It’s not everyday that I get an opportunity to live and work for a short period of time in Istanbul. It’s even rarer that I get to see a Broadway musical on the other side of the world- and even rarer still that one of my dearest friends is a star in said musical! Fate has it’s ways of working and I was fortunate enough to watch my incredible friend and dancer Kelsey Orem light up the stage in Shrek the Musical.

I grabbed a few of my roommates and piled into a taxi bound for the Zorlu Center. This theatre is held in an upscale mall with beautiful shops and dining. Plus it was only a 10 minute taxi ride from our house!

I’m not always the biggest fan of musicals but Shrek the Musical was the perfect combination of song and dance; there was humor, beautiful costumes and scenes, excellent performers, and a sweet message underneath it all. The screenplay runs exactly like the movie but its tinged with the special moments that can only happen when viewing a live, once in a lifetime rendition, no matter how often the cast performs. As expected, Kelsey was incredible as a snarky witch and a Dulock doll. I wasn’t aware that she was also a Blind Mouse in a song and dance number, but I’ve seen Kelsey perform enough to know how much she commits to a routine and I could tell it was her from my balcony seat! You can never tear your eyes off of her sass! 😉

Just in case the musical was not enough, Kelsey came out and met us after the show with Jared Howelton, the spitting image of a purely lovable Eddie Murphy as the donkey, and Christian Marriner, the perfectly obnoxious Lord Farquaad. They were normal and friendly in real life, proving how talented they are in the theatre!

Shrek the Musical will be touring worldwide throughout all of 2016. If you are in Istanbul now, buy tickets HERE . The best way to keep up with their amazing travels would be through the INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT of Kelsey! Expect a unique journey and captured moments from this heartwarming show.