From the mind of Tina Fey, MEAN GIRLS is a ferociously funny musical about the wild dangers of high school. From an award-winning creative team, including book-writer Fey, director Casey Nicholaw, composer Jeff Richmond, lyricist Nell Benjamin, experience the iconic humor in a new, unimaginable way.
Cady Heron may have grown up in African, but nothing prepared her for the vicious predators of her high school hallways. By taking on Regina George, the queen bee of the terrifying clique known as The Plastics, Cady learns that being popular is not the same as being loved.
MEAN GIRLS gets to the hilarious heart of what it means to be a true friend, a worthy nemesis, and above all, a human being.
Direction by Casey Nicholaw ('Aladdin,' 'The Book of Mormon'), who's assembled an excellent cast, shines particularly bright. His staging packs style, invention and Red Bull-force energy that showcases the material to the max. Scenic design that makes smart use of video projections gives the show a seamless cinematic flow. Fey's book is faithful to the film and, naturally, preserves beloved lines - like 'fetch' and 'On Wednesday we wear pink.' But she's added fresh jokes and updates for the social media age as 16-year-old Cady (an appealing Erika Henningsen) goes from Africa (there's a sly nod to 'The Lion King') to a Chicago high school.
Where Mean Girls glows most is in the spotlight it shines on its cast. Taylor Louderman is sensational as the blackhearted Regina, fearsome leader of the queen-beeyatch trio known as the Plastics. (Richmond gives her brassy, Bond-villain musical themes.) Flanking her are the manically insecure Gretchen (Ashley Park, her confusion infused with real feeling) and the chipper, empty-headed Karen (an extremely funny Kate Rockwell, with a tottering walk and a face like a blank check); on the opposite side of the cafeteria battlefield are the gothy 'art freak' Janis (Barrett Wilbert Weed, a rich presence and powerhouse vocalist) and the brightly flaming Damian (Grey Henson, whose second-act tap number, 'Stop,' does exactly that to the show). Mean Girls's gospel of female self-actualization is borne out in the platform it provides for some of the most exciting young performers in musical theater. They bring a lot to the cafeteria table.
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