Mean Girls

Broadway never met a property it didn’t try to turn into a musical. Little Shop of Horrors, The Producers, Legally Blonde, Billy Elliot, Beetlejuice, Tootsie, Hairspray, The Lion King, Sunset Boulevard, Pretty Woman, and The Color Purple were all movies first and then adapted into musicals later. The list goes on, which brings us to the latest: Mean Girls.

I found the 2004 high school teen comedy acceptable — it was an amusing but superficial take on the social dynamics among teenage girls. However, something happened to its stature over the past two decades. Its importance in pop culture grew, and certain fandoms embraced its dialogue and wit. So much so that it too became a Broadway musical in 2018. I thought the film was OK, but I wasn’t an ardent fan, so I had little interest in seeing another version of this story. Who knew it would be good?

The musical update follows the same basic story. This is the journey of Cady Heron (Angourie Rice), a teenager homeschooled in Africa all her life. Mom (Jenna Fischer) and daughter have recently moved to a wealthy Chicago suburb. Cady must now navigate the treacherous waters of high school, where she must contend with the student body. There, she meets the Plastics, a popular trio of girls led by the superficial and backstabbing Regina George (Reneé Rapp). Cady is accepted into the group as a member but becomes entangled in a web of gossip, betrayal, and class structure. Soon, she is working against the Plastics to gather information for friends Janis (Auliʻi Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey). Will Cady conform and follow those who lead her astray, or stay true to the values she holds dear?

Mean Girls is a clever update of the millennial classic that forges its own path. The narrative is made relevant for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, and the tunes stand on their own. If you grasp the concept that high school is a pecking order of various cliques, a familiarity with its predecessor is not required to enjoy this. The narrative has a simple but cogent message that has not been dulled with time. The Broadway-styled numbers with verbose lyrics have been given a pop sheen to sound like contemporary dance songs. Never underestimate the power of a snappy melody. This production is filled with them; at least a half dozen are memorable.

The cast highlights several talents that can sing while affecting a personality that captivates our attention. OK, so actors Angourie Rice and Christopher Briney are unexceptional. Actress Lindsey Lohan had that “It” factor as the central protagonist in the 2004 flick that’s hard to top. At least Rice vocalizes. “Stupid With Love” is a lovely ditty. On the other hand, Briney, as her love interest Aaron Samuels, doesn’t sing a single note. Nevertheless, the rest of the cast picks up the slack. Actress Reneé Rapp croons, “My name is Regina George…and I am a massive deal,” as she announces her presence in “Meet the Plastics” and again later in “World Burn.”

It’s impressive when actors can make an iconic role their own. Stepping into the high-heeled shoes of actress Rachel McAdams is no easy task. Rapp asserts her dominance in the part as she flamboyantly portrays the vixen in the style of a Disney villain. Later, she warns, “It’s fine to flirt…It’s fine ’til,” she sings “Someone Gets Hurt,” which sounds like some grand melancholy James Bond theme. Regina’s minions Karen (Avantika) and Gretchen (Bebe Wood) get songs, too. Karen’s “Sexy” ode to Halloween costumes is an absolute banger that has me listening to it on repeat. I wouldn’t be shocked to see it appear on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. Best buds and misfits Janis and Damian are out for vengeance but still exude a charismatic camaraderie. They add a depth to these personalities not present in the original film. All of their duets together shine: “A Cautionary Tale,” “Apex Predator,” and my favorite, “Revenge Party.”

Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. (in their feature directorial debuts), along with writer Tina Fey, took the source material and raised it to new heights. The songs with lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Jeff Richmond are perhaps the best part. If I had a quibble, it would be that while the melodies are spectacular, most of the production numbers accompanying them are overstuffed and disorganized. They fail to emphasize the crisp choreography of students dancing in unison that could have elevated them into the perfect spectacle.

Embrace low expectations; they are the fertile ground where pleasant surprises bloom. I wasn’t asking for another remake of this story. I went in skeptical, but the picture charmed me. This is a witty chronicle with nods to the film that inspired it but with the creativity to present fresh gags. For example, I laughed when comedian Tina Fey, returning as a math teacher, took a deep breath at the school assembly before launching into a song. The combination of catchy showstoppers, a talented cast, and funny jokes justifies this adaptation as a novel experience that fully stands on its own. It’s so fetch!

01-11-23