Deerfield-Windsor presents ‘Freaky Friday’ as its spring musical

ALBANY — Lindsey Stewart wanted to do a more modern, age-appropriate play as she started planning for this year’s Deerfield-Windsor School Spring Musical.

She’s done just that, as 35 DWS actors prepare for this weekend’s performances of “Freaky Friday,” the musical adaptation of a movie about a teenage girl and her mom “switching places” following a strange universal occurrence … one of those things that happens only in movies.

“We’ve done the shows where the kids play grown-ups, shows with grown-up themes,” said Stewart, who took over the DWS theater program in 2015 after her mom, Dianne Giddens retired (a different kind of switching places). “I wanted to do a more modern show, and ‘Freaky Friday’ fits that vibe. 

“There are a couple of things here: We have high school kids, and most of them are playing high school kids. And we have some strong female leads … that’s important.”

The Deerfield-Windsor actors will present “Freaky Friday” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Albany Municipal Auditorium. The cast has used its time this week to get in three regular sessions and one dress rehearsal on the Municipal Auditorium stage.

“It’s a big adjustment, going from rehearsals in this gym to being on stage,” senior Elizabeth Allen, who along with junior Katherine Collins are the leads in “Freaky Friday,” said. “We won’t get on the stage until Monday; we’ll adjust to that space over the next three days, and we’ll do a dress rehearsal Thursday. You can only do so much with blocking, timing, things like that in an empty gym.”

Like most DWS students, Allen is involved in multiple activities at the college prep school. She won the Miss DWS title last year and is the goal keeper on the school’s soccer team. She also participated on the Deerfield mock trial team and has acted in the past five school musicals.

Allen said she plans to attend the University of Georgia and study kinesiology in preparation for a career as an athletic trainer.

Unlike many of her fellow school actors, Collins said singing in front of an audience is “not that big a deal.”

“I’ve been singing in a choir for a long time, and I sing in church,” the junior, who said she’s leaning now toward majoring in psychology with a minor in music after graduating DWS, said. “It’s a different thing being one of the leads, but I don’t think it puts more pressure on me. I’ve been singing and dancing for a long time.”

After a series of what she calls “period pieces,” Stewart said both she and her actors are excited to present a musical that most are familiar with, having seen the movie that starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.

“The big thing is that it’s a fun show,” the director said. “And it’s one our kids can more easily relate to. We’ve got a good group of kids, and I think it’s going to be fun for them and for the audience.”

Giddens serves as musical director for “Freaky Friday,” while Leah Bowles is choreographer. Other students who will join Allen and Collins as part of the cast are:

SK Bonner — Dr. Ehrin, Grandma Helene, Officer Kowalski, Student

Juliet Cannon — Caterer, Student

Penbrooke Daniel Parker — Student

Cat Darden — Ms. Meyers, Savannah’s Mom, Student

Evans Fuller — Student

Brooke Gordon — Student

Sachi Goyal Wells — Student

Henley Hester Louis — Security Guard, Student

Brayden Ivy — Gretchen

Brooklyn Ivy — Savannah

Nyla Lewis — Student

Alexis Meaux — Student

Avery Medley — Caterer/Fish Vendor, Student

Bella Melvin — Laurel, Caterer, Student

Parker Moore — Grandpa, Mr. Blumen, Senor O’Brien, Parker’s Dad

Natalie Morgan — Torrey, Mrs. Time, Student, Dance Captain

Dean Morrow — Adam

Hannah Pinson — Danielle, Adam’s Mom, Officer Sitz, Student

Michael Rogers — Mike, Wells’s Dad

Mary William Shemwell — Caterer, Student

Ella Kay Stone — Cater Waiter/Caterer, Student

Caroline Strickland — Pastor Bruno, Asst. Coach., Mrs. Luckenbill, Gretchen’s Mom, Student

Harper Toole — Caterer, Student

Lorelei Urick — Hannah Brayden

Will Fletcher — Student

Lennon Clugston — Student

Nia Goyal — Student

Piper Hatcher — Student

Rilyn Medley — Student

Abigail Odom — Student

Mallory Toole — Student

Millen Wright — Student