Musical parody is a popular form of theatre in the United States. This autumn, it will also be making invasions of Helsinki and Riihimäki.
Riihimäki Theatre is preparing for the premiere of the Friends! musical parody. It’s today at midweek.
In the US, musical parodies are a popular form of drama in their own right, with several being produced each year. The themes are often drawn from the world of popular culture.
In Finland, the Frendit series is thought to have many fans who could well come to the theatre to relive their TV memories. This autumn, Friends! will be co-produced by the Aleksanteri Theatre in Helsinki and the Riihimäki Theatre in Riihimäki.
Friends! premiered in the United States in 2018. It reviews all the most important and audience-loved scenes of the ten seasons of the TV series seen in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The show parodies the TV series as a phenomenon of its time
On Helsinki Boulevard, the premiere was already in mid-September, but on Riihimäki, the comedy will be seen on stage for the first time on October 11.
The original Friends series premiered in the United States from 1994 to 2004 on NBC. No fewer than 236 episodes were collected.
The TV series told the story of twenty-something friends *Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey* and *Phoebe* living together in Manhattan, New York.
The series was also popular in Finland, and it became a generational experience. The introductions of the characters were carefully followed. Many still remember lines by heart.
Frendit is still running as a rerun on the MTV Sub channel.
– We lovingly pay homage to these characters. We bring up their manners, and we laugh and remember together with the audience that they were like that, says Maija \”Phoebe\” Lang.
Those familiar with the Frendit series will get more out of the turbocharged show
Director Olka Horila picked up a parody show for Riihimäki theater’s repertoire from the same Icelandic agency that has produced the musical hit *Menopaussi* and the comedy *Likapyykkä* for Riihimäki.
The fan base grew up with the series in the 1990s, and Horila believes they want to spend another moment in the company of familiar characters. Familiarity is the key for the parody to unfold.
– Parody doesn’t really work if you don’t know what you’re parodying. Of course, there is a lot of skill and comedy here even for a viewer who is not a fan of the Frendit series. The show is packed full of sketches and comedy from the series. There is a lot of music and elaborate numbers here, describes Olka Horila.
The fast-paced musical features the series’ favorite moments from ten years. The first three seasons will be reviewed before Halftime and the rest after. There is enough speed and quick turns, topped with irony and humor.
It is also important to dress and make up the characters according to their role models, so that the audience can believe that Phoebe, Rachel, Joey or Ross are really on stage.
Performance teams from different countries receive the most feedback on visibility or the lack of it.
Performers sing on top of their original musical background
It was not easy to translate the text of the comedy into Finnish.
– It excited me much more than translating any other work. I really struggled with the famous quotes from the TV series, such as *\”how you doin’\”* or *\”we were on a break\”*. They had to be acted out as if the person spoke English, even though he speaks Finnish.
In advance, it has not been easy to sell a parody musical. Only the word-of-mouth method will decide during the fall whether the general public will turn up for the show.
*Would you like to see Frendi on the theater stage? You can discuss the topic until Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 23:00.*