This holiday season, you can spend your days wallowing at home alone, or you can go to the Buell Theatre and see the iconic coming-of-age musical Mean Girls! Mean Girls is a much-awaited stage adaptation of the popular 2004 film of the same name. The musical will take over the Buell Theatre with 16 performances from December 21, 2022, to January 1, 2023! Based on the book by Tina Fey, the show features a wildly energetic score by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin! If you’ve seen the film, this musical is guaranteed to knock your socks off with plenty of iconic scenes and jaw-dropping sets! Moreover, the touring production, led by an award-winning creative team, features a stellar cast! So if you don’t want to be left out, you should quickly grab your tickets now and experience the incredible story of the plastics: Cady, Regina, Gretchen, and Karen; come to life at Buell Theatre!
Mean Girls’ story begins with outcasts Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard. Breaking the fourth wall, the duo introduces Cady Heron, an attractive high school student who just moved to a Chicago suburb from Kenya. Cady, who has an entirely different upbringing compared to most of her peers in school, just wanted to fit in. She meets Janis and Damian, who explain the different types of groups in school. One group, The Plastics, was singled out due to their notoriety. The Plastics comprises three extremely beautiful and popular girls. The “Queen Bee” Regina George is the leader, while Gretchen Wieners is second in command. Lastly, Karen Smith is the stereotypical blonde bimbo. Cady goes about her way, trying not to stand out in school, but when Regina notices her, she is invited to eat lunch with them. It turns out, Regina is curious about the new girl in school. Hence Cady was officially invited to dine with The Plastics for the rest of the week. A nervous Cady is hesitant, but Janis, who had long-standing hate for Regina George, convinces Cady to stay with The Plastics and share everything in the group’s private conversations. Will Cady join The Plastics? What will become of her when they find out Janis’ mischievous plan? Most of all, why does Janis hate Regina? Find out more about Cady’s bizarre experiences with The Plastics when you come and see the musical at Buell Theatre!
The film Mean Girls was written by Tina Fey, while the cast comprised renowned actresses, Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The film became a colossal commercial success grossing over $130 million against a $17 million filming budget. Aside from ticket sales, the film also received wide acclaim. In 2012, the film was listed in Rotten Tomatoes’ “Top 50 Greatest Teen Comedies.” It has been 18 years since the film premiered in theaters, but its cultural impact remains. The film became a pop-culture phenomenon that is still being enjoyed today. Thus, it is only fitting that Mean Girls get a musical stage adaptation. In 2017, the musical made its premiere in Washington and had a trial run for three months. The following spring, the musical finally opened on Broadway with the distinguished Casey Nicholaw as director and choreographer. The creative team comprises several esteemed professionals, such as
Two-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes, Tony Award-winning scenic designer Scott Pask, Tony Award-winner lighting designer Kenneth Posner, sound designer Biran Ronan, and video designers Finn Ross and Adam Young.
“Mean Girls’ gospel of female self-actualization is borne out in the platform it provides for some of the most exciting young performers in musical theater.” – Timeout New York
“Fey’s book is faithful to the film and, naturally, preserves beloved lines – like “fetch” and “On Wednesday we wear pink.” – New York Daily News.
In 2018, the musical had 12 nominations for the Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. At the Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Mean Girls had several nominations and won Outstanding Book of a Musical. Moreover, Mean Girls became a favorite among professional critics. Greg Evans from Deadline called the musical “vibrant, beautifully sung, and visually splendid.” He continued that the musical “broadens the original Paramount movie – a bar-raise for teen flicks – to full musical comedy scale without sacrificing any of the mordancy and compassion that made a superstar of Lindsay Lohan.”
At Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin raved about the lead actress’ performance, “In setting this “cautionary tale” to music, Fey and lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) have more latitude to explore the internal lives of these now-iconic characters. Though Henningsen’s Cady is more broadly naive than the one originated by Lindsay Lohan, her earnest vocals bring a quality of sweetness to numbers like ‘Stupid In Love.’”
From 2022 to 2023, Mean Girls goes on tour, making 19 stops in major cities, including Denver, Colorado. Broadway enthusiasts keen on experiencing the musical stage adaptation of Mean Girls will be pleased to know that the 2022-2023 touring production features an incredible cast. English Bernhardt, whose credits include Les Miserables and Evita, will star as Cady Heron. Meanwhile, talented stage actress Nadina Hassan will play the role of Regina George. Other casts include Jasmine Rogers as Gretchen Wieners, Morgan Ashley Bryant as Karen Smith, Lindsay Heather Pearce as Janis Sarkisian, and Eric Huffman as Damian Hubbard.
Mean Girls will open at the Buell Theatre on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. Viewers will be pleased to know that the product has selected one of Denver’s most top-tier venues. The Buell Theatre, ranked as one of the highest-grossing theaters under 5,000 capacity, has been hosting large-scale musicals and world-class events. Since 1990, the venue has undergone millions of dollars in refurbishment and renovation. Today, the 2,839-capacity venue boasts a state-of-the-art sound system with 300 speakers strategically placed throughout the theater. Besides an impressive sound system, Buell Theatre is equipped with excellent facilities, providing guests with the best entertainment experience.
If you loved the film, you’d definitely love this stage adaptation. Mean Girls is a fun, ridiculously humorous, and visually breathtaking musical that has earned the praise of Broadway fans and professional critics. The musical features an award-winning production team and an incredibly talented cast. The pop culture phenomenon is now on stage, and it will be a shame if you miss it! So hurry and score your tickets to this award-winning musical! By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to wear pink!