Arlington's Signature Theatre has announced the leads for the world-premiere production of Freaky Friday, Bridget Carpenter, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's new musical based on the classic Mary Rodgers novel and Disney films. Heidi Blickenstaff (Something Rotten!) and Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening) will star as the mother and daughter, respectively.
“I'm so excited that Heidi Blickenstaff and Emma Hunton will introduce a whole new generation to Freaky Friday,” said director Christopher Ashley in a press statement. “I have no doubt that their powerhouse performances will ignite this musical adaptation of Mary Rodgers's timeless story of mothers and daughters.”
The premiere staging will be helmed by two-time Tony nominee Ashley with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo (On Your Feet!). Performances are set to begin October 4 and run through November 13 in Signature's MAX Theatre.
Kitt and Yorkey, the Pulitzer Prize-winning team behind Next to Normal and If/Then, reunite for this brand-new musical comedy about a mother and daughter who swap bodies for a day. Writer Carpenter (Friday Night Lights) penned the book for the updated work, to be set in the present day.
“When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before mom’s big wedding,“ state production notes. “Freaky Friday features a tuneful pop-rock score, befitting a work that has effortlessly updated throughout its several iterations.“
The title was developed by Disney Theatrical Productions for licensing to theatres, with the rights already secured by theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI). They will be made available worldwide following the show's Signature debut.
To purchase tickets visit Sigtheatre.org. The Signature Theatre is located at 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA. For more information on licensing, contact MTI by phone at (212) 541-4684 or by email at [email protected].