Freak the Mighty

In This Program

• From the Artistic Director
• About the Show
• For Our Patrons
• Cast
• Creative Team
• Access By Design: Inside the Development of Freak The Mighty
• Print Edition
• More About Seattle Rep

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Seattle Rep! We open our 2026/27 Season with the world premiere of Freak The Mighty, a new musical about friendship, imagination, resilience, and the impact we have on one another.

For more than 60 years, Seattle Rep has played an active role in developing new American theater. Through commissions, workshops, residencies, staged readings, and productions, we invest in new plays and musicals across years of development. Freak The Mighty marks Seattle Rep’s 67th world premiere. That legacy includes the beloved musical Come From Away, which was developed at Seattle Rep before becoming a Broadway and international success, as well as recent premieres like Lauren Yee’s Mother Russia (2025) and Larissa FastHorse’s Fancy Dancer (2025).

Based on Rodman Philbrick’s acclaimed 1993 novel, Freak The Mighty has connected with generations of readers through its story of friendship, courage, and belonging. More than 30 years after publication, and following the 1998 film adaptation, the novel remains widely read in classrooms across the country and is a touchstone for readers of all ages. 

This musical is the result of years of collaboration between book writer and lyricist Anthony Drewe, composer Ryan Fielding Garrett, and producers at Junkyard Dog Productions, best known for championing Come From Away. Drewe—whose work includes Disney’s Mary Poppins and the Olivier Award-winning Honk!—brings a gift for stories that resonate across generations. Together, the team has created an adaptation that beautifully honors Philbrick’s original novel while finding a theatrical language of its own.

Produced in partnership with Cleveland Play House, Freak The Mighty premiered in Cleveland earlier this summer before continuing its creative journey here in Seattle. Cleveland audiences responded enthusiastically, and the creative team has arrived with refinements informed by what they learned in performance. As one of the early audiences to experience this new musical, you are also part of its creation story.

At its center are two teenagers who rarely get to be featured in a musical. Kevin is brilliant with language, defiantly confident, and medically complex. Max is physically imposing for his age, is labeled as having a learning disability, and is living with a traumatic family history. Both feel like outsiders, underestimated by the world around them. Yet through their friendship, they discover joy and purpose neither could have imagined alone.

Based in part on the friendship of two real-life friends Philbrick encountered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Freak The Mighty reminds us that our lives are often changed by people who see our strength and potential before we see it in ourselves. What if we all moved through the world looking a little more closely for the best in those around us?

Whether you are here with children, grandchildren, family, friends, or on your own, I hope this story reminds you of the relationships that have shaped your life, and the lasting impact we can have on one another.

Dámaso Rodríguez
Artistic Director

P.S. This season is just getting started! Learn more about our full 2026/27 lineup.

SEATTLE REP

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dámaso Rodríguez
MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeffrey Herrmann

CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE

MANAGING DIRECTOR Rachel L. Fink

present
the World Premiere of

Book & Lyrics by
Anthony Drewe

Music by
Ryan Fielding Garrett

Based on the Novel by
Rodman Philbrick

Direction by
Michael Barakiva

Choreography by
Patrick McCollum

Music Direction by
Patrick Sulken

Understudies never appear for a listed player unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.

Indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Musicians playing this evening’s performance are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, Local 76-493, AFL-CIC/CLC.
M = matinee, E = evening

SETTING

Time: 1990s  |  Place: Portsmouth, New Hampshire 

2026/27 Season Sponsors

Leslie Lackey
Terri Olson Miller & Tom Miller

Lead Producing Partners

Jeanne Sheldon & Marvin Parsons

Producing Partners

Stephen Behnen, Mary Hornsby & Julia Behnen

Title Sponsor

Bruce G. Cochener Foundation

Institutional Season Sponsor

July 30 – September 6, 2026  |  Bagley Wright Theater 

Additional support for English Open Captioned performances is generously provided by Cheri & Lou Perazzoli.

We welcome you to take pictures of the set before and after the show.

Share Your Photos 

#FreakTheMightySREP
@seattlerep

Photography, recording, and use of cell phones are strictly prohibited during the performance. 

Mission 

Seattle Rep collaborates with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of our region. 

Vision 

Theater at the heart of public life.  

Values 

Artistic Vitality
Sustainability
Generous and Inclusive Practices 

Code of Conduct 

Seattle Rep is committed to being a racially, culturally, and socially just organization. We promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the work we do, and uphold a safe environment wherein all people are welcome to our space and are treated with respect and dignity.

It is our expectation that all patrons and those affiliated with Seattle Rep will align with this code of conduct and we reserve the right to relocate or remove any person from our theater who disregards this expectation.

Land Acknowledgment 

Seattle Rep acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish people. We honor with gratitude the land itself and its innumerable stewards, past and present. We recognize Washington’s tribal nations, all of the Tribal signatories of the Treaty of Point Elliott, and the urban Native communities who continue to live and thrive in this space. This acknowledgment does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the land we are on and the people and cultures it has nurtured.

Learn more about how Seattle Rep is working to support and build relationships with Native communities.

Emergencies 

In an evacuation, wait for an announcement for further instructions. Ushers will be available for assistance. Familiarize yourself with the exit route nearest your seat.   

Accessibility 

Seattle Rep is committed to accessibility for all and will work with patrons to accommodate requests. We offer a variety of options to help make our performances accessible.

ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES: We offer select English Open Captioned, Audio Described, ASL-Interpreted, Sensory-Friendly, and mask-required  performances. Find dates here or contact the Box Office for more information.

HEARING LOOP: Seattle Rep is equipped with hearing loops that transmit sound directly to t-coil enabled hearing devices. There are also receivers and headphones available to borrow at Coat Check. Look for the Hearing Loop signs which indicate coverage at performances, ticket windows, concierge, and concessions.  

WHEELCHAIR SPACES, WIDER SEATS (BAGLEY), TRANSFER SEATS, AND ADDITIONAL SEATING OPTIONS: Please see an Usher or House Manager to see what accessible seating options are available for your performance.  

SENSORY GUIDES & KITS: Scene-by-scene guides of the sensory impact of this show and kits containing headphones, fidgets, sunglasses, and communication cards are available at Coat Check.  

LARGE PRINT & BRAILLE PROGRAMS: Available at Coat Check. 

ALL GENDER RESTROOMS are located on the second floor of the Leo K. Theater and a single-stall restroom is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.  

WELLNESS ROOM is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.  

Contact Us 

BOX OFFICE 
Call 206.443.2222
Text 206.565.2996 

ADMINISTRATIVE
206.443.2210 

Tommy Beale

u/s Blade, Bones

Tommy Beale (he/him) is stoked to be joining Freak The Mighty for its stint at Seattle Rep! Previous favorites include Grease (Village Theatre), An Enemy of the People (Union Arts Center), Oliver! (Reboot Theatre), and Airness (University of Washington School of Drama). When not on stage, he dabbles in stunt performance and tomfoolery. He would like to thank his friends and family for their support, and especially his grandma, who has been an inspirational little person in his own life. Cheers! @tomebale

Harter Clingman

Iggy, Gawain, Ensemble; Fight Captain

Harter Clingman (he / him) is thrilled to bring Freak The Mighty to Seattle Rep after an excellent run at Cleveland Play House. Previously in Seattle: Fission, Cut From Away (Seattle Rep); King Arthur in Camelot, Brigadoon (Village Theatre); Something’s Afoot, Mary Poppins (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Harter played Oz and Others for nearly 1,300 performances on the first Broadway Tour of Come From Away, and played Alf on the first Broadway Tour of Peter and the Starcatcher. All my love to Ashley, Charley, friends, and family! harterclingman.com, @harter.clingman

Christopher Gurr

Grim

Broadway: All the Way, Kinky Boots, Amazing Grace, Tuck Everlasting, Cats (2016 revival), Parade, The Queen of Versailles. National Tours: Spamalot, Memphis. Regional: Cleveland Play House, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Tuacahn, Pioneer Theatre Company, Indiana Rep, Ogunquit Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and others. TV: “Madame Secretary,” “Elsbeth,” “Soul Santa,” “The Gilded Age,” “The Good Fight.” Recurred on FX’s “A Murder at the End of the World,” BET’s “Sistas,” and as Godwin Page on NBC’s “The Blacklist.” Member AEA, SAG/AFTRA, SDC. christophergurr.com

Anita Hollander

Mrs. Price, TV Reporter, Ensemble; u/s Gram

Anita Hollander has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, New York Shakespeare Festival, and London’s West End. Her award-winning original solo musicals Still Standing and Spectacular Falls, and film Everyday Mermaid, have played nationally and internationally. She’s guest starred in “Law & Order,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Welcome To Flatch;” films Handsome Harry and Musical Chairs; and her three-legged Grizabella in Cats won her a BroadwayWorld citation. 2025 Harold Russell Award Winner in Hollywood. Anita is SAG-AFTRA National Chair of Performers with Disabilities. anitahollander.com

Netza Jimenez

Maxwell Kane

Netza Jimenez (he/they) is making his professional debut as Maxwell Kane in Freak The Mighty. He recently graduated from Pace University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theater. Thank you to everyone who helped him get here!

Cornelius Kittrell

Kevin Avery/Freak

Cornelius Kittrell is a Brooklyn-based theater performer who has most recently begun bringing his talents to the screen. His professional credits include a stage performance of All American Boys (Carlos) for NPR, the movie Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza (Bernie), and most notably the TV show “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” (O-Cee).

Spencer LaRue

Blade, Dance Captain

Spencer LaRue (he/him) is proud to bring this special show to Seattle. Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (James Jr./Cedric Diggory, u/s Scorpius Malfoy). Regional credits: Disney’s Frozen (Prince Hans, Alabama Shakespeare Festival), West Side Story (Tony, Pittsburgh CLO/KC Starlight), Footloose (Ren, Arkansas Rep). Spencer is a proud graduate of The University of Michigan, B.F.A Musical Theatre. Thank you to his fiancé Griffin, his family, and the entire team at DGRW. Thank you to the creative, stage management, and casting teams for continually allowing him a seat at the Round Table. For Sam.

Wade McCollum

Kenny “Killer” Kane

Wade originated the role of Wade in the Tony-nominated Water for Elephants on Broadway and Bee Doyle in the Tony-nominated Floyd Collins at Lincoln Center. His acclaimed solo show Make Me Gorgeous earned him Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations, and he received the Off-Broadway Alliance Award. His Lortel-nominated turn as Ernest Shackleton in Ernest Shackleton Loves Me won him the prestigious Elliot Norton Award. Broadway/Tours: Wicked, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Jersey Boys, My Fair Lady. West End: It Happened in Key West and his original show The Chemistry of Control. @wademccollum

Caleb Miofsky

Bones, Sir Lancelot, Police Officer, Ensemble; u/s Maxwell Kane

Caleb Miofsky (he/him) is pumped to make his Seattle Rep debut with Freak The Mighty! Favorite regional credits include Cabaret (Cliff), Disney’s Frozen (Kristoff), Escape to Margaritaville (Brick), Cry-Baby (Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker), and Footloose (Chuck). Caleb recently spent six months as a lead vocalist on AIDAcosma, travelling the Mediterranean and singing classic pop, rock, musical theater, and country anthems. B.F.A. in Musical Theater, Missouri State University. Many thanks to Brian @hellskitchenagency, teachers past to present, and, most importantly, Mom and Dad. @calebmiofsky

Mikaela Ray

u/s Molly, Mrs. Price, Dr. Spivak

Mikaela Ray is overjoyed to be making her Seattle Rep debut with such a beautiful show. She is a Cleveland-based actor and has enjoyed performing at several theaters in the area including Cain Park, Dobama Theatre, French Creek Theatre, and Ohio Shakespeare Festival. Favorite regional credits include Peter/Wendy (Wendy), Merrily We Roll Along (Beth), School of Rock (Rosalie Mullins). She is forever grateful to her family and friends for their love and support. mikaelaray.com, @heymikaelaray

Analise Rios

Molly, Ensemble; u/s Loretta Lee

Analise Rios is buzzing to be making her Seattle Rep debut with Freak The Mighty! Analise is a NYC-born and raised performer. Favorite credits include: SIX the Musical NCL (Boleyn), RENT 25th Anniversary Tour and Japan Tour (swing/US Mimi/Maureen), In the Heights (Nina) at Playhouse on Park, and American Idiot (Whatsername) at American Stage. Massive thank you to Michele at Take 3, Telsey, Mom and Dads back home, and the whole team behind Freak The Mighty! Thank you, reader, for supporting live theater and powerful new works. Stay weird and love one another, you beautiful humans! @_animalise

Alec Michael Ryan

u/s Kenny Kane, Iggy, Mr. Donelli

Alec (he/him) recently appeared on Broadway in A Beautiful Noise. Touring credits include A Beautiful Noise and Jersey Boys. He has worked regionally at Theatre Under the Stars, The REV Theatre Co., Ogunquit Playhouse, Casa Mañana Theatre, and others. He received his B.F.A. from Elon University. Endless thanks to The Telsey Office, Cleveland Play House, Seattle Rep, and the entire Freak The Mighty team. Love to DGRW, DeeDee, and his family and friends for their support. @alecmichaelryan

Sharone Sayegh

Loretta Lee, Ensemble

Sharone Sayegh is an actor and playwright in NYC. On Broadway, she originated the role of Anna in The Band’s Visit, played Bonnie in Come From Away, Maxine/Juno in Beetlejuice, and made her debut in Mamma Mia! She has performed, written, directed, and produced Off-Broadway and regionally at many prestigious theaters including Atlantic Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova, La Jolla Playhouse, and Westport Country Playhouse. Her award-winning solo play, The Goldsmith—stemming from her family’s true stories, across borders, cultures, and generations—is currently in development. @sharonesayegh

Bart Shatto

Mr. Donnelli, Galahad, Ensemble; u/s Grim

Bart Shatto is proud to be making his Seattle Rep debut! Bart recently appeared Off-Broadway in the world premiere of Cracked Open. Broadway credits include Tony-nominated shows War Paint, Hands on a Hardbody, The Civil War, and Les Misérables. Other Broadway/Off-Broadway credits include Dracula: The Musical and Superhero. National Tours: Cats, Les Misérables, The Civil War. Helen Hayes Award nominee, Connecticut Critics Circle winner for Indecent, Best Actor for Chicago Indie Film and New York Arthouse Film Awards. Thanks to UIA Talent Agency, Acto One, and Amy! @iambartshatto

Kanoa Sims

Gwen Avery

Kanoa Sims (they/she) is a Brooklyn-based multi-hyphenate from Birmingham, Alabama. Broadway: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. Other select credits: Hamlet (Gertrude), Constellations (Marianne), Cinderella (Ella), A Christmas Carol (Emily Cratchitt), Sugar in our Wounds (Mattie), Dreamgirls (Deena), Kudzu Calling (Wanderer), The Prince of Egypt (Tzipporah). International: Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel (Vocalist). TV: “Blue Bloods,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Love Life.” Matthew 22:36-40. Michigan. AEA/SAG-AFTRA. callmekanoa.com, @callmekanoa

Nicole Sumlin

Dr. Spivak, Mrs. Johnson, Police Officer, Ensemble; u/s Gwen Avery

Multi-hyphenate creative based in Cleveland, OH. Seattle Rep debut! Select regional: POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Margaret), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Billie), A Christmas Story (Mother), Trouble in Mind (Wiletta), Memphis (Felicia), Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Big Fish (Witch), Ragtime (Sarah), Stew (Lillian), Life Sucks (Ella), The Light (Genesis), A Raisin in the Sun (Ruth), A Civil War Christmas (Elizabeth Keckley), Sondheim on Sondheim, Rastus and Hattie (Needra). Grateful to God. For Mom and the SumMagic crew. @nicolesumlin

Astrid Van Wieren

Gram

Astrid (she/they) was in the original Come From Away as Beulah—from its first run in La Jolla to its final Broadway performance. She then played Diane in Come From Away in Gander, Newfoundland! Recent: Aslan in Narnia (Bad Hats, Toronto), Harriet in POTUS (Segal Centre, Montréal), Mattie Fae in August: Osage County (St. Louis Rep). She has originated many roles including Germaine in Belles Soeurs: The Musical and Baal in Baal: A Rock & Roll Play. Astrid received a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance as Lorraine in This Wide Night and was honored to host the Doras in 2018. astridvanwieren.com

Nicolas Vivar

u/s Kevin Avery/Freak

Nicolas Vivar (he/him) is so excited to be returning to Freak The Mighty! He’s been with the show since the very beginning, making this journey especially meaningful. TV credits: Nick Jr.’s “Santiago of the Seas” and A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant – LIVE! He was honored to place third in the 2021 Rodgers and Hammerstein Singing Competition. He is grateful to the Telsey Office, his agent, David Gilbert at Zuri Agency, and his manager, Leorah Haberfield at Bohemia Group. Endless thanks to his parents, friends, and family for their support! @nicolasvivar_13

Anthony Drewe 

Book & Lyrics 

Anthony is a multi-award-winning writer. With his long-term collaborator, George Stiles, his writing credits include the international hits, Mary Poppins and Honk!, and the West End productions of Half a Sixpence, Betty Blue Eyes, and The Wind in the Willows. Other regional: Identical, Just So, Becoming Nancy, Soho Cinders, Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure, Travels With My Aunt, and a trilogy of children’s musicals, The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. For my best friend George, without whom, like Maxwell Kane, I would have never picked up a pen.

Ryan Fielding Garrett 

Music 

As a composer, Ryan has written Freak The Mighty and The Good Hair Day, both with Anthony Drewe. His choral work, “Snow,” was premiered by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and his symphonic work, “Return to the City Overture,” was premiered by the San Antonio Symphony. As a music director, he has conducted the Broadway productions of Kinky Boots, Wicked, Back to the Future, The Notebook, Mean Girls, and the New York productions of Jasper in Deadland, and The Man in the Ceiling. He has played piano for Hamilton, Wicked, Mary Poppins, and Sweeney Todd. For mom and dad. ryanfieldinggarrett.com

Rodman Philbrick 

Novel Author 

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote Freak The Mighty, the award-winning novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen as The Mighty (1998). His Civil War novel, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, won a Newbery Honor. A play version of it premiered at the Kennedy Center. Rod is amazed by the astonishing talent that aligned to make this musical possible.

Michael Barakiva 

Director 

Michael Barakiva (he/him) is an Armenian-Israeli American director and writer based in New York City. He has directed many plays at many theaters, and served as the Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House, the Hangar Theatre, the Upstart Creatures, and the Leadership Initiative Project. His YA novels (One Man Guy, Hold My Hand, Keepers of the Stones and Stars—all published by Macmillan/FSG) have been named to the Rainbow List, Equality Family Council Reading List, and Barnes and Noble’s Perfect Valentine’s Day YA Novels List. Education: Vassar College, The Juilliard School. michaelbarakiva.com

Patrick McCollum 

Choreographer 

Seattle Rep debut. Patrick McCollum is a Broadway choreographer, movement director, and intimacy director whose work spans theater, television, and film. Broadway credits include The Band’s Visit (Tony Award, Best New Musical), Angels in America (Tony Award, Best Revival of a Play), Wicked (North American Dance Supervisor), The Shark Is Broken, The Lightning Thief, and Oh, Hello! His work has also been seen on “Saturday Night Live,” “The Today Show,” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Love to DR. patrickmccollummoves.com

Patrick Sulken 

Music Director 

Patrick Sulken recently served as the Music Director of Little Shop of Horrors and Teeth Off-Broadway. Broadway: Hell’s Kitchen, Death Becomes Her, & Juliet, Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Anastasia, Something Rotten!, and Gigi. Regional premieres: Regency Girls (The Old Globe), Ten Brave Seconds (Pioneer Theatre), fuzzy (Barrington Stage), Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), Fly (La Jolla Playhouse), We Are the Tigers (Off-Broadway). As arranger/orchestrator: Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. and Disney’s Alice in Wonderland JR. patricksulken.com, @patricksulken

Wilson Chin 

Scenic Designer 

Broadway/Tours: Cost of Living, Pass Over (Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations), Next Fall, Annie starring Whoopi Goldberg. World premieres: The Hunter S. Thompson Musical and The Family Album (La Jolla Playhouse), A Beat of Our Own (McCarter Theatre), Anne of Green Gables and Summer Stock (Goodspeed Musicals), Billie Jean (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Space Dogs (MCC Theatre), The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons), Jonah (Roundabout Theatre Company). Opera: Turandot (Washington National Opera/Opera de Montreal), Lucia di Lammermoor (Lyric Opera of Chicago). @wilsonchindesign

Suzanne Chesney 

Costume Designer 

Suzanne Chesney is a Brooklyn-based costume designer and is thrilled to be designing her first production for Seattle Rep. Recent productions include The Christine Jorgensen Show (Cleveland Play House), The Roommate (Arizona Theatre Company), The Bookstore (59E59 and New Jersey Repertory Company), A Christmas Story (Syracuse Stage), Have You Met Jane Goodall and Her Mother? (Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York). suzannechesney.com, michaelmooreagency.com

Miriam Nilofa Crowe 

Lighting Designer 

With Michael Barakiva: Into the Woods (Hangar Theater) and playtem tsuzamen (Josh Waletzky). Work exploring the disabled experience: the premieres of Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi/The Public Theater), All of Me (Barrington Stage), and The Penalty (The Apothetae). International: Art (Repertory Philippines – Philstage Award nomination) and Everyone is Gone (Alte Munze, Berlin). In New York: Seagull Machine and home/sick (The Assembly), This is Modern Art and Platonov (Blessed Unrest). Dance: Douglas Dunn, Dusan Tynek. Music: Grammy-winners Lila Downs and Rosanne Cash. M.F.A. Yale School of Drama.

Ken Travis 

Sound Designer 

Broadway: Aladdin, In Transit, Jekyll and Hyde, A Christmas Story the Musical, Scandalous, Newsies, Memphis, The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park, Steel Magnolias. Numerous New York and regional theaters/companies including The Old Globe, The 5th Avenue Theatre, McCarter Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, LA Center Theater Group, ACT (Seattle), Guthrie Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Playwrights Horizons, The New Group, New York Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theater, Signature Theater NYC, The Civilians, and Mabou Mines.

Ora Jewell-Busche 

Wig Designer 

Ora Jewell-Busche is a Minnesota-based wig and makeup designer with over a decade of working in the field of opera, theater, and film. Regional: The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass Theater, Steppenwolf, Goodman Theater, and many more. Recent: Aida, Turandot, Carmen, The Magic Flute (Pacific Symphony); Les Uncomfortables, The Barber of Seville, Don Pasquale, Rigoletto (Lyric Opera of the North); Rusalka, Hansel and Gretel (Little LOON). Film/TV: Cash for Gold, Were the World Mine, Chicago Overcoat, “Prison Break,” and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Christian Kelly-Sordelet 

Fight Choreographer 

This former high school fencing champion learned the craft of fight direction and stunt coordination assisting on projects like Ben Hur Live in Rome and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises while gaining a B.F.A. in Cinematography from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Jeff Award for fight choreography in Athena in Chicago; Drama Desk Award for Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Broadway. Choreographed the sword work for Chappell Roan’s 2024 VMA performance of Good Luck Babe. Broadway: Action design for Stranger Things: The First Shadow and The Lost Boys. sordeletinc.com, @sordeletinc

Hayley Jannielli 

Dialect & Vocal Coach 

Hayley Jannielli (she/they) is Assistant Professor of Voice & Acting at Case Western Reserve University and former Head of Voice & Speech for CAP21 in NYC. Recent coaching: Tartuffe, Much Ado About Nothing, and Epiphany at Cleveland Play House. Hayley is a designated Linklater Voice Teacher, holds an M.F.A. in Acting from UC Irvine, and is a core officer of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). Thank you for supporting live theater, where we all get to bask in the thrilling complexity of real, human voices! moveovoice.com, @moveovoice

Scott Wasserman 

Orchestrator 

Scott Wasserman’s Broadway credits include The Queen of Versailles, Redwood, & Juliet, Diana, Escape to Margaritaville, The Great Comet, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Annie, Leap of Faith, and Wanted (upcoming). Regional orchestration credits include Working Girl (La Jolla Playhouse), Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), Gavin Creel’s Walk On Through (MCC, Off-Broadway). Select film, television, and album credits include Mufasa: The Lion King, The Greatest Showman, “Donkey Hodie,” Warriors, and Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream. For Meghan. scott-wasserman.com

Billy Jay Stein & Hiro Iida for Strange Cranium 

Electronic Music Design 

Over 35 Broadway shows including The Lost Boys, Just in Time, MJ, The Great Gatsby, The Notebook, Shucked, Parade, Dead Outlaw, Kimberly Akimbo, Tootsie, Mean Girls, The Band’s Visit, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Fun Home, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, and Jekyll & Hyde.

Seth Roseman 

Associate Director 

Seth Roseman is a director and theater maker who creates transformative theatrical events. He’s had the pleasure of working with Cleveland Play House, Alliance Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, The Hangar Theatre, Juilliard, Barrington Stage Company, Rattlestick, and the Sunrise Movement. He is a former Mass Live Arts Fellow and graduate of Simon’s Rock, the National Theatre Institute, and Northwestern University, where they just finished their M.F.A. in Directing. sethroseman.com

Francine Espiritu 

Associate Choreographer 

Recent: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Assoc. Choreographer, Broadway/National Tour), A Chorus Line (Director/Choreographer, The Argyle Theater), A Chorus Line (Asst. Choreographer – New York City Center, Hollywood Bowl, National Tour), Unknown Soldier (Assoc. Choreographer), Playwrights Horizions, Arena Stage, Interstellar Cinderella (Choreographer, Theater Row NYC). Adjunct faculty member at Marymount Manhattan College. B.F.A. in Dance Performance at University of California, Irvine. Support the arts. We need it more than ever. This is for you, Diana. @francine.espiritu

Ian Chan 

Associate Music Director 

Ian is a Hong Kong-Canadian music director, arranger/orchestrator, and composer. Broadway: Operation Mincemeat, Chess, Hell’s Kitchen, The Queen of Versailles, SMASH, The Heart of Rock and Roll, 1776. Off-Broadway/Regional: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, CATS: The Jellicle Ball (PAC NYC), Tale of the Gifted Prince (Theatre Calgary), Romy and Michele (Stage 42), See What I Wanna See (Out of the Box Theatrics), Walk On Through (MCC Theater). Ian’s musical, The Crossroads (co-written with Kalos Chu), is currently under commission at the Musical Stage Company. ianchan.net, @imianchan_

The Telsey Office 

Out-of-Town Casting 

With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theater, film, television, and commercials. Current Broadway includes The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, Dog Day Afternoon, Ragtime, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ, Hamilton, and Wicked. Off-Broadway includes Heathers, Atlantic Theater Company, Encores!, Lincoln Center Theater, MCC Theater, Primary Stages, and Vineyard Theatre. National tours include Suffs, The Notebook, The Sound of Music, Some Like It Hot, and Kimberly Akimbo. thetelseyoffice.com

Sofiya Cheyenne 

Access Consultant 

Sofiya Cheyenne is a New York-based multi-disciplinary artivist, teaching artist, and creative access consultant. She has facilitated workshops and consulted for many organizations such as M.A.C., CO_LAB, The Public Theater, and Disney Theatrical Group, as well as Broadway’s Water for Elephants. Sofiya is thrilled to be working on Freak The Mighty with her partner Talleri. She is the co-chair of the Dwarf Artist Coalition and the Executive Producer of the feature documentary entitled The Tallest Dwarf. sofiyacheyenne.com

Talleri A. McRae 

Access Consultant 

Talleri A. McRae (she/her) is based in Louisville, KY. As an access educator, consultant, and dramaturg, she partners with several organizations including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and La Jolla Playhouse. In her work she advises plays in development, shares examples of good access practice, and explores representations of disability. Talleri holds a B.S. from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. from The University of Texas at Austin. She sends love and thanks to her family (siblings, parents, Jeremy, and Kieran – age 9), and to her “Freak The Mighty,” Jenn.

Jessica C. Bomball 

Stage Manager 

Jessica (she/her) is delighted to be back at Seattle Rep. Regional theater highlights include Mother Russia, The Skin of Our Teeth, Little Women, Lydia and the Troll, Bruce, Teenage Dick, Indecent, Tiny Beautiful Things (Seattle Rep); Once on This Island, Becoming Dr. Ruth (Village Theatre); The Secret Garden, Disney’s Aladdin, and A Christmas Story: The Musical (The 5th Avenue Theatre); The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Seattle Children’s Theatre); A Christmas Carol (ACT); Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika (Intiman); King Lear (Santa Cruz Shakespeare).

Stina Lotti 

Stage Manager 

Select stage management credits include The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The Odyssey (Seattle Rep’s Public Works); The Servant of Two Masters (Seattle Rep, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater, ArtsEmerson); Appropriate, Come From Away (2025), Fat Ham, MAC BETH, Here Lies Love, A Raisin in the Sun, All the Way, The Great Society, The Piano Lesson, Boeing Boeing, Fences, Gem of the Ocean (Seattle Rep); Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Angels in America, A Doctor In Spite of Himself (Intiman Theatre); and A Raisin in the Sun (Pittsburgh Public Theater).

Tyree J. Franklin 

Assistant Stage Manager 

Tyree J. Franklin (he/him) is a Cleveland-based stage manager and artist with his B.F.A. in stage management from Wright State University. His recent stage management credits include Sankofa: An Epic Adventure at Playhouse Square, Next to Normal at Nearwest Theatre, Choir Boy (Karamu House), Fat Ham (Cleveland Play House), and Much Ado About Nothing and The Cherry Orchard (Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House). He would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support!

Jenn Poret

Production Assistant

Jenn (she/her) is excited to make her Seattle Rep debut on Team Stage Management. She has a B.A. in Stage Management from Santa Clara and has been stage managing for 30 years. Jenn is the Client Services Manager at Hammer Theatre Center in San Jose and is grateful for her coworkers’ support, allowing her to do both jobs. Jenn was Company Manager for Renegade Theatre Experiment and is a proud Access Asset. Thanks to Team Access and Junkyard Dog Productions for including her; she is proud to be moving theater forward in the name of accessibility. Remember, it’s okay to be Friends with a Freak!

The story of Freak The Mighty follows the friendship of two characters with disabilities—Max, a boy who is large for his age and has been labeled as having learning disabilities, and Kevin, who has symptoms of a rare condition (Morquio syndrome) that causes dwarfism.

When development of this musical began, the producers of the show engaged access consultants, both of whom are people with lived experience of disabilities, to consult in various ways to make shows more accessible.

Seattle Rep’s Communications Manager Nicole Bearden spoke with consultants Talleri A. McRae and Sofiya Cheyenne, both of whom have had an immeasurable impact on this world premiere musical, including language changes, casting, audience and artist experience, and beyond.

Nicole Bearden (NB): Can you share what the role of an access consultant looks like when working on a new musical, and when you became involved with Freak The Mighty?

Talleri A. McRae (TM): I work with a handful of theaters around the country. Just about three years ago, a visit to La Jolla Playhouse overlapped with the [producers behind Junkyard Dog Productions]. They told me about a really exciting new project that they were just getting started on, and they were wondering if I was interested in offering some access consulting.

They told me about Freak The Mighty, which was a new title for me, and I went and did some searching. I found both the original novel from 1993 and the 1998 film adaptation, The Mighty. We were talking about particular people that we thought would bring a lot to this story and this process, and I mentioned my dear friend and colleague Sofiya Cheyenne.

Sofiya Cheyenne (SC): And that’s where I come in. I have a rare form of dwarfism called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenital (SEDc), which if you translate that into layman’s terms, it essentially means that my bones grow differently than average-sized people.

As a performer and as an artist, I have always brought my dwarfism to every project that I’ve been in, so being a consultant is a new hat that I’m wearing.

When Talleri asked me about Freak The Mighty, I was very familiar with the story. For the dwarfism community, for the short stature community—especially if you grew up in the 90s—you might have intersected with this story. It’s a full circle moment for me because I knew the book and movie as a child and didn’t really have a great relationship with the story. I was super excited to bring that authentic experience to the process.

NB: In an early conversation with co-producers Seattle Rep and Cleveland Play House, you talked about the complicated history and context around words like “freak.” What kinds of conversations did that spark in the rehearsal room and within the new works development process?

TM: Our role as access consultants definitely includes looking at language with the writing team. It’s also been broader than that. We’ve had a great opportunity to work with the casting team, looking for authentic casting in the role of Kevin and as many roles as possible. We’ve also been supporting cast members with their own access needs.

SC: The original novel did have some language that today could be harmful. Coming into this consultancy, we went right to the hard stuff in the beginning and talked about words and language a lot.

Specifically thinking about the word “freak,” for example, which is in the title of the show—there’s a historical context where “freak” is loaded, especially for people with disabilities and people with dwarfism across those communities. We had a lot of conversations just making sure that people understood that not all people embrace that word, that it’s still a word that can be triggering for people.

Disabled people have been considered “freaks” since the beginning of time, and there are different connotations that come with that word. Specifically, since the early 19th and 20th centuries, the sideshow and “freak show” era. That was probably the most exploitative and objectifying time for people with disabilities, oddities, curiosities, “freaks,” whatever you want to call it. There’s still a ripple effect in today’s society. Today, people still treat little people like myself, or people with dwarfism, in objectifying ways. I connect this back to that time where there were “freak shows” and the word “freak” or—trigger warning—the word “midget” was used.

These are objectifying words, although some people embrace them as well. The point is, we’ve taught this show’s creative team how to tell this story today by acknowledging the original content—acknowledging that there was a time where words were harmful, and the harm those words can still carry today.   

Ready to learn more? Click to watch our full video interview with Talleri and Sofiya and explore more Freak The Mighty content on Inside Seattle Rep.

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As one of the early audiences to experience this world premiere musical, you are part of its creation story. Click to share your feedback about the show in a brief survey!

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