Freckleface The Musical: Embracing Your 'Once Upon A Time'

Freckleface The Musical: Embracing Your ‘Once Upon A Time’

Written by Carol Cain on 22 January 2012

I don’t remember ever being bullied in school when I was a little kid. There was one time when a little boy teased me about something or other and I turned around and punched him dead in the face. I was certainly a fighter, but that’s not to say I didn’t have moments when I was insecure and longed so badly to be like someone else. I remember hating my curly hair, my knobby knees and thick thighs. I was a tomboy but I wanted to fit in and it wasn’t always easy …and I had (have) freckles.

Maybe this is why in scenes of Freckleface The Musical – based off of Julianne Moore’s best selling children’s book Freckleface Strawberry – had moments when I actually teared up. This kid-friendly performance is cheerful, full of songs and dance, colorful scenes and happy characters. Even the main character’s conflict with herself – and her freckles – are dealt with in a manner that isn’t overly dramatic or deeply distressful. But any kid (or adult) who ever experienced being bullied or not fitting in will relate very deeply and personally with the message of empowerment and love of thy self.

I looked over at my two little boys and wondered how personally they could relate. At 5 and 6 I knew they were now entering that age where so much and the opinions of so many matter to them. “They aren’t being very nice to Strawberry, Mama”, whispered my 5 year old has he watched the main character tolerate the taunting of her friends.

I was too far from my 6 year old to lean over and ask what he thought, but at the end of the show he was smiling. “Would you like to go backstage and meet Freckleface Strawberry and her friends?” I asked. He smiled and nodded, a sign that he really enjoyed the show.

We briefly met the lovely cast who greeting my son with huge smiles and high fives, and posed for this awesome photo:

I walked away grateful for the show and the message it sent my kids. It wasn’t preachy and was definitely entertaining and fun, just perfect for my kids to absorb and understand, and long enough for them to stay interested.

As Freckleface Strawberry’s mom sings, “You will look back at your childhood and see it as being once upon a time”, I want my kids to remember that time, their time now, to be a happy one. Thanks to shows like this one they have a great reminder of how it can be.

Freckleface The Musical is playing off-Broadway at the MMAC (Manhattan Movement and Arts Center) Theater, 248 West 60th Street, with new block of tickets now available through April 1st.

Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm and 3 pm – check the website www.frecklefacethemusicalfor dates and times. Tickets are priced at $45.00 and can be ordered through Telecharge.com at 212 239-6200. Use discount code MAMADRAMA at the box office or on line for $40 tickets!

For more buzz on Freckleface the Musical, visit MamaDramaNY on BroadwayWorld.com.

Music and lyrics by Gary Kupper with book by Kupper and Rose Caiola. Direction by Buddy Crutchfield with choreography by Gail Pennington Crutchfield.

The musical is a perfect treat for kids from 4 and up.

Disclosure: I attended this performance, with complimentary tickets provided, as a reviewer and contributor on behalf of MamaDramaNY The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.