Ross Zentner
Jillian Sytsma and Krystal Drake (from left) in the Children's Theater of Madison production of "Disney's Freaky Friday the Musical."
The real magic of live theater is that its stories create empathy in the minds and hearts of audience members. If there has ever been a show that illustrates what it is like to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, it’s Children’s Theater of Madison’s Freaky Friday, on stage in the Starlight Theater at MYArts — CTM’s new youth arts center home. Directed by Anna Skidis Vargas and choreographed by Brian Cowing, this musical version of the classic story of a mother and daughter who magically switch bodies for a few days plays through May 22.
The 90-minute show is based on a book, a Disney movie, and two Disney remakes of that movie. It’s been updated from its 1972 origins to focus on a mom with a lot on the line — running her own catering business, planning her backyard wedding, and being interviewed by an important bridal magazine. A feature story could really boost her sales, so her stress level is going through the elegantly decorated wedding arbor. The daughter faces a pretty standard set of teenage challenges — suffering the shenanigans of her little brother while maintaining relationships with best friends, keeping her cool around her crush, and navigating around the mean girls in between gym class and biology. Social media and cell phones play a big role here, to keep the story current.
Fortunately the two leads that carry the show are both excellent. As harried mom Katherine Blake, Krystal Drake slides very easily into the gently nagging, perfectionist mother who is always fussing with her daughter’s hair, disapproving of her clothing choices, and urging her to be more respectful to Mike (a fine Trequon Tate), her soon-to-be stepfather. It’s plain to see that Katherine’s mothering comes from a place of love, but there is clearly a widening gap between mom and daughter. Drake’s singing voice has a similar ease, sweet and controlled, naturally delivering her many solos with a light touch.
Dressed in fraying jean shorts, black boots, tights and a red plaid shirt, daughter Ellie is the picture of a teen testing her limits. Played with an edge of annoyance tempered by a longing for independence by CTM veteran Jillian Sytsma, the teen nails her family and school interactions. She also immediately impresses with her strong, confident singing voice that easily fills CTM’s new 300-seat space.
As fully as Drake and Sytsma inhabit the push and pull of their mother/daughter relationship, the two switch seamlessly in an instant. Small gestures from one are immediately incorporated by the other, from twisting a lock of hair, to slouching. As the characters' type A and laissez-faire outlooks transfer from girl to woman and back again, it is as if each actor's body is temporarily possessed by the other's spirit — quite an accomplishment for the pair, who make the transitions look very easy.
Supporting actors Tate and Simon Patrick Littlefield do a nice job rounding out the (mostly) happy family and Elijah Edwards perfectly fits the bill as potential boyfriend material.
Over the course of a very challenging day, both mom and daughter learn a great deal about the other’s pressures and daily responsibilities. And the family comes back together in a predictable happy ending. It’s a sweet, if unchallenging, story and a great treat for families celebrating Mother’s Day during the opening weekend. But given the size of the cast and the number of music and dance breaks, the fact that Freaky Friday isn’t more than a showcase for two very talented lead actors is disappointing.
Much of the problem lies in the script, which is painfully predictable and full of half-hearted plot complications. (The musical, commissioned by Disney, bypassed Broadway and was instead sent straight to regional theaters, just like the studio releases subpar cartoons straight to video.)
As written, the high school students seem like pale imitations of other high school kids in recent shows, like Mean Girls, The Prom and Heathers. And the musical numbers by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey are lackluster. The one song that didn’t feel like filler or straight exposition was the surprisingly moving “Parents Lie,” sung beautifully by Drake.
A few elements of the production were also problematic. Staging in the moment when transformative powers were released by a magic hourglass was really underwhelming, even with a lot of help from the scenic design by Steve Barnes. And the canned music accompanying the singers sounded tinny, underscoring how much better live musicians would be for the musical. A number of adults in the cast also overplayed their tiny roles, when they weren’t busy moving classrooms, lockers, furniture and countless chairs — on and off and on and off — the blank Starlight stage.
But genuine kudos go to props artisan Nicole Hageman, who was charged with filling elaborately dressed sets, creating a self-destructing wedding cake that can be flawlessly reassembled for each performance, and procuring a long list of weird and wonderful items needed to create a home-catered wedding, a classroom frog dissection, an eclectic antiques store, and an after-hours, city-wide scavenger hunt.
On a tour of CTM’s new classrooms, shops, office space and theaters in the recently completed performing arts center for youth, I lamented that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization didn’t really get to celebrate a grand opening in the new building.
While this season finale might not be that, I do look forward to many years of CTM productions in the new space.
