Monday, June 17, 2019

reviews - DISNEY'S FREAKY FRIDAY - Valley Youth Theatre

Kate Brink and Sarah Ambrose
Photo by Memories by Candace
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through June 30.

"Over the years, there have been many films that feature a "body swapping" plot where, through either mystical forces, a freak accident, or simply a forceful wish, one character swaps bodies with another and over the course of their shared experience learns some life lessons about themselves and, most importantly, each other. One of the most popular of these is the 1976 movie Freaky Friday, which was based on Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel about a mother and her teenage daughter who switch bodies. The film spawned a made for TV adaptation, a 2003 film remake, and a bright and funny musical comedy...Valley Youth Theatre is presenting the local premiere of the 2016 musical in an exceptional production featuring a talented cast, sumptuous creative elements, and expert direction that brings out both the humor and the emotion of the funny but also heartfelt story....Sarah Ambrose and Kate Brink do very well as Katherine and Ellie. Under (Bobb) Cooper's direction, and with expert facial expressions and body language, you can instantly believe they have switched bodies from the second it happens, and relish in the humorous situations their characters find themselves in....The creative elements are excellent, with Dori Brown's simple but elegant set design...incredibly effective...With a perfect cast, excellent direction, and superb creative elements, Valley Youth Theatre's production is exceptional.... " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"...Having delivered an outstanding 2018/19 season (both Tuck Everlasting and the re-imaged version of Childsplay’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane were superior youth theatre productions) for the conclusion of its 30th Anniversary, and for the production chosen to open at the Herberger Center across town from its home base, VYT have capped things off spectacularly. From the live orchestra under Mark Feary’s direction to the energetic choreography of Nathalie Velasquez, this production exemplifies in all areas, technical and talent, the professionalism that truly is Valley Youth Theatre." -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)

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