Today, my family and I went to the New World Stages on W. 50th St. to see Freckleface Strawberry, the Musical. Based on books by actress Julianne Moore, the story focuses on a girl named Strawberry who is teased for having freckles.
The set is quite special—simple enough for a children’s production, yet colorful and welcoming. An oversized Freckleface Strawberry storybook openes and closes to reveal different places, such as the school playground, classroom, dance studio, and Strawberry’s bedroom. A swing comes down from the fly space above, as do several props, and the jungle gym is around the band.
A musical duo accompanies the cast, with keyboards and drums/percussion. Placed on a moveable platform right on stage, they become part of the tight ensemble– a cast of only seven.
While I am not a huge fan of adults portraying children in theater (I direct youth theater and much prefer children playing children), there were some high points in the performance. The choreography was wonderful, and the cast was quite adept at dancing. Jessica Bishop, who played the Ballet Girl, was perfectly cast in terms of her strong and graceful classical ballet. Joey Haro, playing the part of Danny, showed off some capable tap skills which were later repeated by the full ensemble. In the part of Strawberry, Hayley Podschun was clearly a capable actor/singer/dancer though acting as a seven year old – in my opinion – interfered with her vocal ability. Mykal Kilgore, in the part of Harry, was quite strong vocally – his singing was impressive. And overall, there were some nice harmonies in the score.
The show runs an hour, which is a comfortable length for children of all ages. Based on the directing choices, Freckleface Strawberry seems to appeal most to children ages 6 and under. The message, however, of believing in yourself and being proud of who you are, reaches audiences young and old alike.