The big green musical machine is leaping from Broadway to the Gallagher-Bluedorn stage with “Shrek The Musical,” based on the Oscar-winning film about a beast and his beauty. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get downright ugly when an ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and more than a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero — and 19 songs. It’s part romance, part twisted fairy tale and irreverent fun for all ages.

“Shrek The Musical”:7:30 p.m. Wednesday (11/7) and Nov. 8, Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, 8392 University Ave., University of Northern Iowa; $24 to $50, (319) 273-4849, 1-(877) 549-7469 or Gbpac.org