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twentyghosts · 7 years ago

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Mean Girls @ National Theater 11/11/17, 8pm

Hello! I saw Mean Girls the Musical (currently in pre-Broadway tryout at the National Theater in DC) last weekend! A bunch of people asked me how it was, and I had more than a few tweets worth of stuff to say, so I figured I'd dust off the ol' Tumblr. (I actually tried to write this up on my phone on the way back from DC, but the Tumblr app ate that draft and now it's gone. TUMBLR IS A FUGLY SLUT DO NOT TRUST HER!!!)

Anyway, a few disclaimers before I begin:

I'm not like, a theater critic, and I didn't take any notes, and Tumblr already ate my freshest draft, so these are just like, casual memories/observations as a fan of musical theater and Mean Girls the movie, not an expert professional review.

Mean Girls the Musical is a little #problematic in basically the same way that Mean Girls the Movie is (and uhh basically the same way that everything Tina Fey touches is--some culturally insensitive "hipster racism", some "satirical" fat-shaming, etc). For me personally, my love of the movie is able to overcome the wince-worthy moments, so I'm mostly just going to broadly acknowledge that it's a #problematicfave here at the top and move on. If you're looking for an in-depth breakdown of Mean Girls I'm sure you can find that elsewhere on the internet, but that's not my main endeavor here.

This review will contain spoilers, I guess? The plot of the musical is largely the same as that of the movie, but it did make some changes, and I want to talk about those changes! So if you're planning to see it and want to be surprised, move on. (Or, uhhh I guess if you haven't seen the 2004 movie but don't want to be spoiled for that either….)

OK, I've disclaimed! Let's dig in!

I thought the set design was really smart! It's mostly a set of plain white panels that have projections on them (lockers, mall kiosks, etc). Pre-show they're projected with snippets from the Burn Book, which include hints that the musical is more social media-inclusive than the movie (stuff like "___has 0 followers" etc), although they're still handwritten notes.

There's also a lot of great desk/cafeteria table choreography during the school scenes.

The cast is all great! Super talented, great voices, great comic timing. The youths are mostly unknown to me, though Regina George is played by Taylor Louderman, aka Campbell from Bring it On the musical. Also, Gretchen is played by Ashley Park, an Asian-American actress, so...at least currently, the musical has one fewer white character than the movie. (Every other main character is white, unless you count Mr. Duvall and Kevin Gnapoor.) And Mrs. Heron/Mrs. George/Ms. Norbury are all played by KERRY BUTLER whaaat! I saw her name on the lobby card and freaked out about it; my friend who I went with was like "who?" OK whatever, I guess she's just Broadway famous, not regular famous, but for the record: omg Kerry Butler.

The first act felt a little long and I wouldn't be surprised if a song or two gets cut before the move to Broadway, although I'm not sure which ones? Like…"I Can Be," which is Karen's sexy Halloween song, doesn't contribute anything to the plot but it was SO FUNNY, I hope it stays. Gretchen's solo fretting about her role in the plastics, "What's Wrong With me?" is a good song and all but felt like it came a little early in the show.

One thing the creative team is definitely fully aware of is: which lines/moments from the movie are so iconic that they will require an immediate applause break ("too gay to function," "so fetch," "you go Glen Coco," etc etc etc), and those moments were spaced out at pretty good intervals I thought. For me, it never bogged down the show (the way the later Sharknado movies do, for example). But then, I love and frequently quote Mean Girls the movie. If someone went to see this musical without having seen the movie (why), I imagine they would be like……………..what's happening.

Janis and Damien serve as the narrators, which is a good choice but it minimizes the amount that they interact with Cady. it felt like the creative team was like, "OK, people already like Janis and Damien, so let's move on to really trying to humanize the Plastics!" Which, I get, and it kind of worked, except it came at the expense of Janis and Damien, to the point where it was hard to buy that Cady was even friends with them in the first place. Even as I'm saying that Act I was too long, I wish for at least one more scene of Cady, Janis, and Damien actually being friends?

Also, Kerry Butler and her wigs completely nailed all the mannerisms of the 3 adult women she plays, but she barely sings. She has a duet (as Mrs. George) with Regina called "Stay with Mother" that was a really sweet moment and again, served to humanize Regina and her "cool mom," which I liked. And I get that the GIRLS are the point of Mean Girls and the adults don't have a huge role in things...but also why did you cast Kerry Butler if she's not going to sing more? I'm surprised Ms. Norbury didn't have a song (or even part of one).

The musical also pads out Aaron Samuels' character a little bit more--his backstory is he's being raised by a single mom who lied about their address on school paperwork so he could go to a school in a better district. (This detail gets added to the Burn Book and means that he gets kicked out of school after the Burn Book is unleashed.) It's...fine? The thing about Aaron in the movie is that he's basically a sexy lamp, which I kind of like--it's so much a story about the dynamics between the girls and Aaron is just a status symbol, like, you know...the hot girl in most other high school movies. BUT SURE FINE GIVE HIM A BACKSTORY WHATEVER

The change that I felt most negatively about is that, in the musical, Regina's downfall at the talent show comes a little differently than it did in the movie (where, if you'll recall, after her confusing last-minute choreography change, Gretchen kicked the CD player). Here, her Santa skirt busts open (because she's ~too fat~ from eating Kalteen bars) and embarrassing pics of her fat butt [in sexy underwear] on stage go viral. (Which, you know, would have been hard to do in pre-smart phone 2004). It made me feel much more sympathetic for Regina, which I don't think was the point.

Obviously making Regina gain weight was a big plot point of original Mean Girls, and as previously noted, it's...not great. BUT in the movie it felt more excusable given that Regina was mean to others about their weight, and it also--with the scene at the 1 3 5 store etc--felt a little more like it was going for some slight social commentary, whereas in the musical it comes across a little more like "ew fat people are gross", especially since the butt pic is splashed all over all the background screens on set. (As in the movie--Regina is not even "fat" but I think they padded her butt for this scene? Anyway it's uncomfortable.)

This might be splitting hairs but idk, that specific plot point just seemed, well, um, meaner, and it's never quite...addressed. I'm not even sure what I wish they would have said about it, but they definitely didn't. (I mean, again, I know it's Mean Girls.)

I did like that the musical put more emphasis on Cady's love of math and how shitty it is that acting dumb works as a technique--I really liked that Ms. Norbury invited Aaron to the Mathletes finals so he could see Cady in action and explicitly told Cady that she needed to not diminish herself for a guy. (Which I know that's brushed upon in the movie, but there he doesn't actually go to the Mathletes event and it was a cute moment in the musical.)

Another change that I guess I like is that Kevin Gnapoor ends up with Gretchen, instead of Janis. It's sort of humanizing for Gretchen, and it leaves Janis's sexuality a little more up in the air? (In the movie it kind of comes across like she gets with Kevin just to prove that she's not a lesbian; in the musical Regina still calls her a "dyke" in the Burn Book which seems like...less of an attack than it was in 2004? Like...I think there's some more that could be unpacked with queer female sexuality being weaponized in this way, and the difference between outing someone against their will vs just calling someone queer as an insult. So...it's not totally clear what the deal is with Janis's sexuality but I think it would be cool if in the musical she just actually was a queer character who was mad about having been outed before she was ready.) Anyway I'm not sure I've said anything coherent here but the POINT is, Kevin/Gretchen. Sure.

Overall I liked all the songs, and there's a good blend of ballads and big songs with desk choreography. Whenever I try to remember how any individual song sounded all my brain will deliver to me is "Good for You" from Dear Evan Hansen though. (I don't have a great ear for music so this isn't necessarily an indictment of Mean Girls the Musical.) Gosh now this is like trying to not think of an elephant, all I can think about is Dear Evan Hansen. I haven't even listened to it in awhile. Umm I do remember that some of the song have some, like, Ladysmith Black Mambazo-type African flavor? Sorry I don't know music words but I bet you know what I mean. (Also PS the event in Madison that Cady skips has been changed from Ladysmith Black Mambazo to GARRISON KEILLOR which is a real downgrade.)

The musical ends shortly after the Spring Fling (where Cady arrives straight from Mathletes, wins spring fling queen, breaks up the crown, etc) and there's a big finale called "You Can Sit With Us". I did somewhat miss the movie's epilogue where we see how the former Plastics have learned to channel their gifts ("There's a 30% chance it's already raining") and the Junior Plastics appear? It also felt a little bit pat considering the kind of edge the movie/musical have in tone? But whatever it's a nice sentiment and a fun song.

Anyway! Those, I guess, are my rambling thoughts about Mean Girls the Musical! If you have any specific questions feel free to ask me and I'll see if I remember the answer!

TLDR:

Does Mean Girls the Musical need to exist? No! (But it'll be great for high schools to put on in a few years!)

If someone didn't like Mean Girls the movie, would they like Mean Girls the musical anyway?

No!

Did you personally have a grool time watching Mean Girls the Musical?

Yes!

#mean girls #mean girls the musical #spoilers #i guess

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