Broadway Theater Review: Mean Girls

Kerry Butler and  Erika Henningsen . Photo: Joan Marcus

Mean Girls

By Tina Fey, based on her screenplay

Music by Jeff Richmond

Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

August Wilson Theatre

By Lauren Yarger

What's It All About?

The musical stage adaptation of the film, written by Tina Fey, with music by her husband, Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond. If you like the movie, you'll like the show. If you've never seen the movie, you'll like the show. The story follows Cady Heron (Erika Henningsen), daughter of a couple of Peace Corps-type, animal studying parents who has been raised in Africa. When her family relocates to the states, she finds herself in a different kind of jungle -- American High School. There she findsa pack of Mean Girl predators and their vicious leader, Regina George (Taylor Louderman). She and her pack, Gretchen Wieners (Ashely Park) and Karen Smith (Kate Rockwell) terrorize their fellow students and dominate high school life. Outcasts Janis Sarkasian (Barrett Wilbert Reed) and Damian Hubbard (Grey Henson) offer Cady friendship, but she attracts the eye of Regina, who decides to make her one of their popular group. At first Cady and her friends think it's fun, but soon Cady finds herself sucked into the mean-girl vortex.

What Are the Highlights?

Clever and funny script. Very good music. Strong performances. In a season weak on musicals, this one has a chance at the Tony. It has big dance numbers with excellent choreography by Director Casey Nicholaw. All of the girls are fun and give their characters some depth beyond stereotype. Standing out is Henson as the awkward, gay teen.

Scott Pask's sets are entertaining and make easy transition between jungle and classroom (or are they really both the same thing...,?)

Keri Butler provides comic relief playing three different roles: Mrs George, the mom who wants to be cool, rater than a responsible parent, Ms. Norbury, a teacher who gets caught in the fallout of mean-girl wars, and Cady's mother.

What Are the Lowlights?

It's fun and enjoyable,. No lowlights.

More Information:

Mean Girls terrorize at the August Wilson Theatre, 245 West 52nd St. (the exterior doors have been painted an appropriate pink). 

Additional casting:

Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels, Cheech Manohar as Kevin Gnapoor, Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall. Ensemble:Stephanie Lynn Bissonnette, Tee Boyich, Collins Conley, Ben Cook, DeMarius Copes, Kevin Csolak, Devon Hadsell, Curtis Edwin Holland, Myles McHale, Chris Medlin, Brittany Nicholas, Becca Petersen, Nikhil Saboo, Jonalyn Saxer, Brendon Stimson, Riza Takahashi, Kamille Upshaw, Zurin Villanueva, Gianna Yanelli, and Iain Young.

Additional credits:

Gregg Barnes (Costume Design), Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), Brian Ronan (Sound Design), Finn Ross and Adam Young (Video Design), Josh Marquette (Hair Design), Milagros Medina-Cerdeira (Make-Up Design), Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Music Director), John Clancy (Orchestrations),Glen Kelly (Dance and Incidental Music Arrangements), Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Jeff Richmond, and Natalie Tenenbaum (Vocal Arrangements).

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Homosexuality

-- Minor LanguageMrs. George) and

Erika Henningsen

(Cady Heron)

Credit: ©

2017

Joan Marcus