New Musical FREAK THE MIGHTY World Premiere Cleveland Play House
Freak The Mighty will run May 22 – June 21, 2026.
By: A.A. Cristi Jun. 24, 2025
Cleveland Play House (CPH) will present Freak The Mighty May 22 – June 21 2026, a co production with Seattle Rep. This brand-new musical with book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, music by Ryan Fielding Garrett, directed by CPH Artistic Director Michael Barakiva, and choreographed by David Connolly, is based on the beloved novel by Rodman Philbrick.
The story follows the adventures of two unlikely friends, Maxwell Kane and Kevin “Freak” Avery. Though Maxwell and Kevin feel like outsiders, together they transform into “Freak The Mighty”, a heroic duo empowered to take on the world. Shepherded by the Tony Award-winning producers of Come From Away, Freak The Mighty celebrates friendship, resilience, and community in the face of adversity: a soaring new musical that connects to the dreamer in all of us.
Cleveland Play House is privileged to partner with Seattle Rep and Tony and Olivier Award-winning production company Junkyard Dog Productions (Randy Adams, Kenny and Marleen Alhadeff, and Sue Frost) to produce Freak The Mighty. Premiering this new work in collaboration celebrates Cleveland Play House's vision to produce works that are welcoming, diverse, distinctive, bold, thrilling, and essential to the community, bringing a fresh story that is equally heartwarming for audience members of all ages.
Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Michael Barakiva states, “It is an honor to be premiering this moving new musical about friendship and healing, which we all need now more than ever.”
The rest of the Cleveland Play House mainstage season includes Thornton Wilder's Our Town, directed by Tony and Obie Award-winning Mary Zimmerman, Donald Steven Olson's The Christine Jorgensen Show, brought to Cleveland by CPH Artistic Director Michael Barakiva who helmed the Off-Broadway premiere, Eboni Booth's Primary Trust, and Molière's Tartuffe (translation by Ranjit Bolt). The season also features two add-on performances, including Cleveland holiday favorite A Christmas Story by Philip Grecian, and a special presentation of Hershey Felder's Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, starring Hershey Felder as Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Jonathan Silvestri as Tsar Nicholas II.
Cleveland Play House Managing Director Rachel L. Fink says, “Cleveland Play House has been making history for 110 years — and we're just getting started. This season, Cleveland's finest artists and artisans, alongside brilliant collaborators from beyond our city, are creating theatre that's urgent, fearless, and deeply rooted in the spirit of our community — reminding us why live performance matters more than ever."
Cleveland Play House recognizes its season supporters: Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and the Ohio Arts Council.
To learn more about the invigorating 2025-26 season, please visit clevelandplayhouse.com.
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