Through 6/21
The Cleveland Play House’s spring musical, Freak the Mighty, takes on prejudice and knocks it to the ground.
How? With top-notch casting and, as with all good theatrical productions, good direction. Director Michael Barakiva allows the cast to “show, don’t tell” the story as it unfolds in the Allen Theater.
Built on a YA novel by Rodman Philbrick, with book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe and music by Ryan Fielding Garrett, it’s an engaging production suitable for young ones and those who remember being young ones.
Our two unlikely young heroes (one big and the other tiny) face the challenges of middle school and disrupted families. Their friendship, built in part on devotion to the legend of King Arthur, enables them to be twice as strong as they would have been alone.
Thanks to the impressive acting skills of Netza Jimenez (as “giant” Maxwell Kane) and Cornelius Kittrell (as Kevin Avery, AKA “Freak”), the two youngsters come alive and make us care. The pair learn to face school bullies (who constantly tease and belittle) and problematic (and sometimes dangerous) relatives.
Jimenez’s Kane, a tall, heavy-set lad, is shy, reluctant to make friends. But when he meets the high IQ super-verbal (and tiny) Avery, Kane slowly changes into a more confident person. Extra points must be given to Kittrell who articulates every rapid-fire genius remark from “Freak” clearly and (often) with humor.
Musical numbers also tell the story, with “A Day in the Life of Maxwell Kane,” “I’m a Freak,” “King Arthur’s Round Table” (sporting amusing and sudden appearances by elaborately costumed figures from royal days), “You Can Do It,” and other expressive songs by Fielding.
Cast members also include Spencer LaRue, Wade McCollum, Caleb Miofsky, Ryah Nixon, Analise Rios, Bart Shatto, Kanoa Sims, Nicole Sumlin, Astrid Van Wieren, Harter Clingman, Christopher Gurr, Anita Hollander, Mikaela Ray, Nicolas Vivar, Alec Michael Ryan, and Kooper Campbell.
The creative team includes Patrick McCollum (Choreographer), Wilson Chin (Scenic Designer), Suzanne Chesney (Costume Designer), Miriam Nilofa Crowe (Lighting Designer), Ken Travis (Sound Designer), and Ora Jewell-Busche (Wig Designer).
Music Director Patrick Sulken led a small (but mighty) orchestra in the pit.
Bottom Line: An engaging feel-good musical. I dare you not to fall in love with our unlikely heroes. Catch it if you can before it heads to the West Coast’s Seattle Repertory Theatre production for further refinement.
[Written by Laura Kennelly]