What's with the short guy?

In the animated version of "Shrek," the nasty little "villain," Lord Farquaad, is heads below everyone else. So when it was adapted as a Broadway musical, staff got creative to make the very tall actor Christopher Sieber very short. After first trying kneepads worn by umpires and catchers in the world of baseball, they got supremely technical, as reported in "Broadway Buzz": 

"Eventually, a designer from England came up with what we call “the Rig,” which is basically a big ol’ Frankenstein shoe that I put my knee in. It’s filled with all of this rubber shock-absorber material, and it works. It works really well. The knee pads have been upgraded, too, and run from the bottom of my shin to the top of my quad. Now I can bounce around and actually run on my knees without worrying about being hobbled for the rest of my life. It’s actually getting comfortable."

Attached to the front of his real legs were puppet legs on a device that allowed him to move them while "walking" and kick them out during dance numbers.

Our Lord Farquaad, played by Senior Jared Wilde, followed tradition by performing on his knees. While his acting and singing skills and his characterization were Broadway-worthy, our budget allowed for umpire/catcher's gear, not designer rigs. The photos in the attached gallery reveal his true height, his knee pads, and the fact that he actually towers over mom Tina and dad Corin when standing.