A show that is so fetch
The Broadway tour of “Mean Girls” surprised and amazed audiences at the Straz. The musical, which is based on the 2004 movie by Tina Fey, played at the Straz Feb. 18–23.
I had dreamed of seeing the show and once I had the chance to, and I was definitely not disappointed. The cast was phenomenal, and the technical support was stunning. The show had an overall upbeat feeling while dealing with deeper issues of bullying and female social standards. After seeing the show, I was filled with nostalgia and I was desperate to watch the movie again.
Most people in the crowd were teenagers, young adults and families which is different from the typical older crowd that attends the Straz. The audience most likely changed because the musical is based on the popular teen film that most young adults grew up watching.
It is common when movies are adapted to musicals for advertising to come from name recognition alone because people loved the musical so they curious about the musical. The challenge with adapting movies to musicals is that the plot is hard to translate to the traditional two act structure of theatre. A potential downside with this process is that the musical can lose some of the best moments from movies or have them represented in a cheesy way. However, Mean Girls was able incorporate moments like “You go Glen Coco!” from the film into a song.
One of the most interesting aspects of the show was the set. They had a very minimal set that consisted of moving stairs, desks and a bedroom and living room set. In the back there were screens stretching across the stage that changed based on the setting. This scenery allowed for many set changes that completely immersed the audience and characters in the scene. Another incredible aspect of the scenery was the desks that had wheels on them so the characters could wheel in. They also rotated the chairs when in a class setting as a whole to represent a change of classroom.
The costumes were another aspect of the show that definitely impressed. The students’ costumes were the closest to what actual students wear in any musical I have seen. They also used them to show the transition between characters in “Where Do You Belong?” where the students changed from being jocks to band geeks to mathletes. The costumes were also an important part of Caddy’s transition from shy new kid to queen bee. They show how her style becomes more fashionable as she becomes popular and in the end changes closer to her original style with a few changes that show her combining her old and new life together.
The show was updated by having a different ending by showing the dance and included new references. There were multiple political references including Regina saying that she had been blocked by the president. These new updates keep the audiences engaged and puts the musical in today’s time. However, if the show runs for a long time or has a revival, there would need to be an option to change the references or they would become dated.
The show touched on important issues like female competition, bullying and social expectations. The whole show was entertaining, enjoyable and energetic. If given the opportunity to see it again on tour or on Broadway I would love the chance. It is definitely a must see show and is bound to keep doing well on tour and on Broadway.