There's a new sheriff in town with 'Heathers' at The Empty Space
Aug. 31—"Heathers: The Musical" is opening at The Empty Space this weekend. How very.
The extreme always seems to make an impression and that was the case with the 1987 cult classic "Heathers" and the musical it inspired, which made its way from off-Broadway eventually to Bakersfield.
For director Eric Miranda, this is definitely "big fun," being a lifelong "Heathers" fan who regularly finds himself humming "Candy Store" from the musical.
"I'm part of the LGBT community and nothing resonates with me more than campy movies," he said. "I mean the original was a cult classic for a reason. But aside from that, I instantly fell in love with the musical because of all the music."
Those catchy songs, along with dancing packed with 1980s moves like the Roger Rabbit and the Cabbage Patch, give the show another layer, offering more depth into the characters beyond the film's quotable lines.
"The musical gives everyone more dimensions and justifications as to why they are who they are," Miranda said. "And the music just enhances that like tenfold."
At the heart of the show are the Heathers — queen bee Heather Chandler (Ellie Sivesind) and her cohorts Heather Duke (Maya Blackstone) and Heather McNamara (Alyssa Bonanno) — who set their sights on Veronica (Sophia Payne), whose talent for forgery they want to exploit.
As she gets drawn into their circle, she betrays her friend, Martha (Julie Verrell), whose crush on Ram (Dylan Rogge) makes her vulnerable to scorn and ridicule from Ram and his pal Kurt (Eli Castillo).
Into this messy social web drops transfer student J.D. (Jesse Magdaleno), who has an eye for Veronica as well as planning a little chaos.
The musical delves into heavy topics including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault and school violence while still managing to entertain.
The director said this show knows when to toe the line and when to have a sincere moment of emotion.
"I think that's the power of musicals," Miranda said. "You get these highly intense moments of emotion and instead of simply talking it out, you get beautiful songs that help break up the moments. 'Heathers' deals with intense subjects like school violence, abuse, suicide, and mental illness and it never feels gross or even pandering."
Choreographer Jennifer Skiby Plunkett responded to the "high-energy dark comedy" and its opportunity to revisit the 1980s.
"There are a lot of us older cast members who were born in the late '80s and we have a lot of high school young members. We did give them a little history lesson and had them watch videos.
"They definitely had to do their homework."
(Even Miranda, whose knowledge of the 1980s was "part and parcel" of his life growing up, needed a refresher on Hands Across America.)
Plunkett said the number "Big Fun" gave her a lot of room to play with iconic dances like the aforementioned Roger Rabbit and Cabbage Patch as well as the Sprinkler.
She also enjoyed the high-energy "Never Shut Up Again," about Heather Duke asserting herself, that allows for some girl choreography that eventually brings everybody together at the end.
"It was the most technical dance number to choreograph. That dance is a little bit more disco-y but it has voguing."
Plunkett was excited to come on board for the directorial debut of Miranda, who she has choreographed in other shows.
Miranda said he is thrilled to bring the show before audiences, aided by the work of Plunkett and vocal director Caley Mayhall.
"I could not have done this without my incredible creative team," he said. When I was seconds from pulling my hair out, they calmed me down and worked with me to create our show. And the cast is comprised of some of the most talented people I have ever met. I love watching every single character come to life. I'm so proud of them!"
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
