Review: MEAN GIRLS at Wisteria Theater

Mean Girls is an extraordinarily charming teen comedy musical romp, playing at the award-winning Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood through August 16th. If you have not made a pilgrimage there yet, I encourage you to discover this gem of a theater.  Wisteria Theater feels like a hidden treat, tucked away in a stylish industrial strip mall near the Burbank airport.

I am consistently delighted by the ingenuity, heart and enchanting charm of Wisteria Theater’s productions.  During intermission, I overheard several audience members noting that they preferred Wisteria Theater’s production of Mean Girls to more elaborate productions of the show they had seen on Broadway or touring Broadway shows.  Even in Los Angeles, in the midst of a spectacular live theater renaissance, there are few theaters in town doing musicals with this much deep excellence and sheer joy.

Mean Girls has inspired casting choices, a winning ensemble whose exuberance and energy are simply irresistible. Wisteria Theater’s production brings fresh charm to the characters of the beloved, iconic 2004 high school film written by comedy legend Tina Fey.

Lexi Collins brings genuine heart, sweetness and warmth to the lead role of Cady, a homeschooled girl from Kenya who now has to navigate the wilds of American high school.

Renee Wylder plays her nemesis, packleader mean girl Regina George, as a sublimely sexy villainess. Wilder leads with a kind of James Bond cool and sultry playfulness, with a dominatrix-y, foxy edge that commands the stage.  Her number “World Burn” stands out as a show-stopper in a whole night of great musical numbers.  What a sheer delight of a performance.

Arianna Nelson shines as Karen, the most spacey and dim-witted of the mean girl clique, with such pitch-perfect comic timing and genuinely sweet quirk that she is simply mesmerizing.

Omari Miller as Cady’s best friend Damian steals the show with his exuberant playfulness, infectious sense of fun, and bring-down-the-house dancing.

Raaghav Thatte is perfectly cast as mathlete cool nerd extraordinarie Kevin G, in a hilarious, laugh-out-loud, charismatic turn.

Lia Peros is an unfortunate misfire as calculus teacher Ms. Norbury, missing much of the comic timing, dry wit and rich personality of the Tina Fey cameo role.

Visuals in this show are sometimes underdeveloped, with notably unremarkable projections and some bland staging choices by scenic designer Sydni Sawyer and screen designer Tyler Angier.  Some costumes could use more imagination, visual flair and specificity, though some are delightfully captivating.

There is vivid, dynamic, eye-catching, infectiously fun choreography by Madison Mi Hwa Oliver, who is a true master of the musical theater form.  Meghan Ripchik's direction is lively and inspired.

Mean Girls is simply irresistible. You do not want to miss this one.

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