Disney is known for its remakes. Not only are they adapting their classic animated movies into a string of successful live action films, like last year’s hit ‘The Jungle Book’ and the upcoming ‘Beauty & The Beast’ starring Emma Watson, but they have also brought their movies to life on stage, in Broadway hits like ‘The Lion King’, ‘Aladdin’ and many more.
A few years ago, they also adapted live action projects ‘High School Musical’, ‘Camp Rock’ and ‘Newsies’ to the stage. Now they’re back at it with ‘Freaky Friday’. Regardless of your age, there was a ‘Freaky Friday’ for your generation, whether it was the 1976 original, starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster as a mother and daughter that switch bodies, or the 2003 remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and pre-crazy Lindsay Lohan. (There was also a 1995 TV movie remake starring Shelly Long and Gaby Hoffman.)
None of the ‘Freaky Friday’ movies was a musical, but the stage production is thanks to Tony- and Pulitzer-winning song-writing duo Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (‘Next To Normal’). The show is directed by Christopher Ashley (‘Xanadu’, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’), of the La Jolla Playhouse, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo, based on a book by Bridget Carpenter (‘Friday Night Lights’) which is adapted from the original kids’ novel by Mary Rodgers. Emma Hunton and Heidi Blickenstaff star in the lead roles as Ellie and Katherine. The show is currently playing at the La Jolla Playhouse after an initial run at Virginia’s Signature Theatre. The show will run until March 12, but there are no plans to bring the show to Broadway.
Obviously, not everyone can attend these performances, but Disney has released three of the songs which you can enjoy below:
Song writer, Yokey discussed the show, saying:
“Where I think this record especially is going to fit on the shelf next to Next to Normal and If/Then is that we try to write characters who sing for understandable reasons. They sing when they’re at extremes of emotion, when they’re under real pressure and trying to work things out. I feel like that’s a thing that’s common across all of our shows: characters who are trying to figure out what the hell they’re going to do with their lives. And that certainly is the case of these two women who have switched bodies.”
Fellow song writer, Kitt added:
“The performers on this album completely capture what it is we wanted to create with this show. They have such artistry and such a wide variety of colors that they use to tell the story. These are human artists who are doing something that they believe in, that they are passionate about. And it’s the greatest compliment that we creators can have — to watch them interpret our material and make it a living, breathing thing.”
And as far as working on a Disney project, Yorkey expressed:
“I’m in this business because of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. More than anything else that’s why I wanted to write songs. And to have songs on a record that will say Disney on it is…goosebumps.”
The soundtrack album will be available on March 17th.
Are you a fan of the ‘Freaky Friday’ movies? Are you excited to see them adapted as a stage musical?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
