The score for , composed by Jeanine Tesori with lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire , is an eclectic mix of contemporary Broadway, pop, rock, and R&B. It is designed to be high-energy and character-driven, often parodying traditional musical theater tropes. Key Songs & Musical Highlights
No analysis of the score is complete without examining its climactic anthem, “Freak Flag.” Unlike the passive “Let It Go” or the defiant “I Am What I Am,” “Freak Flag” is a collective, rhythmic, and percussive rebellion. The song builds from a whispered, syncopated chant (“Step aside, step aside / Let the freaks come out”) into a full-throttle gospel-rock explosion. What makes it revolutionary in the context of the musical is its use of polyphony: the pinocchio, the three little pigs, the gingerbread man—each character adds their own ostinato, their own rhythmic cell, representing their unique “freakishness.” The score does not homogenize them; it layers their differences into a harmonious, unstoppable groove. This is the musical antithesis of the fairy-tale world’s demand for conformity (represented by the rigid, march-like chords of Lord Farquaad’s “The Ballad of Farquaad”). “Freak Flag” is the score’s thesis statement: identity is not singular, but a noisy, glorious chorus. Shrek the musical score
Act II of the is darker and more rhythmic. The score for , composed by Jeanine Tesori