When my kids and I headed into New World Stages on Sunday to see Freckleface Strawberry, I have to admit that I had pretty big expectations. After all, the book the play was based on is written by one of my favorite actresses, Julianne Moore. In addition, we have had some great theatrical experiences recently at this theater with the Gazillion Bubbles Show and ImaginOcean. Most of all, I was really excited to see my 5-year-old son’s reaction to the show. To date, I’ve been taking my daughter to most of the performances I review on this blog, and I was curious to see how he’d react to a musical of this nature.
The play revolves around Strawberry, a seven-year-old girl who is constantly teased by her friends at school for having bright red hair and freckles. She wants to be like everyone else, hence the name of the first song, “Look at Me”. We follow her throughout the play as she tries to scrub her freckles off her skin, despite her mother comforting her with words that she is “perfectly perfect”. She ends up putting a mask on and wears it to school and to ballet class, where she makes a friend with a ballerina who is as lonely as she is. While she is hidden under the mask, her friends miss her. In the end, she learns that they love her for who she is and that we a’re all different. In the last song we hear, “You’re like nobody else. Different just like everyone else.” The story has a great lesson to teach, and the music and dancing really help to bring the message home. It’s truly the story of Strawberry’s journey to self-discovery.
The best part about the show? My son’s reaction. It was so positive. He gave the show raves and was such a fan of the show that when I introduced him to the fact that the stars came out at the end to sign programs in the lobby, he wouldn’t leave without the main star’s signature. Hayley Podschun, who plays Strawberry, was the other best part of the show. She is just phenomenal, and so cute with her freckles. Unfortunately, we waited as long as we could, knowing my husband was circling the streets of Manhattan waiting for us, and we had to miss Podschun’s exit. My son made me promise that we would go back to the show to not only see it again, but to secure her signature.
Freckleface Strawberry is an extremely entertaining afternoon at the theater, full of music, dancing, laughter and, for me, a little boy with a grin on his face during the play’s 75 minutes running time.
Freckleface Strawberry is playing at New World Stages/Stage 4 at 340 W. 50th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Ticket prices range $39-$68.50. Tickets are available at Telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200 or visit the New World Stages box office.
Disclosure: These tickets were provided to me in exchange at no charge, but no opinions were expected of me. This review consists of my own thoughts and opinions – well, maybe my son’s, too.
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