Riedel on Mean Girls searing for a star and aiming for Spring 2018

[10086sunset]

http://nypost.com/2017/02/28/mean-girls-musical-is-searching-for-its-star/

[BroadwayConcierge]

It's almost like you could say that they're trying to make fetch happen. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Earlier I was thinking about Emma Stone as Cady for the thread asking what shows she would be good in for Broadway, but perhaps she's too old.

[Valentina3]

Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Valentina3 said: "Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... 

 

"

She's going to have her own show, but she'd be cute as Cady

[HeleneIsASlut]

Does anyone know of any potential rumors as to who will be cast? 

[JennH]

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Valentina3 said: "Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... 

 

"

She's going to have her own show, but she'd be cute as Cady

 

"

Apart from that, there's another potential problem...only potential though. If the line about Karen asking Cady why she's white if she's from Africa, plus the "I'm from Michigan..." line, will both lose all hilarity. Being the very modern day show this will be, for all intents and purposes anyone should be able to be cast in this, regardless of ethnicity, but the whole "Caucasian girl raised in Africa finally experinces American high school" plot point loses its comical nature. The whole plot more less revolves around this premise. If they don't keep those lines, then cast anyone you want, but IF those lines are kept, and my intuition tells me they will be, then sadly I have to say...Cady is gonna have to be Caucasian to make those lines work. 

That being said what about the plastics? Basically those whole plot revolves around high school stereotypes being exaggerated in comic fashion. Comic though it may be, the comedy revolves around those stereotypes. Case in point? Janice's introducing Cady to the lunchroom cliques. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Maybe I'm too old but I never got the love that this film got.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Mean Girls should be easier to adapt to the stage than Heathers. The latter show had some lovely moments but couldn't pick a tone and occasionally seemed scared of the source material.

Personally I feel the most accurate depictions of my high school experience were Alexander Payne's Election and Gus Van Sant's Elephant. I've no desire to see those adapted for the stage so Mean Girls it is.

 

[trpguyy]

MrsSallyAdams said: "Mean Girls should be easier to adapt to the stage than Heathers. The latter show had some lovely moments but couldn't pick a tone and occasionally seemed scared of the source material."

For whatever it's worth, Mean Girls was turned into a musical years ago and it worked just fine.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20110107/castaway-players-stage-mean-girls-in-kingston

 

[Sondheimite]

I 100% sure that the "Castaway Players" production of a Mean Girls musical, that no one asked for or gave them permission to write, isn't the same thing as a the official adaptation of Heathers.  And I don't even like Heathers.  

[dramamama611]

rosscoe(au) said: "Maybe I'm too old but I never got the love that this film got.

 

"

Yeah....me either.   I was most distressed that it was inspired by a serious book on the topic...and this just made it fluff.

[BroadwayConcierge]

I'm in my mid-20s, and I know for a fact that nearly every single one of my friends will be buying tickets for this. My generation is totally excited.

[perfectliar]

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Valentina3 said: "Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... 

She's going to have her own show, but she'd be cute as Cady"

It's only been ordered to pilot, not to series. She could be available in a few months.

[HeleneIsASlut]

Rachel Flynn who was in the original ensemble of Heathers played Cady in early workshop versions. I wonder if she is still involved in anyway. 

[Valentina3]

JennH said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Valentina3 said: "Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... "

She's going to have her own show, but she'd be cute as Cady"

Apart from that, there's another potential problem...only potential though. If the line about Karen asking Cady why she's white if she's from Africa, plus the "I'm from Michigan..." line, will both lose all hilarity. Being the very modern day show this will be, for all intents and purposes anyone should be able to be cast in this, regardless of ethnicity, but the whole "Caucasian girl raised in Africa finally experinces American high school" plot point loses its comical nature. The whole plot more less revolves around this premise. If they don't keep those lines, then cast anyone you want, but IF those lines are kept, and my intuition tells me they will be, then sadly I have to say...Cady is gonna have to be Caucasian to make those lines work. "

 

Even a mildly smart book writer/director can fix that, and we have Tina Fey writing material unless I'm very much mistaken. If the actress playing Cady is black, for instance, the response would simply go from "why are you white if you're from Africa" to "oh duh! I should have known" to make it just as painfully stupid and ignorant. I can go on, but you get my drift.
 

As for your Plastics comment - how about Jasmine Cephas Jones as Regina?

[newintown]

I picture the audience for this show being comprised primarily of hundreds of Lohanthony wannabes...

[trpguyy]

Sondheimite said: "I 100% sure that the "Castaway Players" production of a Mean Girls musical, that no one asked for or gave them permission to write, isn't the same thing as a the official adaptation of Heathers.  And I don't even like Heathers.  "

That's kind of my point. If an unauthorized, "amateur" attempt at turning it into a musical was passable, there shouldn't be a problem this time around. 

[rosscoe(au)]

I would rather see a musical of Easy A or Edge of Seventeen, I think the problem I had with Mean Girls is it wasn't nasty enough, started out a little than just turned into any other by the numbers teenage movie. 

[HenryTDobson]

rosscoe(au) said: "I would rather see a musical of Easy A or Edge of Seventeen, I think the problem I had with Mean Girls is it wasn't nasty enough, started out a little than just turned into any other by the numbers teenage movie. 

 

"

I've been hoping for an Easy A musical adaption for a while now. Pasek and Paul would be inspired for this project.

[Valentina3]

Why does everything have to be an "inspired" choice? Pasek & Paul, for instance, would make perfect sense for an Easy A adaptation. I feel like we overuse that phrase, diluting its impact.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

What about Dove Cameron as Regina George?

[CaseyBrent41]

Louderman, Rockwell, Rodriguez

[Valentina3]

Littleshopofcarrie said: "What about Dove Cameron as Regina George?"

 

Hah! I said that when Hairspray Live happened; with Kristin Chenoweth playing Amy Poehler's character. I know the role is probably too small for Kristin, but they could beef it up. I wonder what Nikki Snelson (who played Brooke Windham in Legally Blonde) is up to these days. She was a hoot on stage!

 

[JennH]

Valentina3 said: "JennH said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Valentina3 said: "Well, there's Auli'l Cravahlo... "

She's going to have her own show, but she'd be cute as Cady"

Apart from that, there's another potential problem...only potential though. If the line about Karen asking Cady why she's white if she's from Africa, plus the "I'm from Michigan..." line, will both lose all hilarity. Being the very modern day show this will be, for all intents and purposes anyone should be able to be cast in this, regardless of ethnicity, but the whole "Caucasian girl raised in Africa finally experinces American high school" plot point loses its comical nature. The whole plot more less revolves around this premise. If they don't keep those lines, then cast anyone you want, but IF those lines are kept, and my intuition tells me they will be, then sadly I have to say...Cady is gonna have to be Caucasian to make those lines work. "

 

Even a mildly smart book writer/director can fix that, and we have Tina Fey writing material unless I'm very much mistaken. If the actress playing Cady is black, for instance, the response would simply go from "why are you white if you're from Africa" to "oh duh! I should have known" to make it just as painfully stupid and ignorant. I can go on, but you get my drift.
 

As for your Plastics comment - how about Jasmine Cephas Jones as Regina?

 

"

That's fair to say, but somehow..someway, I think any change to that line would lose any and all comic punch it has. Maybe It's just me but DAMN that line is just hilarious, and I think it's a line that hardcore fans, and I'm one of them, will expect to hear in this. I'm not saying I personally (hilarious as hell though it is) expect it per se, but as I'm not an outside layperson to the theatre world, I know changes will be made.  It's nature of adapting material to stage or screen. It's the fans that are the laymen that will expect probably every quotable line to be in this script.

[RW3]

Wouldn't this potentially conflict with Casey bringing Dreamgirls to Broadway next season?