor who plays him, Merritt David Janes, is one of two cast members that own this show. Whereas I found Farquaad tiresome in the original "Shrek" film, Janes makes him an irresistible hoot on stage. His voice and mannerisms go over the over-the-top John Lithgow (the original voice actor for the character), and the physical comedy bits are goofy fun.

The other stand out is Liz Shivener as Princess Fiona, who I would argue is the real star of the show. I'd have to go and check, but it seemed to me that Fiona is given more song and dance numbers than any other character, and it's plain to see why. This is a character that really blossoms on stage, and Shivener is fantastic in the role. She's a beautiful singer, a gifted comedian, and utterly charming. Just try not to fall in love with her during that tap dancing number with the rats.

As for the rest of the leads, Lukas Poost has the challenging role of Shrek himself. I can't imagine how difficult it is to perform under all that make-up and costuming, but regardless, Poost's Shrek is the least memorable character in the main cast. His singing was difficult to hear over the band in the first act, and the watered-down brogue floated in and out throughout the evening. He's at his best in his scenes opposite Fiona. As Donkey, Andre Jordan is a strong singer. But he plays the role so closely to Eddie Murphy's interpretation (just with the swish turned up) that it mostly seems derivative.

"Shrek the Musical"

Through Sunday, February 5

Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St.

$32.50-$64.50 | rbtl.org