“On Wednesday, we wear pink!” But when it comes to a Broadway musical production of Mean Girls being in town, many theater patrons wear pink to any show, no matter what day of the week! Audience members were decked out in their best pink sweaters, skirts, and dresses as they walked through downtown Cleveland on their way to Playhouse Square for the opening night of a week-long run beginning on Tuesday, October 29!
Ever since the movie version of Mean Girls was released in 2004 as a feature film, it has become a key piece of popular culture. Earlier in 2024, a film version of the musical was released, making now as good of a time as any for the stage production to return to town. And while the 2024 film was fun to watch, there is nothing like watching Broadway-level actors perform live on stage.
Everyone knows the story by now, right? A quick refresher (or quick synopsis for the uninitiated): New student Cady Heron moves to North Shore High from Africa and begins to learn the social structures of high school. She befriends Janis and Damian, who teach her the ways of this new jungle and then meets The Plastics: Gretchen Weiners, Karen Smith, and Queen Bee, Regina George. They take Cady under their wings, and while Cady tries to work with Janis and Damien to sabotage Regina’s life, she becomes a Plastic herself along the way.
The plot of the musical is similar to the story of the 2004 film, though some modern touches are thrown in as well. Talks of social media, cell phone addictions, and taking selfies are thrown into the stage production to give the show new life. But the core story remains the same, which makes sense since the book for the musical was written by Tina Fey, who of course, also wrote the iconic original screenplay. Some of the most iconic lines, such as, “That is so fetch,” “You can’t sit with us!” and “She doesn’t even go here!” remain the musical and always get a loud cheer and applause from the audience. The most notable difference is that Act Two really flies in this show, with the mathlete’s competition plot point getting thrown in quickly at the end and the mending of broken friendships coming together extremely fast.
To bring such an iconic story to the stage, you need actors who can embody the characters while also belting out incredible songs. The show first opened on Broadway in 2018 and has had a long list of actors playing the leading roles both on Broadway and on tour.
The pressure to perform increased when pop icon Renee Rap took on the role of Regina George in the movie version of the musical earlier this year. Rapp has taken the pop world by storm, but she is not new to the character of Regina, as she has played her role on Broadway previously! Nonetheless, her role in the movie brought a heightened awareness to the powerhouse vocals needed to perform songs like “World Burn” and her part in “Meet the Plastics. “
Maya Petropoulis took on this role for our show and did not disappoint. Not only did she bring the vocal range and strength necessary for this role, but she also brought the sassy attitude needed to truly embody Regina George. From the moment she took the stage with the iconic line, “My name is Regina George, and I am a massive deal,” it was clear we were getting a top-tier, Regina.
Another crowd favorite of the night was Joshua Morrisey, who brought life to the character of Damian. Morrisey brought fabulous energy and impressive dance moves, which he got to show off in the number “Stop.” His chemistry with Alexis Morera, who played Janis, was fun to watch as the pair acted as narrators throughout the show.
We also got an opening night surprise of having a swing go on for the lead of Cady, though you wouldn’t have known it by how confidently AKRON NATIVE(!!) Carly Ameling took the stage. Ameling captured the nervous uncertain energy of Cady and how it slowly transforms into blind confidence and then back again. She belted “It Roars” and “Stupid with Love” with the confidence of someone who does it eight nights a week rather than a swing who, at the last minute, got thrust into the role this evening. What a thrill it must be for Ameling, who grew up attending shows at Playhouse Square, to be able to take such a prominent role onstage tonight! Bravo!
Many cast members of this show had notes in the Playbill that this was their first national tour, something one could only note from how young some of the cast seemed (not by their seasoned performance abilities). The actors shined like stars and were comfortable in their roles, taking creative risks and bringing a new life to the characters, while maintaining the core traits that made these roles so iconic back in the original 2004 movie.
This show is one where nostalgia and a love for this iconic story really help to draw the audience in. The set is a simple high school scenery, with set pieces that roll in and out and create a cafeteria, a classroom, a house party, and other scenes.
If you’re looking for the wow factor of a set that comes with shows like Wicked and Frozen, you aren’t going to find that here. But that is likely because the story doesn’t need a fantastical world to be told; it just needs the bounds of a stage, and of course, the front of a school bus and some bright lights for the end!
Whether you know the story or somehow have missed the memo on it, Mean Girls is a show worth seeing. (Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to wear pink!) Catch this iconic show at Playhouse Square now through November 3!
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