5 takeaways from 'Mean Girls' the musical, playing at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
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APPLETON – A funny, fast-paced and heartfelt story about navigating high school and embracing the things that make you unique, "Mean Girls" plays at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center through Sunday.
The musical, based on the 2004 film, was originally scheduled to come to Appleton in January, but was rescheduled after multiple company members tested positive for COVID-19. The seven-month wait didn't seem to diminish excitement in the audience, which was filled with multiple people dressed in pink, a nod to the show's iconic outfits and the line "on Wednesdays, we wear pink."
"Mean Girls" tells the story of Cady Heron (English Bernhardt), a 16-year-old who recently moved from Kenya to the Chicago suburbs. Previously homeschooled, where she learned by watching African wildlife in their natural habitat, Cady finds herself thrown into the midst of high school culture, run by cliques and a social hierarchy led by apex predator Regina George (Nadina Hassan).
Here are some takeaways from Wednesday night's show:
The musical is different from the film, but still features many iconic moments
From "Stop trying to make fetch happen" to "You go, Glen Coco," the musical version of "Mean Girls" incorporates lines and references throughout the show that film and pop culture fans will certainly recognize.
"Mean Girls" the musical premiered in 2017, more than a decade after the 2004 film. To adjust to modern high school life, the script has lines referencing social media, hashtags and emojis, while the actors carry smartphones and take selfies. But the tale about teenagers judging each other while desperately trying to fit in easily translates to today's world. And despite not being set in the early 2000s, most of the classic lines still work.
While the plot is essentially the same, the stage adaptation incorporates songs that give audiences insight into characters' minds in a more in-depth manner than the movie provides. A good example of this Gretchen's (Jasmine Rogers) Act 1 solo "What's Wrong With Me?" which offers a look into her fragile, insecure psyche, allowing audiences to feel more deeply for a character who's initially portrayed as more one-dimensional in the movie.
It's a very dance-heavy show
"Mean Girls" is propelled by a very talented ensemble, who pop, lock, jump, slide and tap their way through scenes. Dressed in vibrant colors and unique outfits, the students at North Shore High were utterly captivating in big numbers like "Where Do You Belong?", "Fearless" and "Whose House Is This?". It's even more impressive when you think about the quick costume changes and vigorous choreography some actors perform in skinny jeans.
Transitions during and between scenes involved choreographed movements with desks, lunch tables and benches, carried and pushed by ensemble members in dynamic movements that kept the audience engaged. Audience members may be surprised at the aerobics involved in a show that largely takes place inside a high school.
The musical cast is much more diverse than the film
In "Mean Girls" the musical, all three "Plastics" — the nickname for the trio of popular girls that rule the school, Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith — are people of color. It's a notable difference from the film, whose three mean girls (played by Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert) are white, along with the majority of students at North Shore High. The ensemble also portrays a student body made up of people from all different races, backgrounds and identities.
LED screens take the set design to the next level
The "Mean Girls" set design is striking. The show is performed in front of a background of LED tiles that serve a variety of purposes. The screens portray still backdrops for different scene locations, like the school, the mall, the skies in Kenya and interiors of houses. They also display collages of images from Regina's "burn book" and screenshots of student gossip from Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. And the LED tiles are also used in more abstract ways — like an all-pink background during "Meet the Plastics" and animated balloons and piñatas with Regina's face on them during "Revenge Party."
Coupled with a variety of set pieces creatively brought in and out of scenes by ensemble members, the effect fully transports the audience into the world of "Mean Girls" for two and a half hours.
The songs will get stuck in your head
The music of "Mean Girls" is extremely catchy. From the slow ballad "More is Better" between Cady and love interest Aaron Samuels (Adante Carter) to upbeat anthems like "Revenge Party" and "I'd Rather Be Me," the songs are a good mix of goofy and heartfelt.
Many of the leads each have their own unique sound — Regina's songs are sultry and confident, which Hassan exemplified with powerful vocals, while Bernhardt's Cady exhibited a more earnest, naïve tone. Damian Hubbard (Eric Huffman) and Janis Sarkisian (Lindsay Heather Pierce), Cady's friends who act as the show's narrators, have a classic Broadway showtune tone and a rebellious, powerful belt, respectively.
Some other notable performances:
There wasn't a weak singer in the cast, but particular standout vocals came from Pearce's Janis in "I'd Rather Be Me."
Karen Smith (Morgan Ashley Bryant) was perfectly ditzy, yet at times extremely wise, and had some of the best lines in the show.
Though a smaller role, Mr. Duvall (Lawrence E. Street) had some impeccably delivered one-liners that left the audience roaring with laughter.
One actress, April Josephine, played the show's three adult women: Mrs. George, Mrs. Heron and Ms. Norbury. She brought such a different performance to each that without reading the playbill, you probably wouldn't know it. Josephine played Mrs. George, Regina's "cool mom," with hilarious mannerisms, and Ms. Norbury, the math teacher, with a very Tina Fey-esque presence.
Tickets to "Mean Girls" can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, by phone at 800-982-2787 or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760. The PAC ticket office is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 5 takeaways from 'Mean Girls' the musical at Appleton's Fox Cities PAC
