‘Mean Girls The Musical’: Reliving the Nostalgia on Stage
Mean Girls The Musical is currently on its North American Tour, and it recently made a stop at the Fisher Theater in Michigan as one of the many bonus shows that Broadway in Detroit offers. There was a part of me that was excited to see the stage production finally, but a larger proportion of my psyche was worried about what to expect from this particular musical. You see, I have a rather extensive history with the original film and its star.
Lindsay Lohan was such an important part of my adolescence. I remember vividly the first time I saw her in The Parent Trap, which became an instant favorite for my mother and me. To this day, that film is one of our comfort movies, which we watch at least once a year. As I grew up, movies starring the Disney star came to theaters regularly, defining different chapters of my life. Films such as Get A Clue, Freaky Friday, and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen were some of my favorites and would get watched frequently on Friday movie nights. However, none could touch Mean Girls‘ grip on me and my friends.
Released in 2004 and created by comedic genius Tina Fey, Mean Girls was my first foray into more “grown-up” films, as the movie dealt with topics vastly different than Herbie Fully Loaded. It used comedy to explore typical high school experiences, such as bullying and peer pressure, and ultimately make them more digestible. It took the world by storm, landing among cult classics of the time, such as Bring It On and She’s the Man. With all the making of a great story and characters that people love so much, it was more a matter of when and not if there would be another adaptation of Mean Girls.
Fast-forward to 2017, and Mean Girls The Musical premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., before transitioning to Broadway in 2018. With a book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde the Musical), and music by Jeff Richmond (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Mean Girls took the 2004 film and updated it for a more modern audience. Is Mean Girls The Musical so fetch, or is it a waste of time? Continue on for more about the latest Broadway in Detroit show.
[Warning: spoilers from Mean Girls the Musical are below!]
From Africa to high school in Mean Girls the Musical
Homeschooled Cady Heron, played by Carly Ameling, is switching out the plains of Africa for the jungle of public high school. Having to move back to the United States due to her mother’s new job, Cady is now fresh meat at North Shore High School and unsure where she fits in. As we can all remember about high school, it’s an every man for themselves kind of place until you find your group and friends that will support you through the good and the bad.
Fortunately for Cady, that’s Janis (Alexys Morera) and Damian (Joshua Morrisey), social pariahs in almost every sense of the word, although others would just call them artsy kids. They are near the bottom of the high school food chain, skating through the day by essentially not being noticed. Not that they seem to have a problem with it, as both Janice and Damian seem happy with their place in the grander scheme of North Shore High. However, what they aren’t prepared for is for The Plastics to take notice of the new girl.
You know The Plastics… The Queen Bees, who are as gorgeous as they are cruel, rule high school with an iron fist on what is hot and what isn’t. Their say is final, and their punishments are swift and unfair, but no one seems to question the power that they’ve gathered. Leading the triad is Regina George (Maya Petropoulos), along with her lackeys Gretchen (Kristen Amanda Smith) and Karen (MaryRose Brendel). Together, they are the judge, jury, and executioners at North Shore.
Regina has gone unchecked in her powers for years, it seems, when we meet them early in Mean Girls the Musical, but you can see that she feels threatened by Cady’s newness. Everyone is obsessed with the new girl who’s moved from Africa, which takes attention from Regina, causing instability in the jungle of high school. Seeing an opportunity to control the situation, she welcomes Cady into the fold of The Plastics, albeit on a trial run.
Janis sees this as the perfect opportunity to infiltrate The Plastics for laughs, using Cady as a spy who can report back with all the stupid things The Plastics say and do. Cady begrudgingly agrees, kicking off her journey to becoming plastic herself. How will she make it out of the school year alive? Will she kiss her crush, Aaron Samuels (José Raul)? And is it true that Damian is too gay to function? Only seeing Mean Girls The Musical will answer those questions for you.
Not so fetch: a fun story but forgettable songs in this musical
What makes Mean Girls The Musical almost a slam dunk is that it’s a story that so many people in my age bracket and younger know intimately. As stated in my intro, Lindsay Lohan was a staple in my adolescence, and her films were frequently shown for both enjoyment and comfort. Not only is Mean Girls ingrained in my psyche, it has taken on a life of its own for so many of us. Mean Girls The Musical captures the essence of what makes the original film great and puts its spin on it.
The characters we love are still there, and the story follows the same narrative that we are all too familiar with. At its core, it’s what you’ve come to expect from a Mean Girls project. However, the musical features some changes that differentiate it from the original film. Many of the jokes we’ve come to know and love have been switched out, which makes sense when you think about the time period the two projects were developed. Mean Girls the Musical came out over a decade after the original film, so it must represent a typical high school experience from that time frame.
For that reason, this musical felt incredibly skewed towards generations below me. Yes, it had similarities to the story I knew, but there was enough change that it felt almost foreign. The statement “Are we old now?” was uttered quite a few times between me and my friends who attended the show. Not to say that it wasn’t enjoyable, as it was still a fun show to witness on stage. That being said, it felt like I was watching a game of telephone, where the original Mean Girls is recognizable, but the message has vastly changed as it’s passed from person to person.
While the story was still hilarious and enjoyable, the music component of Mean Girls the Musical didn’t necessarily connect for me. Many of the songs felt forgettable; as I sit here and write this, only a few can even come to mind. Part of me wonders if that has to do with the fact that the story itself stands on its own and that the music almost becomes unnecessary. Usually, songs and dance in a musical enhance the story, furthering the narrative through riffs and notes.
That being said, some songs and singers made this show something special. Alexys Morera was the absolute highlight of the show, stealing nearly every scene she was in as Janis. With her no-care attitude, she’s a carbon copy of her movie counterpart, hiding just how hurt she is deep down. Morera is a powerhouse performer, from her acting to her singing. “Apex Predator” and “I’d Rather Be Me” are two of the best songs in the show, in significant part due to Morera’s incredible vocals in the song. If there’s one reason to see Mean Girls the Musical, it would be for Morera and her take on Janis.
Balancing out Morera’s Janis is Maya Petropoulos’ Regina, who is just as powerful of a performer. Petropoulos gave me goosebumps with her ability to switch from friendly Queen Bee to chilling punisher in seconds. Switching that quickly from one mindset to another is difficult, but Petropoulos does it spectacularly. Also, “World Burn” is easily one of the best songs to see performed on stage, as it’s terrifying with a twinge of sexiness, as it’s the turning point in Regina’s journey back to being at the top of the food chain. Petropoulos executed the song perfectly, along with creating a Regina on stage that is worth seeing multiple times.
And where would Janis be without her right-hand man, Damian? One of the best parts of Mean Girls the Musical is the expanded roles of Janis and Damian, who go from essential side characters to the main event. It’s almost like the stage production is their story of Cady’s experience instead of Cady’s herself. Joshua Morrisey brings a youthful energy to Damian, which felt right with this version of Mean Girls. That energy is intoxicating in both “Where Do You Belong?” and, more importantly, “Stop,” where he sings and tap dances. I was out of breath just watching Morrisey do it all flawlessly, and I couldn’t picture anyone else in the role, as it felt like he had made it his own.
Catch Mean Girls the Musical on its North American Tour
Mean Girls the Musical is an exciting piece of Broadway for me. I don’t think I would have sought it out before seeing it. Because I loved the original Mean Girls so much, I felt nervous about seeing what could have gone wrong in this adaptation. I didn’t want my experience to be tainted in either direction, so for the most part, I avoided it.
However, on the other side of its stop in Detroit, I’m glad I did see it. Mean Girls the Musical is undeniably fun, capturing plenty of what made the original exciting while changing it up for younger audiences. While all the songs and comedic choices didn’t hit the way I think the writers wanted them to, I still enjoyed myself enough.
Mean Girls the Musical is currently touring North America! Don’t miss out on other upcoming shows to Broadway in Detroit, such as Les Mis, Six, and Hadestown! Let us know your thoughts about Mean Girls the Musical on social media @mycosmiccircus or @boxseatbabes and now @CosmicCircusBroadway.com on Bluesky!
Mean Girls The Musical Discussion | The Cosmic Curtain Podcast
