by Cari Lynn Pace *

Lucky Penny Productions really delivers on Freaky Friday, the Musical, a hilarious stage musical based on Mary Rodgers novel and the two Disney movies from 1976 and 2003. This huge show features 19 actors of all ages, and the surprising thing is they all fit splendidly on Lucky Penny’s small stage.

The laughter begins when controlling mother Katherine Blake (Taylor Bartolucci) and her rebellious teenage daughter Ellie (Pilar Gonzales) face off and suddenly switch bodies by some mysterious force. These two are forced to swap life situations, with Mom going to high school and Ellie preparing to be the bride at her impending Mom’s wedding. They are accidentally devious – or perhaps deliberately – as each discovers a few secrets of one another’s lives. 

Ellie does her best to evade the affections of her Mom’s groom (Jeremy Kreamer), while Mom is struggling at school surrounded by feisty teenagers, mean girls, their leader (Cait Pedersen), and a bossy Phys Ed teacher (Kade Morrill) with an annoying whistle. These teens are well-rehearsed and clearly having a blast with their roles.

Ellie’s little brother Fletcher (Beckett Schaeffer) is disgusted with the confusion, so he runs away to escape the madness. It’s controlled chaos as Ellie and Mom look for Fletcher, joined by Ellie’s high school chums.

The wedding is on, and off, until mother and daughter can become themselves. Is there an hourglass that can break their crazy spell? Their frustration is perfectly summed up when Bartolucci sings the plaintive, second act opener “I’m Not Myself Today.”

Director Staci Arriaga pulled from a pool of local talent, and topped it off with knockout choreography. Kudos to Bartolucci’s costume design, from grunge to bridal wear, keeping the characters real.

The singing is splendid, with many strong voices. It’s regretful that from my seat a few rows back, the recorded music, directed by Craig Burdette, often overwhelmed the actors’ voices, even though they were mic’d. Fortunately, the message of finding love once you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes comes through loud and clear.

Freaky Friday overflows with singing, dancing and acting talent. This is a fun-filled romp not to be missed. 

Playing through September 27, 2026 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa.

Click HERE for more information and tickets.

Photos by Kurt Gonsalves

Cari Lynn Pace is a long-time Bay Area theatre critic whose reviews were regularly featured in the Marinscope Community Newspapers and a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.