By Kailah Figueroa, Staff Writer
The “Mean Girls” musical is based on the iconic 2004 film with the same title, with a modern feminist twist. The musical features music from Jeff Richmond and playwright from Tina Fey wrote the original 2004 movie. “Mean Girls” was inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s self-help book, “Queen Bees and Wannabes.”
The Broadway adaptation pays homage in several scenes throughout the production, creating a contemporary take on a familiar story through its costume design and dialogue.
The production has several scenes and choreographed numbers that set the stage production apart from its source text like “World Burn” which turns a very familiar scene of Regina George printing and distributing pages of her Burn Book around the school hallways, into a dramatized choreographed scene with slow-motion fight scenes and Renee Rapp’s belting sending chills through the audience.
“Mean Girls” on Broadway is a fun upbeat musical about friendship, identity, culture and what it means to be a girl in a world with societal pressures.
The modern twist creates relatable scenes with the audience with characters saying lines like the “woke seniors” and their “intersectional veganism.” Students tell one character to “use Google maps” after shes asks them for directions to homeroom.
The show was filled with feminist views and political commentary that didn’t feel forced or cringy, but it felt organic in the world of the show and as a viewer in the audience.
Even with its short scenes with dialogue, it was a fast-paced, song heavy production, where all the pivotal plot points and moments were expressed through upbeat pop ballads. It was a nicely paced production where there was always something to pay attention to on stage.
The back wall of the stage was covered in electronic panels which allows the stage to be turned into the many different locations in the story.
With scenic design by Scott Pask and lighting design by Kenneth Posner, the set and lighting design acted as a character in itself, whether it was pages from Regina’s Burn Book, the inside of a mall plaza or even a quick-scene change from the inside of a public school bathroom to a gymnasium decorated for the spring fling dance.
The ensemble members also had to change costumes and set pieces in quick transitions without any blackouts. The stage never felt congested, like there were too many people or too many things going on. It never felt like there was not enough to fill all the needs of this show, even with its several locations and numbers.
“Apex Predator” was a highlight of the show. The set was turned into the interior of a huge shopping mall with escalators and pop-up booths. The song juxtaposed Cady Heron, played by Erika Henningsen, and her African roots with ensemble members acting as wildlife at a watering hole at the bottom of the food chain.
During this, Regina George, played by Renee Rapp, and the other plastics, Gretchen Wieners, played by Cailen Fu and Karen Smith, played by Kate Rockwell, stand by her side and walk in slow motion through the mall.
Janis Sarkisian, played by Barrett Wilbert Weed, and Cady sing their duet setting up Regina’s character as the head of the food chain: mean girl with a nice facade.
Later “Sexy” is performed by Karen the night of Aaron Samuels,’ played by Kyle Selig, Halloween house party.
“Sexy” is an upbeat pop ballad where Karen describes picking out the perfect sexy Halloween costume in detail. It’s a play on the pageant girl and Barbie trope with, “I can be who I want to be” as ensemble members dance across the stage as sexy versions of a “sexy Quint from sexy Jaws, catching sexy sharks” and a sexy version of Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks.
Mean Girls on Broadway stands alone from its source text and pays respect to it at the same time. Our favorite characters and scenes are brought to life again. It was a show filled with excitement, pink lights and comedic characters.
