BY ELYSE TREVERS
Remember the cliques in high school? The nerds. The jocks, the popular kids. Remember the angst of needing to belong? Most of us were glad to graduate, vowing never to return. Watching Tina Fey’s new musical “Mean Girls”, based on her movie of the same name, suddenly felt like we were back in school. Fortunately, now it’s a funnier and brighter experience.
High school was always a challenge, but it’s even harder for Cady (Erika Henningsen) who has come from Kenya where she was homeschooled. In the hands and (pen) of the clever Ms. Fey, Cady goes from a group of wild animals to a group of human animals.
This pack is led and ruled by an “Apex Predator”, Regina George. An Alpha animal, Regina is gorgeous and imperious with two loyal followers. She sets arbitrary rules. (“Sweatpants only on Fridays, ponytails only once a week “) We all knew a Regina, and she scared us. We looked up to her; we envied her and we wanted to be her. She’s a wonderfully drawn character, played well by Taylor Louderman. Louderman is arrogant, bossy and funny as Regina – “being mean is easier than being nice.”
Her friends include Karen (Kate Lockport) playing the dumb blonde to the nth degree whose blank stare and perfect looks are hysterical, adorable with a stone expression. Ashley Park is Gretchen, the anxious insecure one, who even in her pain, is endearing. Together the three comprise “the Plastics.”
Cady is befriended by two misfits, Damian (Grey Henson), an artsy young man who uses theater references, and Janis (Barett Wilbert Weed), an angry feminist-type. Weed has a powerful voice and a steely demeanor and Henson is a talented comedian and a good singer.
They also give Cady the low-down on the students, especially Regina. When the “Plastics” invite her to their table, Damian and Janis convince her to go and spy so they can bring Regina down.
Fey’s messages are obvious. Damian and Janis sing to us about a “cautionary tale.” Girls shouldn’t treat one another like enemies and certainly shouldn’t “dumb” down. Besides being entertaining, Fey uses the musical as instructive for young women. One way they get back at Regina is to play on her insecurities about her body and weight. They trick the svelte Regina into eating high calorie bars that she thinks will help her lose weight. When Cady likes a boy in her math class, she intentionally fails her tests, so that he can tutor her. She even lies to her friends so she can spend time with him. As time goes by, Cady becomes like the girls she hates.
In a triple role, the seasoned Kerry Butler plays Regina’s “cool” mother, Cady’s mother, and the teacher Ms. Norbury (Fey’s role in the movie.) She adds bursts of humor to all three.
Based on the hit cult 2004 movie, the musical has been updated to include technology, cell phones and twitter. And lest we forget that Fey is an former SNL writer-performer, the show adds a few pointed political barbs about twitter and politics.
“Mean Girls” has a super cast of young people, though all are in their 20’s and 30’s rather than teenagers.
Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw has created some creative innovative dance routines, some using cafeteria trays. The Halloween scene has terrific dancing and some wonderfully original costumes by Gregg Barnes.
One of this season’s new musicals and certainly one of the best, “Mean Girls” is like a guilty pleasure. It gives you the chance to return to high school (even when you said you never would) to see the popular girl get hers.
