The previously announced Disney Channel adaptation of the Freaky Friday musical has found its mother-daughter (or is it daughter-mother?) duo. Broadway favorite Heidi Blickenstaff will play Katherine (a part she originated in the musical's world premiere and three subsequent productions), while Cozi Zuehlsdorff (Dolphin Tale) will take on the role of Ellie.
Like the stage adaptation of the body-switching comedy, the TV movie will feature songs by Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; joining them to work on the score will be David Lawrence. The musical's book writer Bridget Carpenter has returned to pen the screenplay. Steve Carr will direct; he also serves as executive producer alongside Disney Theatrial Productions President Thomas Schumacher and Susan Cartsonis.Additional cast members will include Ricky He as Adam, Alex Désert as Mike, Jason Maybaum as Fletcher, Kahyun Kim as Torrey, Dara R. Moss as Savannah, Jennifer LaPorte as Monica, Isaiah Lehtinen as Karl, and Sarah Willey as Kitty. Jon Carrafa, a Tony nominee for Urinetown and the 2002 revival of Into the Woods, will choreograph.
The musical, based on Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel and the various screen adaptations that followed (including the 2003 film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan), premiered in October 2016 at Virginia's Signature Theatre. It subsequently played La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, and the Alley Theatre.