Review: HEATHERS THE MUSICAL is Another Successful Utah Premiere for Utah Rep

With its production of HEATHERS THE MUSICAL, Utah Repertory Theater Company continues its laudable mission of staging Utah premieres of shows that otherwise might not be seen in the state.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL (book, music, and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe) is based on the cult classic 1980s movie. Veronica Sawyer becomes one of the "cool kids" at her high school when the three popular girls who share a name (Heather) take her under their wing. But with popularity comes a price, and when things become violent, Veronica must decide where her allegiance lies.

The musical's exceptional contemporary score is haunting, yet catchy. The book, however, lacks clear character motivation and makes it difficult to care about the characters in their sometimes-abhorrent actions.

The leading women of the show have plenty of opportunities to showcase both powerful vocals and raw emotion. Karli Lowry as Veronica Sawyer leads the pack with a performance the audience wants to root for. Chaska Johnson is also very likeable as her sweet friend Martha Dunstock. Giovanna Doty as Heather Chandler, Emily Wells as Heather McNamara, Kendra Thomas as Heather Duke are a deliciously disdainful and talented trio.

The leading men of the show (Derek Gregerson as JD, Dan Ogden as Ram Sweeney, and Michael Hernandez as Kurt Kelly) are alternatingly goofy and threatening, and they fill their roles well. Blake Yelavich, Dawn Veree, and Jeffrey Owen gamely play the various adult characters to great success, and they seem to be having a great time doing it.

At the reviewed performance, nearly every actor struggled at one time or another with singing the score in tune. Sometimes this was a passing note, easily forgiven, and other times it was a more egregious issue. The difficulty of the score, with some complex melodies, may have contributed to this. The sound design may have also made it difficult for the performers to hear both themselves and the accompaniment. The sound was muddled throughout the performance, and it was especially hard to pick out more than the underlying rhythm of the music for many of the songs. This is a pity, as what could be heard from the live band, led by music director Rick Rea, was stellar.

Director Johnny Hebda has chosen to utilize a theatrical approach in which the characters become various scenic elements that the other performers interact with. The concept is applied consistently and successfully throughout the show and complements the simple set design by Cara Pomeroy. This directorial choice is both enhanced and undermined by the excessive use of projections. The projections often add a great deal of interest to an otherwise bare scene, but they can also distract from what is happening on stage, especially when inconsistent. In addition, their cinematic specificity contradicts the theatricality of the performance style. A still photograph or stationary video shot to set the scene (as is sometimes used) is effective enough on its own in supplementing the simple set. However, the use of 1980s music videos and movie trailers to set the tone before the show and during intermission is admittedly a lot of fun.

Other design elements are great additions to the production. The choreography by Michael Hernandez is well-crafted and crisply executed. The lighting design by Bobby Cody reveals occasional surprises that resonate emotionally due to the color, shape, and location of the lighting. The costume design by Nancy Cannon is inspired by the 1980s without resorting to kitsch.

Even though the show is not perfect, if you are a fan of the film or want to support Utah Rep in their mission to keep bringing little-seen musicals like this to Utah, you'll want to check it out.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL plays at the Sorensen Unity Center Black Box Theater through November 20, 2016. To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.utahrep.org.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Please be aware that this production contains content that will be offensive to some audience members, including language, sexuality, and violence.

Photo Credit: Blake Yelavich. L-R Derek Gregerson (JD), Karli Lowry (Veronica Sawyer), Kendra Thomas (Heather Duke), Emily Wells (Heather McNamara), and Giovanna Doty (Heather Chandler)

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