Tony Awards Get Greener With "Shrek"

Cast Members Of The Tony-Nominated Show Talk Family-Friendly Entertainment And Pre-Awards Jitters

(CBS)  The Tony Awards are going to be a bit greener this year.

The Broadway show "Shrek," known for its green ogre star, has been nominated for eight awards.

And Tuesday on The Early Show, the cast members who play Shrek and Donkey appeared on the show to talk about getting nominated and anticipating the awards ceremony.

Brian d'Arcy James, who plays Shrek, has been nominated for best actor in a musical. He said the experience has been "thrilling."

This is the second nomination for James, who received a nomination for the show "The Sweet Smell of Success" in 2002.

Daniel Breaker, who plays Donkey, told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez a win at the Tony Awards would be "divine."

Breaker, a classical theatre performer who attended Julliard, was nominated for a Tony award last year for the show, "Passing Strange." This is his second musical.

Rodriguez, who saw the show for the first time with her family recently, said "Shrek" really is good for the whole family.

"We have a ton of fun, that’s the great thing," James replied. "...We get full license to be completely goofy, and that’s what’s great about the show, it’s tons of fun and it’s also got tons of heart."

Rodriguez said she couldn’t believe James was the same person as the green ogre on stage.

But it does take a little more than magic to transform into the monster. James said he spends an hour-and-a-half getting into makeup, his padded suit and heeled boots for each performance.

But the show isn't exactly the same as the films. Some of the performers haven't even seen the "Shrek" movies yet -- like Breaker.

"...At one point when I got the job, I thought I should go see the films," Breaker said. "But then I thought, I don’t want to get buckled down under the pressure of trying to recreate the Eddie Murphy role."

As awards night aproaches, James said the nomination has added anticipation to day to day performing.

"We’re all so dedicated to just doing shows, just show by show, and this is a real busy time for all of us, and it really adds more excitement than anything," James said. "Sunday night, I’m sure, my knees will be knocking."

The 63rd Annual Tony Awards ceremony will air Sunday, June 7 at 8/7 Central on CBS.