Archive » Arts and Entertainment

Orangeville Music Theatre begins the new year with two plays

January 9, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Freaky Friday, Orangeville Music Theatre’s first junior musical production for 2025 is about a mom and her teenage daughter whose bodies and lives are utterly switched through a magical moment. A whole 24 hours provides the chance for the two of them to “fix” what’s wrong between them. Based on the movie, this version of Freaky Friday is coming to the Orangeville Opera House this weekend, from Jan. 10 to 12.

The adult OMT musical production is Oliver! runs over two weekends from Jan. 17 to Jan. 25 at the same venue.

Freaky Friday

Jeffrey Bursey, directing Freaky Friday, his second time as director with OMT, described it as “One day in the other’s life to realize being a parent and being a kid both have their problems.”

While it is a comedy, there are moments to pause for reflection. As Bursey observed, “Being a parent is not always as easy as is being a kid.”

He told the Citizen during a telephone interview that rehearsals have gone well, adding there are new kids from Orangeville and others returning. That’s what you want, was his comment.

The show is great because the kids bring energy and parents say, “You kids got it easy.”

During the show, the young actors begin to realize it is hard for parents.

“The two leads go through the roller coaster.” Bursey said. “They didn’t realize the mom and dad had such difficult lives.”

As well, the parents might say it is easy to go to school but it isn’t easy. Parents forget about how things are different with tests, and sometimes difficult relationships. Rehearsals had found the kids in the show “kind of talking to each other.”

Bursey’s daughter, age 13, is in the play. 

We are not all the same is the message. 

Rehearsals started in the last week of September and by Jan 5 there were tech rehearsals, at two rehearsals a week at Westside Secondary School. The dance numbers and songs are recorded for practice at home.

The director’s background is a long history with OMT, as assistant stage manager, stage manager and helping out with OMT in many other ways.

About Freaky Friday, Bursey said, “I think it’s an excellent opportunity to see there is a different perspective. The kids are really excited and it gives that perspective.”

What is the best thing, is we all think we have it easy until you take that old cliché about being in someone else’s shoes, is his take, admitting, “Sometimes I forget – you don’t consider the other side; all you do is work, which is very stressful for what is a completely different point of view. 

“Ellie and Katherine they’re different,” he said. “We don’t remember the bad days.”

Oliver! 

Terri-Ann Gawthroupe is making her directorial debut with OMT for this production of Oliver! But she performed in it during her early days in theatre at the Brampton Music Theatre. She has been doing music direction, with a background in film and theatre at high school and university and is so happy to be back into it. 

During the Citizen’s conversation with her, she told us rehearsals are going great. Her daughter has been with OMT for five years or so and is in this production of Oliver!

“She’s 12,” we were told. “And she’s got the bug.” 

The story of Oliver! by Charles Dickens is about an orphaned boy living in London, England in Victorian times. Escaping his orphanage, Oliver is enticed into a group of young people, orphans like himself, living with their mentor, Fagin, as thieves and lawbreakers. Whether he can ever be rescued from this life of crime, you will have to come and see the show.

Gawthroupe told us she brings family into it, “These are poor people. The circumstances of every character is not ideal but they still need to build family. Biological or community, a sense of belonging is essential.”

She made the point as a theatrical experience this is a family of pickpockets and, also a family of actors whether observers or participants.

Her praise for the creative team at OMT was fulsome, “Really this artistic team is astonishing, brilliant artists doing their magic, from every direction, watching it unfold in the most magical way.”

In addition, she told us that the students from a senior wood shop class in Orangeville District Secondary School are building the set for Oliver!, under the direction of Greg Dickison, music director for the show. This is another way to engage students in the community, an opportunity for local talent to participate.

“We can never have too much arts to support and encourage each other in being creative,” she remarked.

What does it take to become part of the family: honesty, integrity and being honest; to wholly be yourself and wholly accept the other in the fantastic and the folly to support them and they you.

Yet, this is a family of ruffians and we, the audience, long for Oliver’s rescue when a glimmer appears and a chance for another family.

“In Oliver, there is crime and violence,” she granted. “In our world right where we are so divisive – look through a window and see they have lives just as we do. Be open to listen.”

Ms. Gawthroupe said, “It’s hard to hate up close – if we open that window, we can learn.”

Be sure to see this classic story of how hard and how wonderful life can be but, at the centre, is the hope for a family.

Freaky Friday runs this weekend Friday, Jan. 10 to Jan. 12.

Oliver! is on over the two weekends of Jan. 17 to Jan. 25.

Both are playing at the Orangeville Opera House 87 Broadway.

For more details and to purchase tickets, go to www.orangevillemusictheatre.com.

Readers Comments (0)