Review: Land O Lakes High School’s Production of MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL

I tried, I really tried.  On Wednesday evening I attended the final dress rehearsal of the Land O Lakes High School’s wonderful production of MEAN GIRLS at the Wesley Chapel Performing Arts Center. After experiencing it, and after the cast and crew put on one hell of a show, I just couldn’t shake my disdain for the actual material.   It sometimes seemed unworthy of these delightful performers.

I’m beginning to get the gnawing feeling that great non-musical movies rarely if ever transfer into great stage musicals. Look at the list of movies that have made meh or sometimes even execrable musicals: Carrie, Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Heathers, Back to the Future, A Christmas Story, Rocky, Far from Heaven, Ghost, King Kong, Legally Blonde, Mrs. Doubtfire, Pretty Woman, Almost Famous, Saturday Night Fever, Sugar, Tootsie, Urban Cowboy, Young Frankenstein, Applause and even Sunset Boulevard.  Yes, some of those were hits, or some of them have classic songs peppered about, and some will get my name mentioned in a teen’s Burn Book if I dislike them (Legally Blonde, for example), but none of the above could ever reach the splendor or the joy of the original motion picture. 

For the record, shows that do come close to the greatness of the original films, or sometimes even surpass them, include Sweet Charity, A Little Night Music, Waitress, Kinky Boots, Promises, Promises, The Producers, Once, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage Aux Folles, She Loves Me, Billy Elliot, The Band’s Visit, and 42nd Street.

When a classic film is ultimately transferred to the stage, most of the songs are forced into the plot, like the proverbial square peg into a round hole, rather than making it cohesive.  Case in point: MEAN GIRLS (Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin; book by Tina Fey). Here is a show, so adored by the young, which has some nifty numbers in it as well as a couple of spectacular standout parts, but seems to have no meaning beyond “they need to put a song here.” Forced, strained, inorganic.  For every glory like “Apex Predator” or “Meet the Plastics,” there’s a forgettable tune that serves no real purpose by not moving the plot or by failing to dive deeper into the character.

But the teenagers worship it and can sing each of its songs at the top of their young lungs; but fortunately or unfortunately, I am no longer a teenager.  I love that they love it, even if it isn’t my bar of Kalteen. 

Imagine High School Musical with the edge of Heathers, and you get MEAN GIRLS.  If you don’t believe me, then watch and listen to “Where Do I Belong?” which is just a saucier version of  HSM’s “Stick to the Status Quo.” And “Stop” is just the not-as-good second cousin to Book of Mormon’s “Turn It Off.” 

That said, the Land O Lakes High School students are so dedicated, so full of joy and energy, that they caused me to actually kind of start liking MEAN GIRLS.  That says a lot.  Because ever since I listened to the OBC recording of it seven years ago, it just never seemed to move me. 

But it sure comes close with this production put on by these fine folk.

MEAN GIRLS (the original movie as well as the musical) centers on Cady Heron, the new girl at North Shore High School in Evanston, Indiana, who was previously homeschooled and just transferred from Africa. Cady wants to fit in, and after befriending two artsy outcasts, Damian and Janis, befriends the “plastic” mean girls of the school—Regina, Gretchen and Karen.  Cady hangs out with them as a joke at first, but in the end, she faces the hard truth that maybe she’s really not so  different than reigning Queen of Mean, Regina.  Much hilarity follows, with many misunderstandings, hurt feelings, a cool mom and even a bus accident and math competition to boot.

It's a lot, but thankfully there are those spirited Land O Lakes High School students, under the loving guidance of director Sabrina S. Hydes, that make it work.  Not only are they the reason to see MEAN GIRLS, they also give us so much hope for the future of the performing arts at a time when we need every strand of hope that we can grasp. 

For starters, there’s Katie Young who gets to carry the weight of the show on her shoulders by playing the lead part of Cady.  MEAN GIRLS may be a throwaway to me, but Ms. Young’s talent is not; it’s the real deal.  With her in the lead, in such songs as “Kenya/It Roars” and “Fearless,” we understand her character’s plight and can’t wait for her next song.  She’s glorious.

Mariah Rojas as Getchen made the most of her part and instantly became an audience favorite.  But oftentimes I could not understand what her character was saying and key jokes were thrown away due to enunciation issues. 

The marvelous Jade Ethier makes for a fierce Regina George, and Sofia Acosta is lots of fun and  will turn your frown upside down as the never-to-be-mistaken-for-Einstein, Karen. Gabi Reto makes the most of the cool mom, Mrs. George, and Jinx Lopes does fine work as Ms. Norbury, the teacher who finds herself in the midst of a fictional scandal.  Grace Fleming, Porter Boothe and AJ Martin offer strong support.   

Rey Chaves is a solid Aaron, and Julian Leong steals the show with an abundance of energy as Kevin G.  The hilarious Mr. Leong is so energetic that he pulses every scene he enters to life.  “Whose House Is This?” has never been my favorite song, but Mr. Leong, wild as the Tasmanian Devil in the old Warner Brothers cartoons, made it a hoot to watch.   

I can’t say enough good things about Jake Despenas.  Not only is he a show-stopper as the “too gay to function” Damian, but Mr. Despenas is all in with the part, diving head first unblinkingly in the character’s outsider status and flamboyance.  It’s such a thrill to watch a young actor tackle a role unapologetically, strongly and proudly.  It becomes a brave turn, especially in the state of Florida and in this day and age.  Mr. Despenas is a senior this year, and I know I will miss that marvelous energy and heart that he brings to each of the LOLHS productions.   

And then there is the freshman, Camila Trejos, as Janis.  Janis is easily my favorite part in MEAN GIRLS, and I just wish the character was in even more if it.  Especially with a major force like Camila Trejos owning the role.  After hearing her sing "I'd Rather Be Me," I wrote five words in my notebook: “Janis, wow, what a voice!” She has a prodigious command of the stage and her vocals are chill-inducing.  Amazing work.  She also gets my vote for Best in the Show.   

Director Hydes gets so much out of her young cast, but some things needed to be ironed out before opening.  For instance, I don’t understand why, in certain songs, some of the cast would be frozen in a cool tableaux while other members would still be moving for no reason, stripping the tableaux of its power and making it seem inconsistent.

The great thing about a Sabrina Hydes show is the ensemble being at the heart of the production.  Kudos to the following students for a job well done: Breanna Weisshaupt, Fiona McMillan, Ricky Dominguez, Alex Ruiz, Jaxon Wallace, Gracie Jenkins, Hope Kawa, Ethan Pumarejo, Aislyn Morris, Alondra Ramiriz-Rivera, Annabelle Bokar, Keke Mitchell, Gavin Malone, Analeigh Aponte, Meilana Gingras, Holland Flores, Madison Paige, Savannah Wardell, Mae Logan, Gabi Reto, Emi Allen and Maya Rivas.

Once again I must spotlight one of the ensemble members: Maleena Patel, a senior at LOLHS.  I recall her as the top ensemble cast member in last year’s Mamma Mia as well.  Here is a marvelous dancer who is always in the moment, reacting naturally to the mayhem around her, and diving into all of the group numbers where you can’t help but see her stand out. And her dancing is off the charts. 

Music Director Renee Palma gets wondrous vocal work from these young performers, and choreographer Jade Ethier (a.k.a. Regina George) creates dances that are quite suitable to the production. 

As always, being a show by Ms. Hydes, the tech kids get the final bow.  This is where I adore Land O Lakes High School’s productions the most.  The tech elements are just as important as any of the performers, and they are rightfully applauded for their hard work.  The scene changes here were smooth, these tech kids working overtime, from stage manager (and publicity designer) Amelia Smith to prop masters Mallory Scanlan and Grace Kellebrew, from assistant stage manager Savannah Van Ost to Production Assistant Isabella Acosta and costume crew chief Kylea Brown. They, along with the stagehands, worked miracles.

Sophia Acosta not only portrayed Karen but she also created the stellar projections.  These projections proved to be first class and actually added layers to the story being told (Andres Acosta operated them during the show).  There was one moment that I question, though it’s quite trivial: In one projection during the performance, the actor playing Aaron reads a text that he’s “sorry to be the one…”  But on the projection, it reads: “I h8 to be the one…”  It’s either an actor issue or a projection one, but the difference was noticeable.  But dare I say that these projections were one of the stars of the show.  Ms. Acosta’s work is hilarious, adding a personal touch to the proceedings, and she could have a future doing this if she so chooses.

William Russell’s sets are adequate, including a bathroom stall scrawled with graffiti.  Alira Rodriguez does a fine job as the sound engineer, though it being a dress rehearsal, some of the mic cues were spotty. I’m sure this was cleaned up by opening night.

It’s a PG-13 affair that closed last night (February 15) to packed houses, a sensational production of a less-than-sensational musical.  My reservations put aside, it proved quite entertaining, even during a dress rehearsal.  Each of Ms. Hydes’ students--performers and tech crew alike--rose to the challenge and to their ultimate potential, which is what educational theatre is all about.  These Land O Lakes High School kids are so good that they made me heartily enjoy a show I don’t normally like. There’s no higher praise.  To use an iconic phrase from MEAN GIRLS: They’re so fetch!

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