MEAN GIRLS on Broadway Cast And Creative React To Tony Award Nominations

BroadwayWorld has been checking in with Tony Award nominees all morning! We caught up with the nominated cast and creative from Mean Girls on Broadway to get their first reactions at being up for Tony Awards this season.

Mean Girls is tied for the most nominated show of the season with Sponebob Squarepants the Musical with 12 nominations.

Nominations include Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical - Tina Fey, Best Original Score - Music: Jeff Richmond, Lyrics: Nell Benjamin, Best Leading Actress in a Musical - Taylor Louderman, Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Grey Henson, Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Ashley Park, Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Scott Pask, Finn Ross & Adam Young, Best Costume Design of a Musical - Gregg Barnes, Best Sound Design of a Musical - Brian Ronan, Best Direction of a Musical - Casey Nicholaw, Best Choreography of a Musical - Casey Nicholaw, and Best Orchestrations - John Clancy.

See reactions below, and stay tuned for more! See reactions from all the shows here!

Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
I'm so excited I didn't know I could be this excited! This morning I was looking at my phone and no one was texting me or calling, so I thought okay alright it's not happening and out of nowhere four calls and a bunch of texts and I knew it was happening. This part is such a dream role because I get to play a sexy, sassy, confident young girl, it's a dream come true role and to be Tony nominated is amazing. When you're young, you don't think about the roles you could possibly be nominated for because they don't exist yet. I used to watch the Tonys at home in Missouri and thought this could never happen to me. This is unreal. I think Ashley Park and I are going to celebrate later today, then we have rehearsal for the Today Show. And, I should probably shower at some point!

Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls, double nominee for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography
I was so excited this morning to hear the news of our nominations. As a kid, I lived for whatever bits of Broadway I could see or hear - I feel like I'm 8 years old today! We've all worked so hard between DC and our Broadway opening. It feels so fantastic to have that work recognized.

Ashley Park, Mean Girls, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
I went on a walk with two of my best friends through Central Park in the beautiful weather and they both have been along for the journey for the past few years. We got coffee and juice and I put my phone away and put it on silent, we were present. I knew that around 9 if I pulled out my phone and had a lot of stuff it might be good news and if there's nothing, that's fine too. And it was awesome. I pulled out my phone around 9 and there was a lot of stuff and the outpouring of love from people in my life is the most moving thing, all the people who have been with me up until this point, all the people in the New York community and the love of our team and our cast, I'm so excited for our show. Me and Grey were in the middle of a Facetime and hadn't even exchanged any words yet, we were completely speechless. This is such a joyful group of people, I'm so thrilled to celebrate what we've all made together and this Gretchen that this team has graciously allowed me to infuse with my own self. The show is filled with heart I'm so proud of it.

Grey Henson, Mean Girls, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
I have truly never been more overwhelmed in my entire life. I don't know how to function anymore! It's amazing. I'm literally getting texts from every person I've ever spoken to. I wasn't planning on watching this morning because I didn't want to freak myself out. But I turned on the stream and once it started my heart started pounding in my chest. The show got so much love! It's so thrilling to see the people you work with and love get recognized. It was also excruciating to wait because my category was one of the last one. I'm so happy that I get to celebrate by going to the show tonight!

Finn Ross, Mean Girls, opposite Scott Pask & Adam Young, Best Scenic Design of a Musical
1st reaction - Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

2nd reaction - Ahhhhhhhhh.

3rd reaction - Immense pride in the collaboration that led us to making Mean Girls' design everything that it is. And immense pride in the show and all on and off stage - I'm so happy to have been part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Scott Pask & Adam Young, Mean Girls, Best Scenic Design of a Musical

"I'm over the moon about this thrilling recognition of our work together on Mean Girls! And to get the news while on a train weaving between lochs in the Scottish highlands was beyond surreal." -Pask

"This recognition is overwhelming but I'm so happy it's for a show that we spent so much time, effort and love crafting." -Young

Lorne Michaels, Mean Girls, Best Musical

If you had told me when I was in high school that someday I was going to get a Tony nomination I would have thought, "Fantastic. Lead Actor in a Musical." Still, I'm thrilled. It's been a joy to work with this cast and creative team and we hope we've made Stuart Thompson proud.

The cast of Mean Girls includes Erika Henningsen as Cady Heron, Taylor Loudermanas Regina George, Ashley Park as Gretchen Wieners, Kate Rockwell as Karen Smith, Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian, Grey Henson as Damian Hubbard, Kerry Butler as Mrs. Heron / Ms. Norbury / Mrs. George, Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels, Cheech Manohar as Kevin Gnapoor, Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall. The cast also includes Stephanie Lynn Bissonnette, Tee Boyich, Collins Conley, Ben Cook, DeMarius R. Copes, Kevin Csolak, Devon Hadsell, Curtis Holland, Myles McHale, Chris Medlin, Brittany Nicholas, Becca Petersen, Nikhil Saboo, Jonalyn Saxer, Brendon Stimson, Riza Takahashi, Kamille Upshaw, Zurin Villanueva, Gianna Yanelli, and Iain Young.

Mean Girls opened on Broadway Sunday, April 8 at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The musical features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film, music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin. Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs.