.png)
Is it ever possible to truly have empathy and understanding of what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes? Especially if those shoes are those of your mother or daughter? It’s a high-stakes, complicated relationship – one often fraught with landmines, frustrations, pain and oh yes, powerful love. It’s a theme that South Pasadena High School’s production of “Freaky Friday” delves into with passion, talent and a whole lot of heart.
Katherine Blake is a hardworking, professional caterer who has taken on the herculean task of catering her own wedding for a potential spread in a prestigious wedding magazine. It is the Friday before the wedding and Katherine is wishing – begging – for “Just One Day” where her contrarian teenage daughter, Ellie, would be helpful and that her family could be united and all could be easy. For once. Meanwhile, Ellie is equally frustrated with her mother’s expectations of her and seeming lack of empathy. Ellie’s father died several years earlier and clearly they all, including little brother Fletcher, have dealt with it in their own, very separate ways – mostly by not talking about it, leading to pain, anger and frustrations with each other.
At the end of the song, mother and daughter wrestle over a magic, heirloom hourglass as they are wishing for the same thing at the same time – a wish for the other to be in their shoes to truly see what their life is like and what they go through. We hear an electrical crackle and BAM, mother is now in daughter’s body and vice versa. Each must now navigate the other’s day which for Katherine includes all the mayhem of putting the wedding together, greeting family, the magazine reporter and all the vendors – and for Ellie there is a day of school, a meeting in the principal’s office, and an all-important yearly scavenger hunt involving warring teen clicks and her big crush. Hilarity ensues but as the day wears on, both begin to discover things about each other they wish they had known.
The two leads, Audrey Omidi as Katherine and Asha Quibilan as Ellie are outstanding. They start out of course as mother and teen but it is extraordinary to watch as they embody the upscale mother in her grunge-loving, awkward teenager’s body and the teenager thrust into her mother’s grown-up body and world. They do such a terrific job that one is never confused as to who is who at any moment. It makes for some truly hysterical moments and inevitably some very poignant ones as well. Omidi shines in the thoughtful “Parents Lie” as she tries to warn her little brother of this hard truth, not realizing she’s saying these hurtful things as his mother. Fletcher, played with spunk and sweetness by Lu DeLeon, is understandably confused and upset by his mother’s words.
Quibilan does a fantastic job at expressing Katherine’s conflicting feelings navigating Ellie’s world including crushing on high school heartthrob, Adam. Likewise, Omidi is hilarious when she’s talking up her daughter to Adam and he tells her it’s awkward talking to her about Ellie! Trust me, in the hands of these gifted actors it’s not at all confusing and extremely funny.
Several highlights come in the second act, most impressive vocally is “Bring My Baby (brother) Home”, an electrifying, bluesy number that showcases both Omidi and Quibilan’s powerhouse voices. Cole Dickey is absolutely charming as the slightly clueless yet utterly charming Adam. He has a great voice and delightfully sings to Fletcher about the similarities of “Women and Sandwiches”.
Sebastian Liebe is perfectly dreamy as Katherine’s fiancé, Mike. He makes us understand just what Katherine sees in him and proves to be someone that Ellie can finally trust. He’s particularly earnest and funny as he sings his “Vows” and is touching in the scene where he’s telling Katherine (who is really Ellie at the time) that he could never replace their Dad and that he doesn’t want or need them to forget him. Taylor Calva is a barrel of nerve endings as Katherine’s intensely hard-working assistant, Torrey, making the most of the physical comedy in the madcap managing of the wedding prep. Alexa Morales and Abby Greene are sassy and fierce as Ellie’s besties determined to win the scavenger hunt and shake Ellie out of whatever trance she seems to be in. Lauren Dubria makes for a saucy, ambitious wedding magazine reporter and an equally strong Officer Sitz among other roles.
Iris Barrera is pitch perfect in her acting and dance moves as the ultimate mean girl, Savannah, while Lia Borja gives a rousing performance as tough as nails P.E. teacher Ms. Meyers. The entire cast is incredible with each playing a few roles from parents to students to various townspeople – their work and commitment is evident in every moment and their sound is big in the terrific ensemble numbers like “Go” and “Watch Your Back”.
The music direction is the reason for the big sound, thanks to the efforts of Wylder Reinman who also conducts a tremendous 12-piece orchestra made up of students and three guest artists. The set design by James Jontz and his set construction crew is innovative with lockers, stairs, cabinets and columns moving and spinning seamlessly to become Katherine’s kitchen, Ellie’s high school, the streets and parks of Chicago and a backyard wedding. The use of projections on the columns is especially effective when Katherine is driving the car and during the scavenger hunt. Courtney Cheyne’s choreography is full of energy and pizazz, most notably in the incredible gym number “Watch Your Back”. The direction by Nick Hoffa is what brings all of the madness into focus with precision. It’s a big show with a lot of moving pieces that could easily get jumbled, but Hoffa knows how to direct an audience’s focus with effortless staging – always giving the emotional moments their time to breathe. The result is a show that both wildly entertains while touching the heart, reminding us of that radical notion – compassion for one another.
