FREAKY FRIDAY - Playhouse - June 30, 2019

My books are based on the "what if" principle. "What if you became invisible?" or "What if you did change into your mother for one day?" I then take it from there. Each book takes several months in the long process of writing, rewriting, writing, rewriting, and each has its own set of problems. The one thing I dislike about the writing process is the sometimes-loneliness of it all. Readers only get to see the glamour part of a bound book, not some of the agonizing moments one has while constructing it.

- Mary Rodgers

So many of our conversations circle the topics of sympathy and empathy (as our cultural and social environments seem to be challenging our human abilities to exercise these very human traits). When we sympathize, we feel pity or sorrow for another, or share a mutual understanding or feelings for another person. More than just feel or understand for another person, empathy invites us to identify with another, to share their emotional state, or even to project our feelings or thoughts on someone or something else. (American Heritage Dictionary / https://ahdictionary.com)

While we humans should always be exercising our skills in sympathy and empathy, sometimes we have to be forced to experience them, which is precisely the premise for FREAKY FRIDAY, a surprisingly entertaining and oddly, albeit superficially, therapeutic musical produced at the Erie Playhouse. Deftly staged by directors Brendan Daugherty and Ryan Ingram, and cleverly choreographed by Melissa Dixon, the musical takes a work-focused mother and her awkward teenage daughter, and flips their personas from one body to the other's, during a pivotal twenty-four hour period.

What ensues are a series of wonderfully ridiculous and hilariously uncomfortable scenes that spin from this comical incident. Mary Rodgers, who first penned the story in her children's novel, certainly knew the struggles of parents and children, given her own relationship with her father, Richard Rodgers (both noted Broadway composers), and Tom Kitt's music, along with lyrics by Brian Yorkey (whose previous collaborations included the award winning NEXT TO NORMAL) capture the sweetness and innocence of the fantasy, further reinforced by Bridget Carpenter's book.

And while the staging and the design, with scenery and lights by Sam Brady and costumes by Mr. Ingram, certainly help create the light and summer-specific mood of the play, the weight of encouraging sympathy and empathy fall on the two principle performers in the play: the mother Katherine Blake and her daughter Ellie, played respectably by Leah Johnson and Melina Walter. Four fifths of the songs include or feature these two characters, and a majority of the lines are spoken by them; in many ways, it is a dual star vehicle with a supporting cast that facilitates their characters' discoveries and growth.

Ms. Johnson and Ms. Walter beautifully capture all of the emotional nuances of the story, and exhibit great dexterity and skill as they flip-flop their maturity levels. Their voices are powerful when exploding in emotion, but also subtle and tender in more quiet moments. These actors also exude energy and command of the stage, driving the simple plot with a forward motion that catches the audience in their own kinetic wake.

The supporting cast all reflect the positive performances of the principles. From Bill Speros' sensitive fiance Mike to Aaron Maurquise's egotistical student Adam to William Speros' impishly impulsive little brother Fletcher, to the entire ensemble, each of their portrayals help to heighten and bolster the mother and daughter plot.

The most surprising thing about FREAKY FRIDAY was how much it worked as a musical comedy. Sure, there were artificial contrivances in the plot (the crisis at the end of act one was quickly and unsurprisingly handled shortly into the second act, and the inevitability of the resolution was never in question). However, it was the sincerity of the writing and the honest vulnerability of the lead actors in the lead roles that made the production a very pleasant matinee diversion.