Review: MEAN GIRLS at Majestic Theatre

I guess Regina George got it wrong when she said, “so fetch” would never be a thing. It was definitely the thing on Friday night at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre. Everywhere you looked, that’s what you saw. There was a drink at the bar with that name (I didn’t try it). Both teenage girls and grown women everywhere wore various versions of a t-shirt with that saying, and of course they left the iconic line from the movie into the musical. This show was clearly a special event for people. An event where you wore pink and hung out with your girlfriends or your mom. The audience came ready to relish in their love of Paramount Pictures’ 2004 movie, dancing along as they saw the tale sing as a live musical. 

If I were still a high school theatre teacher, I would definitely put this on my directing wish list. So many roles for teeangers to play themselves or just the people they saw everyday. The show’s depiction of high school life was completely accurate (just like the movie). And the lessons Tina Fey wrote into the script were as important as ever. 

Despite a few issues with the mics sounding muffled and being unable to understand some of the actors, the audience was having the best time! The stage came to life with teenage energy and angst, along with some incredible dance numbers! Even a tap-dancing number, which just happens to be my favorite.

Standout performances were MaryRose Brendel as Karen Smith. She completely committed to the iconic Karen character, and the audience went wild for several of her songs and scenes. She had us laughing out loud at every turn. Shawn Mathews, as Kevin G, also had a spectacular performance with his rapping, dancing, and cool persona.

Alexys Morera, playing Janis Sarkisian, drew the audience in with believable emotion and an amazing vocal performance of her song, “I’d Rather be Me.” What a great moment in the show, and again a great lesson. All of the moments with Regina George, played by Maya Petropoulos, and her mother, Kristen Seggio, were memorable and hilarious. I think mothers everywhere could relate with her, even though she “wasn’t a regular mom. She was a cool mom!” Seggio also did a wonderful job playing two of the teachers at the school, as she created unique mannerisms for each character. 

The set design and spectacle of the show was fun, energetic, and creative. It allowed the actors to shine as they told the story in a face-paced, lively manner that kept the audience engaged and ready for each new scene. Seamless set changes took us all the way to the meaningful and memorable ending with the song, “I See Stars.” That was a highlight for me, as it was the moment the whole creative team connected with the audience in a significant way. Overall, the production delivered the “rainbows and smiles” the audience came for and made us all ready to wear pink on Wednesdays and keep “fetch” a thing.