Review: MEAN GIRLS at Pantages Theatre

When "Mean Girls" launched in movie theaters in 2004, it was an instant hit, grossing $86 million ($135 million today), spawning GIFs and memes that still circulate on social media today and making stars out of many of the actors. Based on the 2002 nonfiction book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman, the story of Cady (English Bernhardt), a girl home-schooled in Africa who is relocated to suburban Chicago where she has to learn to navigate the wilds of high school, resonated with people of all ages. And while it's incredibly difficult to make a film-to-stage transition (see MOULIN ROUGE!, PRETTY WOMAN, TOOTSIE, etc.), MEAN GIRLS made a fairly seamless segue to the stage, landing twelve Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and nine Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding Musical, when it launched on Broadway in 2017. A film version of the musical is even headed to Paramount+.

Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Casey Nicholaw, the musical is colorful and energetic and snarky and heartfelt all at once. He gets fantastic performances from his actors and the flow from rocking to reflective in the musical sequences is smoothly done. His choreography is jaw dropping at times, especially when employing the ensemble. The music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond and lyrics by two-time Tony nominee Nell Benjamin is varied to gorgeous effect, giving depth and insight to each of the major ensemble characters.

The animal costumes by Gregg Barnes (when Cady is still in Africa) are beautiful and creative, though. You kind of want her stay on the veldt just to see more of them. The LED video design by Finn Ross and Adam Young is stunning, the backdrops pristine and super sharp. They practically steal the show. Bernhardt brings a sunny naivete to Cady and more depth to the role than Lindsay Lohan, who originated it in the film, did. In a role that could easily be a stereotype, Pearce breathes an effortless snideness into her sarcasm as Janis, making her fresh and relatable, never slipping into the easier note of spiteful cynicism. Morgan Ashley Bryant as bubbleheaded Karen is a breakout; another role that could be one-dimensional, simply The Dumb Girl, is made fresh and smart and always surprising. Jasmine Rogers as wealthy, insecure Gretchen is talented but she channels Lacey Chabert, who played the role in the film, instead of putting her own spin on the character, which is a misstep. Huffman is given more chance to shine than Damian gets in the film and he nails every moment. The entire ensemble radiates joy in all of their musical performances, whether as a group or in their own moments in the spotlight.

The book, updated for contemporary times, however, is fun but not as funny as the film. Somehow the sharp satire has been softened and replaced with sentiment. That's not necessarily bad, but the joy of the film "Mean Girls" was in its bite. The stage show also oddly adds a framing device with outsiders Janis (Lindsay Heather Pearce) and Damien (Eric Huffman) relating Cady's story as a cautionary tale. The show also retains aspects of the film that didn't work in the first place, such as Cady seeing the kids act like animals on the savanna, driving home the obvious point that high school is full of predators and prey. It's just embarrassing for the actors. The "Jingle Bell Rock" sequence when Cady and her shallow new friends perform before the school is given short shrift considering it's become iconic and the song has oddly been changed to some generic facsimile of the Christmas classic.

Despite the deficiencies in the script, MEAN GIRLS still skyrockets in ways most large-scale musicals don't these days. The young talent on the stage is astonishing and you'll leave the show wanting to both download the original cast recording and stream the film.

MEAN GIRLS rocks the stage at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, through January 29. (It will be heading to the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa in March.) Tickets are available at BroadwayInHollywood.com and Ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 982-2787, or in person at the box office.

All photo credits: Jenny Anderson