Freckleface Strawberry Review

Recently, we went to see Freckleface Strawberry based on the best-selling kids book by actress Julianne Moore. Little 7 year-old Strawberry is mocked and picked on my her classmates for having freckles. Freckleface Strawberry goes to great lengths to cover up her freckles even wearing a mask. These little stunts embolden classmates to declare their own quirks. Of course, this is a musical so the kids break into song to express their feelings.

What I liked about Freckleface Strawberry:

• The cast - Hayley Podschun as Freckleface Strawberry was cute and perky just as you imagine a "7 year old" to be. The rest of cast was equally talented, funny and great songsters. 
• The show's messages -  I like that the show emphasizes people's differences and that it's okay to be different,    it's wrong to pick on people because they are different.  
• Discussion Starter for parents on bullying and/or being different - Given that bullying starts earlier than you think, the show is good discussion starter to talk to your kids about how bullying is terrible, how to react to it and be happy in your skin. I say it's never too early to start the discussion especially in light of all the bullying stories in the news. Sadly, it's only going to worse not better as our children go online. As my daughter has reached the stage where kids are really starting to tease about every little thing,  her not having a "father" is sure to provoke "teasing" comments and she needs to be able to react and also maintain her self-esteem that she is not different. 
• The music - Even though the song "Basketball" reminded me of "Get'cha Head in the Game from High School Musical but I liked the music nonetheless. It was catchy and really engaged the crowd. 

What I did not like about Freckleface Strawberry. 

• Rap, Rap, Rap - This is just a pet peeve of mine that no one else seems to care nor share my annoyance is the use of rap. When the teacher broke out into a rap song, I just wanted to cringe and scream, stop the madness. That said, everyone in the audience including the kids thought it was funny. So what do I know. 

Of course, the real critic is my seven year old daughter. Her assessment after the show - "I loved it." That's all you need to know, right.

NYC Single Mom Readers will receive a Freckleface Strawberry discount!:

For tickets as low as $35, use the code FSBOOK810

For more additional information and to purchase tickets  visit http://frecklefacethemusical.com/ or call 212-239-6200. To book a group of 10 or more, please call 877-943-BWAY (2929). For information on having a birthday party at Freckleface Strawberry, click here.

Performances: Wed at 2pm & 7pm; Thu & Fri at 7pm;

Sat at 11am, 2pm, & 4:30pm; Sun at noon and 3pm

For Holiday Performance Schedule, click here.

Location:

New World Stages

340 West 50th Street

New York, NY 10019