Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical Delights with Energetic Young Cast (Clarksville Little Theatre)
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical
Directed by Mary Kate Vanegas
Book by Kevin Del Aguila
Music and Lyrics by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler
Review by Loraine Lawson
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Loraine Lawson. All rights reserved.
There’s no way around it: Middle school is horrible. And nobody knows that more than middle school student Greg Heffley, the star of the hit book series and musical, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Greg is awkward, but he has big plans to be popular as he starts middle school. That is, if he can avoid touching a disgusting playground cheese, keep his goofy elementary school friends at bay, and achieve ultimate school popularity by becoming the student newspaper cartoonist.
Friday night, I saw the opening night of Clarksville Little Theatre’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the musical. The cast was packed with middle school students (along with a few high school students), and, honestly, who better to recreate the trauma of middle school than those who have recently suffered its indignities?
I’m guessing no one, because the hour production elicited many, many laughs from audiences.
Honestly, I expected a production that might be entertaining to smaller children, but as it turns out, I was enchanted, along with the other adults who laughed heartily throughout. The cast even made my Freshman high school student smile and laugh, so this is truly a production for all ages.
The young cast kept the song and dance coming with high energy and tremendous zest. They loved the musical, and it showed in their performances.
Cameron Venholff stars as the title character, Greg Heffley in her debut at the Clarksville Little Theatre. She brought just the right amount of geeky awkwardness and endearment to a character who can be, as my son put it, be a bit of a jerk sometimes.
Like most middle schoolers in puberty, Greg is constantly on the verge of embarrassment from someone — his parents, his older brother, his younger brother, his friend Rowley, or any one he knows. In his world, they’re all just waiting for the opportunity to humiliate him. He’s so afraid of embarrassment, he won’t even call his best friend, Rowley, his “best friend.”
Rowley Jefferson is played with adorable charm by Will McIntosh. Unlike Greg, Rowley endearingly embraces his own childishness. He’s the kid who fights that dark night of puberty, and McIntosh really captured that energy. The audience was rooting for him every goofy step, right down to the moment he’s forced to eat the infamous playground cheese. Don’t worry - Greg steps up and saves the day by taking the blame for the disappearing cheese in a rare moment of heroism.
There were a number of standout performances Friday, but one of my favorites was Fregley, played by Madoc McMahon. He brought just the right amount of creepy to the role, with his slicked down hair and delightfully awkward movement style. But he also still managed to make us laugh, particularly during "The Fregley Song" when he and his mom literally embrace the mortified Greg.
Manny was also a delight, despite his brief role, (it’s the whole-face smile). The songs and dancing was all fabulous fun, but "Animal Heart" with its hilarious homage to teen heart throbs really stands out, along with "The Middle of It All," which is reprised throughout the play.
One tiny problem the production would benefit from is a better sound system. Some of the actor’s lines were occasionally muffled, but otherwise, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Musical delighted. Honestly, I wish I could mention the whole cast, because they all deserve it.
Diary of a Wimpy: The Musical
Clarksville Little Theatre
June 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. June 14 at 2 pm 301 Montgomery Ave.
Clarksville, IN 47129 www.clarksvillelittletheatre.org