Whether you’re familiar with the books or the movies, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid was a series that you couldn’t escape growing up in the 2010s. There’s a certain appeal that the IP had on kids. Some people saw themselves in Greg or were laughing at the antics Greg would go through as he struggled through middle school. You don’t really need to be familiar with any of the plot but more enjoy how the known cast of characters encounter each problem that comes their way. However, in Jeff Kinney’s (author of the books) quest for Diary of a Wimpy Kid dominance, he collaborated to create Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical, a show that will now be performed in Chaminade’s Little Theatre this April. The musical is a clear adaptation of the books, mirroring Greg’s struggle through middle school while trying to become popular, often kicking his best friend Rowley to the curb in the process. It draws on some of the memorable moments and catch phrases from the books, such as “Zoo-Wee Mama!” and of course the infamous cheese touch, with many humorized in a musical fashion. To learn more about the show and how Chaminade’s cast is tackling the production, I went and sat in for a rehearsal.
The environment in the little theatre was certainly a little tense. The cast was only three weeks out from performing and had to make sure that they finished all the staging and choreographing. I immediately noticed the energy in the cast. Principles Teddy Jackson ’31 (Rowley) and Kieran Thompson ’31 (Greg) had a great dynamic. Kieran delivered hilarious, pretentious performances to show Greg’s superficial personality, and Teddy would push back at Kieran, all kind-hearted and empathetic. The “Zoo-Wee Mama” was electric between those two. The supporting cast also came with energy. Teddy Marischen ’30 basically was Rodrick. Moody, emo, and confident. Although still a week away from the cast getting fully off book, there was still an apparent confidence in all the actors, especially in the humor. They knew they were funny, and they knew they were going to make the audience laugh.
I also decided to interview Kieran and Teddy to get insight on how the cast is feeling about the show. Kieran told me how he had been rewatching the movies and going back through the books to get a better understanding of how to play Greg. Kieran highlighted that his favorite part of the rehearsal process was learning the choreography for the dances, as he asserted that the musical wasn’t a “common musical” (not often being performed in the theatre scene) and he enjoyed doing something new in that aspect. His favorite number is “Joshie Says” as it is a fun number where he and Rowley get to duet.
Teddy loved being able to hang out with his friends and seeing the show come together throughout the rehearsal process and specifically mentioned how fun rehearsing the number “Animal Heart” was and his enjoyment of the choreography and his own verse. His favorite scene was when he and Kieran are together in Rowley’s bedroom, singing “Joshie Says.”
The last message that Teddy left me with was to come see the show! The show runs from Thursday April 16 to Saturday April 17, with performances at 7:00 PM every night and a matinee at 3:00 PM on Saturday. As always, tickets are free for faculty, staff, and students and only $7.00 for children and $15.00 for adults. The show only lasts an hour with no intermissions, so there’s no excuse not to come out and witness this wonderful production.
