When Ric Weaver of Bird-in-Hand, director of Dayspring Christian Academy's upcoming production of "Freaky Friday," thinks about the messages inherent in the show, he is transported back to his own teenage years. "With my parents, I had a moment of realization when I was able to step back and see them as humans and (see) that they were trying to do their best for me," he said. "When I realized that, all the disagreements I had with them just dispersed."
The musical version of "Freaky Friday," will be presented live at Dayspring, 120 College Ave., Mountville, at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, and at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, in the school's auditorium.
The show tells the story of a mother and daughter who somehow swap bodies for 24 hours. By spending a day in each other's shoes, Katherine, played by Ali Bruner, and Ellie, played by Zoe Martin, come to appreciate one another's struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.
Weaver said that he chose the musical because he was looking for a show with a large female cast, but also because he wanted to give students this specific acting experience. "I thought it would be so interesting to do a show where the two characters switch bodies and have to act like each other," he said.
The stage version of "Freaky Friday" gives a fresh, modern point of view to the themes of the novel and films. The new book places the action squarely in the social media age. "The mom thinks the daughter's life is easy because she just goes to school and comes home," said Weaver, who noted that both leads soon come to understand the daily travails of the other. "When the mom goes to school as her daughter, she is introduced to the social pressures," said Weaver, adding that in the mother's body, the daughter realizes how hard her mom works to put food on the table. He noted that is the crux of the story. "That's the point of this show," he said. "If we were to take into consideration what other people are going through, we might have a little more grace."
An original pop/rock score was written for the musical, and Weaver called the many songs fun, but complicated to perform. "It's deceivingly hard because it is very poppy and contemporary musical theater (style)," he said. According to Weaver, highlights will include the opening "Just One Day," which introduces the characters, and "I Got This," which the two leads sing when they switch bodies. Weaver also pointed to "Women and Sandwiches," which is sung by Adam, played by Gavin Knolle as Ellie's boyfriend, and "Bring My Baby (Brother) Home." "Bring My Baby (Brother) Home" is about Ellie's younger brother, Fletcher, played by Gabe Stoltzfus, who goes missing. It's sung by Katherine; Ellie; Katherine's fiance, Mike, played by Daniel Opala; and two police officers, played by Favor Johnsons and Mishael Opala. "It's a funny song (because) the cops are freaking out the mom and the daughter," said Weaver of the rock and pop tune.
Tickets, which will be limited, may be purchased at http://www.dayspringchristian.com/store.
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