It’s “Freaky Friday” All Weekend This April At Severna Park Middle School

Teenagers think their parents are clueless. Parents think their teenagers are from another planet. What better than an earthquake to shake up an otherwise ordinary weekday into a “Freaky Friday” when a mother and her daughter magically trade bodies?

That’s the premise for this year’s Severna Park Middle School (SPMS) drama production, “Freaky Friday,” based on the original 1972 novel, later released as a movie in 1972 and again in 2003. The musical will run April 26-28 at Severna Park Middle School. Kylie Sjolie, director and choreographer, said that audiences familiar with the earlier versions of the story will be pleasantly surprised with a slightly different storyline.

Music Director Arden Titus and Sjolie chose “Freaky Friday” because it is very different from last year’s “SpongeBob” musical. With 47 student actors and 20 tech crew kids, there were many opportunities to participate. The show will feature great music and “a beautiful message about accepting and understanding others and yourself,” added Sjolie.

Students have been rehearsing since late January. “The kids are very much enjoying this show and storyline,” Sjolie said. “Because the story was made into multiple movies, and a musical version, the kids were pretty familiar with the concept of the show going into it. I think that made it even more fun for them to be able to recreate this story on the stage.”

Brooke Latone plays one of the leads, Katherine Blake, the mother. The eighth-grader gets to play her adult character while also playing the character’s teenage daughter for part of the show.

“Over the course of the show, Katherine learns to better appreciate her daughter and literally walk in her shoes,” Brooke said. “‘Freaky Friday’ is a really fun show that both kids and parents can appreciate. It has lots of fun songs, high energy and a great story.”

Sjolie said audiences can expect to laugh, sing, dance and maybe even cry. “This show has such a powerful storyline that pulls at the heartstrings,” she said. “Our two leads in the show do an amazing job telling the story of a mother and daughter who switch bodies and have to navigate a day in each other’s lives while also belting their little hearts out!”

In addition to amazing acting by the SPMS cast, the songs in “Freaky Friday” have tricky harmonies, which the students have beautifully mastered.

Eighth-grader Mari Matthews is a seasoned actor of four years who plays Ellie Blake. She loves her character’s great sense of humor and that she stands up for what she believes in.

“We have amazing instructors and teachers here at SPMS,” Mari said. “They help make our production great!”

She promises that the show is so fun that audiences will leave their production with the songs stuck in their heads in a happy way.

The set is made by parents and students in the show. When the curtain goes up, a tech crew of students will run the lights and sound for the production.

As part of the cast, Sophie Miller may only be in sixth grade, but she is already a veteran actor of six years. In “Freaky Friday,” she has a dual role as Mrs. Time and as a student. In her opening scene, she gets to wear pajamas.

“Acting is a great way to spend time with friends and work on new projects,” Sophie said.

Lexie Urrea is in sixth grade and has been acting for six years. She plays a student in the production, which means she sings and dances nonstop in the background. This is an important role because she’s responsible for moving props and ensuring smooth scene transitions.

“I enjoy theatrical drama because I love to perform and I feel like the stage is my home but also because I love how everything is so enthusiastic and exaggerated so there is never, and I mean never, a dull moment in theater!” Lexie said. “I think people should come and watch ‘Freaky Friday’ because when watching our show, you can see how much work everybody has put into it and how all of the characters get a chance to shine.”

Sjolie reminded everyone to support the arts and come see the incredible talent and passion of the SPMS students. “Musical theater is such a beautiful and vulnerable experience that is so captivating to witness, especially with young actors,” she said. “It is such a heartwarming experience to see how proud they are of the hard work they’ve put in.”

Tickets are available at www.spmssings.org.