“There are days I think ‘what if I were dead?’ “ That’s a high-stakes opening for the new musical Freak The Mighty, making its world premiere at the Cleveland Playhouse before transferring to Seattle Rep.
Based on Rodman Philbrick’s novel of the same name, the musical follows Kevin Avery—aka “Freak” (Cornelius Kittrell)—a 12-year-old with Morquio syndrome, a rare genetic condition that limits physical growth while leaving his razor-sharp intellect entirely intact, and Maxwell (Netza Jimenez), an oversized teen with an unnamed learning disability.
The pair strikes an unlikely friendship when Freak moves next door to Maxwell in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, beautifully evoked by Wilson Chin’s clapboard scenic design. But while the sense of place comes to life under Michael Barakiva’s sensitive direction, the musical is still struggling to find its point of view.
A middle-grade novel grows up. Sort of
Published in 1993 as a middle-grade novel, the musical adaptation by Ryan Fielding Garrett (music) and Anthony Drewe (book and lyrics) attempts to broaden its appeal across demographics, with mixed results.
As Freak, Kittrell’s charm and confidence propel the action, which depicts both cliché schoolyard bullying and the nefarious return of Maxwell’s father, Kenny (Wade McCollum), after his release from prison. A late-night kidnapping finds Maxwell tied up on the wrong side of town, followed by Freak’s brains-over-brawn rescue plan.
Freak The Mighty buckles under its own weight as it attempts to depict the impact of ableism and family trauma, while still holding tight to feel-good musical theater tropes to satisfy a wider audience.
The short-lived friendship takes a teary turn in its final moments, as Freak’s heart gets too big for his body (a poetic interpretation rather than a literal medical diagnosis). And despite the musical’s frequent stylistic pivots, it’s impossible not to be moved by the loss, thanks to Kittrell’s endearing performance.
Fans of the book will find a faithful stage adaptation in Freak The Mighty, but to achieve commercial success after its regional run, the creative team will need to answer a question the novel never had to: who is this for?
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It wants better content.
Is ‘Freak The Mighty’ worth seeing?
Freak The Mighty has a star-making performance at its center and a story worth telling, but the production hasn’t yet figured out how to bring both into focus.
- Cleveland Play House, Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
- Notable performances: Cornelius Kittrell, Netza Jimenez, Wade McCollum
- Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
- Performances through June 21, 2026
- Seattle Rep performances: July 30 through September 6, 2026
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