Freaky Friday at HCT

Last night I had the chance to see the new Disney musical Freaky Friday at Hale Centre Theatre and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. I'm not a big fan of turning a popular movie into a stage musical but this production has a lot going for it. Those who have seen the 1976 movie with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris or the 2003 version with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis know the basic story about a mother and daughter who don't understand each other and accidentally switch bodies for a day. In this iteration Katherine Blake (Korianne Orton Johnson) is a single mother who owns her own catering business. She is incredibly stressed out because she is catering her own wedding to Mike (Neal C. Johnson), which she hopes will be featured in a popular bridal magazine, and she wants everything to be perfect. Her moody and argumentative daughter Ellie (Bailee Johnson) doesn't want her to marry Mike and definitely doesn't want to attend the rehearsal dinner. She would rather participate in the school scavenger hunt organized by her crush, Adam (Zack Elzey). Both Katherine and Ellie wish that the other could see the situation from her perspective and this wish (and a magic hourglass) causes them to switch bodies. Chaos ensues as Katherine tries to navigate high school while Ellie deals with wedding preparations and a photo shoot. They must learn to appreciate each other before things can return to normal. As with many musical adaptations from movies, I found most of the songs to be contrived and largely forgettable (with the exception of "Just One Day," "Somebody Has To Take The Blame," and "I'm Not Myself Today"). However, what elevated this show for me was the talented cast, the choreography, and the set design.  Korianne Orton Johnson and Bailee Johnson have wonderful voices and great comedic timing, especially when imitating each other. They both give very heartfelt performances. I also really enjoyed the ensemble because they bring a lot of energy to the big song and dance numbers. I absolutely loved Cory Stephens' fun and innovative choreography, especially in "Watch Your Back" which involves a high school gym class (the climbing rope sequence is amazing) and "Oh, Biology" which features moving lab tables. The fabulous set by Jean Stapely Taylor consists of bright and colorful multi-level towers which are easily transformed into various settings, from kitchen appliances to high school lockers. This show is definitely a lot of fun and teens are sure to enjoy it (the girls sitting behind me loved it).  It runs on the Jewel Box Stage in the Mountain America Performing Arts Center until Aug. 24 (go here for tickets).

Note:  Some of the wigs worn by supporting characters look really fake. It is a petty criticism but I kept noticing it and it distracted me from the action.