Marlo Thomas: 'Free to Be' for you and me, 35 years later By Craig Wilson, USA TODAY Did Marlo Thomas have a clue 35 years ago that Free to Be … You and Me, the children's book she wrote with friends, was going to be such a hit? "God, no!" says the activist actor. But it became a best-selling classic, has never been out of print, and this month celebrates its 35th anniverary with a new, expanded edition (Running Press, 130 pp., $19.95). Thomas says the timing is perfect, because those who grew up with the book can now share an updated version with their kids. Running Press publisher Jon Anderson approached Thomas with the update idea. "I had grown up with Free to Be … You and Me and I realized that, even though it still sold well, its wonderful message was increasingly being muted by the dated look of the book," Anderson says. Free to Be … You and Me struck a chord when it was first published in 1973. Its message to young readers was simple yet eye-opening: They could be different and that was fine. Stories and songs (there was an original album, too) proclaimed that little girls didn't have to marry a prince and little boys could play with dolls. "The message is a rather deep one, that you can choose your own role models, you can fight stereotypes," says Thomas, 70, who starred in the hit '60s TV series That Girl, which broke single-woman-in-the-city stereotypes. Free to Be "was a revolutionary book. Some people were even afraid of it." Original contributors included many of Thomas' friends — children's author Judy Blume, author and composer Shel Silverstein and actor Carl Reiner. The new edition features all of the original material plus 14 new contributors from children's literature, updated artwork and a new CD. "I had an idea who we wanted (in the new edition)," says Thomas, "but I was a little behind on my children's literature, so I went to people who knew." New contributors include Peter H. Reynolds, the best-selling children's author and illustrator; illustrator Tony diTerlizzi, whose The Spider and the Fly won the 2003 Caldecott Award; and LeUyen Pham (Big Sister, Little Sister). The book's theme remains the same. Thomas thinks it's needed as much today as it was 35 years ago. She says the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr. still sums up the book best in his original afterword. "That it's a manual for what's possible," says Thomas. "I like to think that is what this book is."
Friday, August 9, 2002 By Margaret Quammel, Columbus Dispatch
Anyone who doubts that the '70s was an optimistic decade should take a look at Free To Be ... You and Me. The musical operates on the happy assumption that with a little singing and dancing and some rational dialogue, gender stereotypes will melt away.
Seeing the musical a generation later may be a bittersweet experience for parents, but children should be caught up in its buoyant mood without worrying about history. Columbus Children's Theatre has deftly transformed a play originally performed by four adults into an ensemble piece for 20 actors ages 10 to 16.
The intended audience for the musical may well be more willing to listen to its hopeful material in the hands of exuberant junior-high or high-school students dressed in T-shirts and jeans than in those of a quartet of well-meaning adults.
The one-act musical is setup as a collection of skits interspersed with songs. Two babies (Jake Borelli and Jessica Zambrotta, both showing a nice restraint) try to determine which of them is a boy and which a girl. A group of kids reaches the conclusion that Parents Are People. A boy (Danny Gibbons) tries to persuade his father that he should be allowed to have a doll.
The play has an irritating tendency to state the moral of each skit at each end, and fathers in general don't come off very well, but otherwise the material is handled with a light touch.
Director Kristofer Green has created a true ensemble out of his cast. A few performances stand out — notably Fiona McVay as the endearingly comic Victoria and Gabe Krimm as an enthusiastic skateboarder — but no performer is allowed to dominate the others.
Dean Cox's streamlined and confident choreography suits the simplicity of the material, and Wendy Foster on piano provides accompaniment that enhances sometimes uncertain voices without overwhelming them.
Numbers sung by the chorus are particularly strong. Suzanne Accetta's primary-colored set makes a pleasant background.
While it can't be accused of complexity, Free To Be has a relaxed charm and a reassuring set of messages.
Free To Be...You And Me, a Columbus Children's Theatre production of Douglas Love and Regina Safron's musical adaptation of the Marlo Thomas book. Directed by Kristofer Green
