(Above: Lead actors in the Cottage Theatre’s Shrek the Musical are, left to right, Melissa Miller, Matt Arscott, and Mark VanBeever)

By Randi Bjornstad

Who would have thought a stage musical about an improbably green ogre with a crusty exterior and a tender interior would have become a sensation that first hit the Broadway stage 10 years ago and is still appearing on stages throughout the country?

Maybe the same people who love Beauty and the Beast? The Shape of Water? Rumpelstiltskin, maybe?

Shrek seems to have done the trick. It started out as a Dreamworks animated film in 2001, opened on Broadway in 2008 for a more-than-a year-long run with 478 performances (including 37 previews), and then became a favorite for national, regional, local, and out-of-the country tours and productions.

The Broadway version was nominated for 12 Drama Desk awards and eight Tonys. So yes, it’s got good bones, which explains why it’s opening Oct. 5 at the Cottage Theatre for a three-weekend run.

For those who might not know the storyline, here’s how the Cottage Theatre describes the show in its announcement of the production:

“Shrek the Musical is an irresistible blend of adventure and romance, guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages. The unlikely hero is a hulking green ogre named Shrek, who suddenly finds himself on a life-changing quest through the ‘Big Bright Beautiful World.’

“Spurred by his desire to reclaim his swamp from a gang of fairytale interlopers, Shrek strikes a deal with the cruel (and vertically-challenged) Lord Farquaad. If Shrek rescues Princess Fiona, then Farquaad will give the evicted fairytale misfits their homes back so Shrek can reclaim his.

“Joined by a wisecracking donkey, Shrek eventually frees the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) princess from a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. Much to his surprise, Shrek discovers there is more to this unusual princess than meets the eye.”

The punch line in this description: “Beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.”

Keith Kessler directs the Cottage Theatre’s Shrek, with choreography by Janet Rust and musical direction by Keri Davis. Rhonda Turnquist does the costumes, with lighting by Amanda Ferguson and sets by Tony Rust.

It takes a cast of 30 to pull this off, led by Mark VanBeever in the title role, with Melissa Miller as Princess Fiona, Matt Arscott as Donkey, and Joshua Sayre as Lord Farquaad.

Shrek the Musical

When: 8 p.m. on Oct. 5-6, 11-13, 18-20, and 25-27; and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, 14, 21, and 28

Where: Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove

Tickets: $25 for adults, $15 for youths ages 6 to 18 years; available at the box office, 541-942-8001, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and one hour before performances, or online at cottagetheatre.org/

Details: Recommended for children ages 6 years and older because of length of the performance

The three ages of Princess Fiona in “Shrek the Musical,” played by, left to right: Audriahna Jones, Melissa Miller, and Elise Smith