The original Broadway production of "Freak" by John Leguizamo opened at the Cort Theater in New York on February 12, 1998, ran for 144 performances and was nominated for the 1998 Tony Award for the Best Play. John Leguizamo recreated his solo act in this filmed production and was nominated for the 1998 Tony Award for the Best Actor.
John Leguizamo would later work with director Spike Lee a year after for Summer of Sam (1999).