The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Theatre and Red Mountain Theatre will continue their exciting partnership and co-present Disney’s “Freaky Friday” from April 4-19.
In 2024, UAB Theatre and Red Mountain Theatre launched a new collaboration, presenting a mainstage play together for the first time. The partnership allows theater students to work professionally while still in college. The inaugural production, “Sister Act,” was a resounding success and featured current UAB students in more than half of the roles in the cast and crew.
Disney’s “Freaky Friday” is a fresh look at a beloved classic, based on the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films. In this heartfelt, comedic and unexpectedly emotional journey through the ups and downs of family, an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies and have just one day to put things right again. While spending a day in each other’s shoes, they come to appreciate each other’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.
The roles of the mother, Katherine, and daughter, Ellie, are played by UAB Head of Musical Theatre Valerie Accetta and student Sammy Sledd. Director Roy Lightner is RMT’s Singh Artistic Director and an associate professor at UAB. UAB senior Matthew Piper is assistant director.
Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Tickets start at $48 with discounts for children ages 2-12. A 20 percent discount is available for UAB students and employees. Use the code BLAZER20 through April 19. Tickets are $34 for preview performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, and Thursday, April 3. For tickets, visit RedMountainTheatre.org.
A limited number of College Rush 50 percent off tickets are offered for students with valid ID. College Rush tickets are available for purchase at the Box Office in person one hour before the show starts; first come, first served.
Most of the cast and crew for “Freaky Friday” are current UAB students, who are earning class credit, as well as making their professional debuts at RMT. When current faculty and alumni of UAB’s prestigious theater program are included, UAB Blazers represent two-thirds of the team uniting to present the beloved show, according to RMT. In addition to the actors, UAB students and graduates work on every aspect of building and presenting the show.
UAB students in the cast also include Aurkheem Jolley, Brennen Foy, Caleb Womack, Cara Parisi, Cheslee Duke, Darion Dewhirst, Devin Towery, Elena Santini, Ford Beshirs, Hannah Moss, Jalen Kirkman, Jordan Foster, Knox Villemarette, Lily Cameron, Matthew Piper, Nairobi Maurice, Samantha Robinson, Sawyer Luke and Sophia Evangelidis. UAB Head of Performance and Professor Dennis McLernon and alumnus Terrance Campbell round out the cast.
Red Mountain Theatre is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit organization inspiring audiences and creating conversations through theater experiences since 1979. RMT also offers educational programs for young people and growth opportunities for theater professionals.
The UAB Department of Theatre, in the College of Arts and Sciences, has won the highest honors awarded to university theaters, including best in region from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Faculty members in the department continue to work professionally in addition to teaching.
“Freaky Friday” is sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling United, The Drummond Family, Bruno Rumore Foundation, Cheryl and Sam Upchurch, and LIVE Design Group.