From the mind of Tina Fey, MEAN GIRLS is a ferociously funny musical about the wild dangers of high school. From an award-winning creative team, including book-writer Fey, director Casey Nicholaw, composer Jeff Richmond, lyricist Nell Benjamin, experience the iconic humor in a new, unimaginable way.
Cady Heron may have grown up in African, but nothing prepared her for the vicious predators of her high school hallways. By taking on Regina George, the queen bee of the terrifying clique known as The Plastics, Cady learns that being popular is not the same as being loved.
MEAN GIRLS gets to the hilarious heart of what it means to be a true friend, a worthy nemesis, and above all, a human being.
That this 'Mean Girls' takes place (still at an Illinois high school) 14 years later than the film has proved no obstacle to Ms. Fey. After all, social media only increases opportunities for social climbing and subversion. The disconnect that troubles this musical isn't a matter of adapting to changing times. Scott Pask's set, Gregg Barnes's costumes and Finn Ross and Adam Young's video designs render sociological exactitude with flat comic-strip brightness. No, the trouble lies in the less assured translation of Ms. Fey's sly take on adolescent social angst into crowd-pleasing song and dance. Mr. Richmond and Ms. Benjamin's many (many) musical numbers are passable by middle-of-the-road Broadway standards (though Ms. Benjamin's shoehorned rhymes do not bear close examination).
Direction by Casey Nicholaw ('Aladdin,' 'The Book of Mormon'), who's assembled an excellent cast, shines particularly bright. His staging packs style, invention and Red Bull-force energy that showcases the material to the max. Scenic design that makes smart use of video projections gives the show a seamless cinematic flow. Fey's book is faithful to the film and, naturally, preserves beloved lines - like 'fetch' and 'On Wednesday we wear pink.' But she's added fresh jokes and updates for the social media age as 16-year-old Cady (an appealing Erika Henningsen) goes from Africa (there's a sly nod to 'The Lion King') to a Chicago high school.
2017 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
National Theatre World Premiere Washington, DC (Regional) |
2018 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2021 | US Tour |
First National Tour US Tour |
2023 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
2024 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Tina Fey |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Tina Fey |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Gregg Barnes |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Grey Henson |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Ashley Park |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Kate Rockwell |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Nell Benjamin |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Mean Girls |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Finn Ross |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Josh Marquette |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography | Casey Nicholaw |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Ashley Park |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Taylor Louderman |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Taylor Louderman |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Erika Henningsen |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Tina Fey |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Casey Nicholaw |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Kerry Butler |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Ashley Park |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Mean Girls |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Finn Ross |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Tina Fey |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Casey Nicholaw |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Gregg Barnes |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Casey Nicholaw |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Mean Girls |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | John Clancy |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Nell Benjamin |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Grey Henson |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Ashley Park |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Taylor Louderman |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Scott Pask |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Brian Ronan |
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