Review: MEAN GIRLS at the Denver Center

In today's pop culture canon, most folks of a certain age have some sort of connection with Mean Girls. The original movie and its all star cast have left an indelible mark on American, if not global, culture. On Wednesdays we wear pink. On October 3rd, we ask what day it is. There's a 30% chance it's already raining. These are just a small handful of memorable moments from a movie that influenced multiple generations. Its longevity still continues to prove itself. It's no wonder that it ultimately made its way to Broadway in musical form. It is also the latest production to take the stage at DCPA's Buell Theatre.

Opening night of the Denver stop had a rough go of it before the show even started. The 7:30 start time was delayed, I assume due to technical difficulties, and patrons weren't even allowed into the lobby until around that time. The show ultimately got started around the 7:50 mark, but it was my impression that the performers were thrown off by whatever issues were arising. By and large, the cast seemed flighty, or rather, not grounded in the work. It seemed like it was on the verge of slipping through the fingers. It did not help that two songs away from intermission, three actors were left onstage seemingly waiting for something to happen. At that moment, it became clear that this Broadway National Tour was performing to recorded tracks and the track didn't start. Out of nowhere, the curtain came down and a voice came over the audience, "Ladies and gentleman, we are experiencing a technical difficulty and are going to take a brief hold. Please stay in your seats..." To their credit, the second act seemed to go more smoothly than the first, though the precision of the choreography specifically, created by John MacInnis, was wanting from start to finish.

Much to my dismay, there were additional creative and technical elements that fell short. In the year of our Lord, 2025, when there have been seventeen seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, there are no excuses for hard, stiff, wigs, designed by Josh Marquette. More to the point, there is no excuse for Regina's lumpy padding after she's "gained weight" from eating protein bars. It's a critical error in an otherwise decent costume design by Gregg Barnes. Also, why are we adding in scenes where a high school girl's skirt rips off and then is left standing there in nothing but a thong? It wasn't all severe, albeit. The scenic design by Scott Pask is nicely detailed and moves well from scene to scene. The tech elements of the design were also creatively utilized to enhance what was happening on stage. 

Generally speaking, the cast of Mean Girls worked with the cards they were dealt on this opening night performance. Notable standouts include Kabir Gandhi as Kevin G and José Raúl as Aaron Samuels. Both of these actors were quite endearing in their respective roles. Gandhi maximized the moments he was on stage and Raúl offered a softer portrayal of who is notably the cool guy in school. Kristen Amanda Smith as Gretchen Wieners and MaryRose Brendel as Karen were delightfully funny in their roles. The show does a nice job of staying true to the characters we know and love while also leaving room for vulnerability. Smith and Brendel each take advantage of this idea and explore more of the unknown. This does nothing to mention their individual vocal expertise which was also a considerable highlight. Special shoutout to viral social media influencer Tay Marquise!

Joshua Morrisey as Damian Hubbard was one of the main actors who, to me, felt off-kilter during the first act. His pacing seemed to struggle and therefore influence his delivery. I just got the sense that he was moving too fast through the motions and not living in the moments as they happened. Like I said before, it seemed rather flighty. Alexys Morera as Janis Sarkisian was perhaps my personal favorite among the leading players. Grounded and strong, you can tell Morera has a firm grasp on her character and expertly places herself into their shoes. Morera also has the most steady vocal, her prowess on full display in the eleven-o-clock number, "I'd Rather Be Me."

As the villain of our tale, Maya Petropoulous reasonably fills the role of Regina George. Personally, I found her acting chops to outweigh her vocals, which by no means should be taken as a slight. I think perhaps Petropoulous has the hardest job vocally which only allows for each vocal riff to have the potential to seem untidy, for a lack of a better word. There were times that it seemed they just needed to be smoothed out, but Petropoulous, altogether, is unshakeable in her sinister portrayal. The hardest job, as it pertains to character development, remains with our leading lady Cady, played by Katie Yeomans. Anyone coming after Lindsay Lohan is going to have a difficult time. I say that to mean that I don't find Cady, the character, to be very exciting or memorable. Angourie Rice in the 2024 movie musical struggles in the same fashion as Yeomans. Cady doesn't have enough of a motive and therefore lacks in personality. All that said, Yeomans takes the lemons and makes light lemonade. Her vocals were certainly a highlight to her performance. I found myself really enjoying the tone of her voice and looked forward to the next time she sang. 

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