Of 'Shrek' & Fairy Tales

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/24/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

A giant blow-up version of the ogre-like leading character in the new DreamWorks animated feature "Shrek" couldn't scare crowds away from the New York premiere Tuesday night, reports PEOPLE. Among those who showed up were Matthew Modine and his daughter Ruby, actor Peter Gallagher and "Today" show weatherman Al Roker. Roker's colleague, newswoman Ann Curry, told PEOPLE that her favorite fairy tale is the legend of King Arthur, "because it is about someone who went from nothing to everything, who lost everything. The idea is that everyone can join the (round) table and contribute and be an equal to a king." Chevy Chase had no problem remembering his favorite fairy tale: "Snow White --because I'm in love with her." Meanwhile, performance artist Spalding Gray has his favorite, too: Hansel and Gretel. How come? "The shadow in it. The fact that there is evil in the world, and it tells you that and it is redemptive. I keep on thinking about the witch and the finger," Gray muses. "I suppose that this is one that frightened me."