By Owen Bryant
By now, Tina Fey’s 2004 cinematic endeavor “Mean Girls” is considered by many to be one of the best comedies of the 2000s. Its quick-witted humor, famous one-liners, and real-life lessons appeal to audiences on multiple levels. Being the classic that it is, it’s no wonder that nearly 14 years later, in 2018, the musical stage version made its Broadway debut to rave reviews.
Now, Reno is getting to experience the musical “Mean Girls” as it continues its national tour, stopping in at the Pioneer Center for Broadway Comes to Reno.
For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows high schooler Cady Heron, a homeschooled teenage expat living in Kenya. When her parents get new jobs in the States, she’s plucked from her idyllic African life and thrown into the chaos of the American public high school.
She makes friends with outcasts Janis and Damian, but also with “the Plastics,” the girls at the top of the high school food chain. Together, Janis, Damian and Cady devise a plan for Cady to infiltrate the Plastics and learn their secrets to hopefully knock the Queen Bee, Regina George, off her pedestal. What follows is a hilarious and forever relevant exploration of popularity, authenticity, vengeance and humility.
As a massive fan of the original film, I enjoyed seeing how the scenes were translated to the stage, with sets, songs and dance. The opening scene in Kenya was an obvious nod to “The Lion King,” with a giant orange sun serving as a backdrop as Cady learns of her imminent move to America. In no time, the stage transformed into the high school’s brightly painted cinder block walls, with the student actors rolling in rows of lockers, classroom desks and other props with ease. Some of the sets were quite impressive, for example, the mall, complete with an escalator, Regina’s Pepto-pink bedroom, and the full-sized bus at the end (if you know, you know).
I noticed reading the program that this is their debut tour for many of the actors. For such a freshman group, the talent was notable, especially the bad bitch Regina George (Maya Petropoulos), the dim-witted but endearing Karen Smith (Maryrose Brendel), and the lovable queer kid Damian (Ethan Jih-Cook). Each actor held their own and brought their characters to life in their own way while staying true to the originals from the film.
The music wasn’t my favorite. There is a quality I hear in many modern musicals I can’t quite put my finger on, but I can only describe as twerpy, and this had some moments of that. But some standout numbers were reminiscent of old Broadway, particularly those sung by Damian, “Where Do You Belong?” and “Stop.” The former played out like a Busby Berkeley lunchroom fever dream, and the latter, a tap-dance sensation.
The entire show was well-produced and well-acted. Tina Fey also wrote the book for this, so you know it won’t be bad. However, I do think it begs the question of why? These days, many classic films are being turned into musicals. “Legally Blonde,” “Beetlejuice,” “Hairspray,” and even “Back to the Future,” to name a few, all have stage versions now. Some are great, some not so much.
Watching “Mean Girls” was entertaining, but I constantly kept drawing references to the film, and I wonder if this is a good thing. I also wonder how enjoyable it would be for someone unfamiliar with the film. For its own sake, it is a lot of fun, even if it is a bit redundant. In the future, though, I would be more interested in something original so I could be more surprised.
The show runs through Sunday at the Pioneer Center.
