Review: Broadway Across America presents MEAN GIRLS at Kentucky Performing Arts

When someone says they're turning one of the most beloved movies ever into a musical, there's always some cause for worry. The usual questions flood in: "Will they do it justice? "Will they say this line?" "What are they going to change?" In most cases these worries are warranted, but in the unique case of Mean Girls, Tina Fey herself returned to adapt her modern teen classic into a hilarious and splashy musical comedy.

Since the film release in 2004, Mean Girls has been universally beloved. It earned its place among the best of the best teen comedies. In 2017, the musical adaptation premiered in Washington, DC before moving to Broadway in the spring of 2018 where it enjoyed a healthy run until the Covid-19 pandemic shut down Broadway. Mean Girls unknowingly played its final performance on Broadway in March of 2020, which now makes the the national tour feel that much more special. Since the fall of 2019 the show has been touring North America and it's finally arrived here in Louisville.

This show, to put it as plainly as possible, is so much FUN! From the minute the first chords sound, you know you're in for a treat. The show overflows with Tina Fey's special brand of off kilter humor, and so much of the show is joyous and silly. The cast is lead by Danielle Wade as Cady Haron, the new kid at school who just moved to Chicago from Africa with her parents. Wade gets the majority of the singing in the show and she absolutely nails it. Her voice is so crystal clear and a pitch perfect fit with the pop score by composer Jeff Richmond. She plays Cady so earnestly that you can't help but be endeared to her almost immediately. She is soon joined by Janis and Damian as her very first confidants when the rest of the school seemingly rejects her. Mary Kate Morrissey as Janis is a treasure. She channels so much teen angst and dry humor into her performance, and she vocally rips through the score like it's nothing. Morrissey's empowerment anthem "I'd Rather Be Me" in act two is a definite highlight in an evening made up of so many highs. DeShawn Bowens, an understudy, was on as Damien and did a wonderful job. His dancing was unmatched and his voice very strong; he also delivered many of his one liners with expert comedic timing and tone.

The story really gets interesting when Cady meets "The Plastics"-- the fiercest and most popular girls in school--made up of Regina, Gretchen and Karen played by Nadina Hassan, Megan Masako Haley, and Jonalyn Saxer respectively. Hassan's Regina is very much in the vein of an "over it all" valley girl, which is a great interpretation of the character. Although sometimes her character voice creeps a little too much into her singing making some lyrics a bit difficult to understand, this is a minor quibble as she effortlessly sings the roof off the theatre. Masako Hayley is a delight as Gretchen; she perfectly taps into the character neurotic and psychotic behavior while still endearing the audience to her character, who mostly just wants to feel useful and appreciated by her friends. Saxer as Karen is a downright laugh riot. Karen is self-described as "the hot one" and very stupid, and Saxer makes a point to milk every moment she's onstage for laughs galore. The way she says a line or reacts to the smallest thing was enough to turn the audience unto a frenzy.

Rounding out the cast is Adante Carter and April Josephine as Aaron and Mrs. Haron/Ms.Norbury/Mrs. George respectively. Carter does the most he can with a role that is admittedly underwritten, but his chemistry with Wade's Cady sells the romance ten fold. Josephine as all of the adult women is splendid. She plays them all so differently, and it's so much fun to see her go from one to another, scene to scene, her Mrs. George is especially hilarious.

The design of the show relies heavily on projections and digital screens for setting and transitions. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of that type of design, but this show uses it so smartly that it's hard to imagine the show without it. The ensemble is absolute dynamite. The dancing in this show is insanely difficult, and this group smashes though the choreography with ease and contagious enthusiasm. The entire cast oozes so much charisma and joy. They all had a fire in their eyes, and I can tell they love doing this show as much as audiences love seeing it. Mean Girls is only in Louisville for a week, and tickets are going fast! You absolutely don't want to miss this absolute joy of a show that is in my opinion, a near perfect evening at the theatre.

MEAN GIRLS

Now - March 27th

Whitney Hall at Kentucky Performing Arts

https://www.kentuckyperformingarts.org

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