Theater Review: ‘Mean Girls’ High School version
TheatreARTBEAT
By Caril Jennings
'Mean Girls High School Version'
Book by Tina Fey, music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Neil Benjamin
Directed by Jed Thomas Broberg
April 23, 24, 27 and 28 at 6 p.m.
Ogden High School Theater
Production photos of ‘Mean Girls’ the musical. Courtesy of Ogden High School
Imagine a home-schooled girl living in Africa is air-dropped into an American public high school. What could go horribly wrong? Everything. Right down to behaving just like the horrible mean girls making her life miserable. It is a tale of discovering your own voice in the midst of all the chatter. Tina Fey, of comedy fame (as well as Sarah Palen), has made a two-and-a-half-hour musical out of a comic skit. It is just like being in high school again. It is funny and painful at the same time.
What was not painful at all was seeing all the students coming to the play without their parents. They were coming on their own to support their friends and peers on stage. I was verklempt at the thought. There were more teens in the audience than any other demographic on the Monday performance I attended. There were plenty of families, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Everyone going down the aisle was waiting for a good time, and judging by the audience cheers and applause, they certainly did.
To start with, I applaud the sound people who did not blast us out of our seats with the canned music. You could actually hear the singers over the recorded rock band. — As an old person, that is my biggest complaint about theaters that use canned music. It is meant to support the singers, not drown them out. —
Cady, a math whiz (from Africa), and Regina, the high school queen bee, are the main characters, but I certainly enjoyed watching Gretchen throughout the whole show. Gretchen is the reason there are Queen Bees, because her self-doubt leads her to follow one. The narrators, Janis and Damian, break the wall of the stage and tell us directly there are consequences from our actions. Aaron and Kevin, both Mathletes, represent the alternative "lifestyle choice" Cady avoids in her pursuit of popularity. All actors carried their roles very well.
There were plenty of song and dance numbers for the ensemble to take the stage. They also provided additional comic characters throughout. That is the best part about a musical as there generally are many more opportunities for people to participate on stage. You cannot have a good chorus line without a lot of legs.
I have to admit that this play really made me feel old and crotchety. I do not like it when people are mean. I do not think it is funny. Do not get me wrong. I say plenty of mean things about public people. I know. In my defense or excuse, I still cannot watch "The Simpsons" because of Lisa and Marge. They break my heart, every word they say.
Still, the musical is played for laughs and a good time. In the end, it hits Regina like a bus that she can have better friends by being nice.