Hot on the heels of her celebrated run as director of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway, Friedman is putting her acting shoes back on, this time on the London stage.
For those unfamiliar with the show, Kimberly Levaco is an ordinary teenage girl, except for one thing: she's got a degenerative illness that causes her to age four to five times as quickly as the average person.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times, Maria Friedman described her reaction upon being offered the part of Kimberly Levaco: "I literally just said yes the second I heard I was offered it.
"There aren't many great parts for people of my age- vocally challenging, physically challenging emotionally challenging. I'm always looking to grow and I'm not ready to give up on developing as a performer."
"I've always kept in touch with that part of myself being an actor and a director. You very much need to be in touch with the child in you at all times. So, it wasn't a struggle."
"She's got wisdom, and she's got insight, but she's still just a little girl. But she's had to deal with more in her 16 years than most people do in 90."
"As I'm a lot older now, I'm very aware that time is precious and you do have to live now. And that's the bit that really connected me with Kim is the, the sense of not sweating the small stuff; getting up, just getting on and living."
The London cast of Kimberly Akimbo worked closely with book and lyrics writer David Lindsay-Abaire and composer Jeanine Tesori, with Friedman saying: "We had Jeanine and David in the rehearsal room with us and I think they've done some work since then. So, it feels fresh and new and I think great writers leave room for invention.
And Friedman would know. The theatre veteran is widely regarded as one of the world's leading interpreters of Sondheim, and is just off the back of a very successful run directing Merrily We Roll Along; a musical that she describes as having a similar message to Kimberly Akimbo: "Musicals, when they are as important as Merrily in terms of offering a wonderful little bit of a life lesson (and the same with Kimberly), will move the dial. They shift the dial a little bit and make us feel less alone. And anything that does that has to be good."
Another thing that has remained constant throughout Friedman's career is her tenacious optimism and proactive mindset. She says, "Don't keep worrying about what if, what if. Get on with now and make sure that those moments matter. Relationships matter. The things you want to do in life matter and go and do them. Go and live them. Be with the people you want to be with."
"Life's tough. So you find the good bits. Find the good bits. Find those little cracks in what sometimes is difficult and swim in them and spread joy, not pain."
Buy Kimberly Akimbo tickets at London Theatre Direct
Check out our review of Kimberly Akimbo.
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