Review: MEAN GIRLS Makes Strong World Premiere at DC's National Theatre

Tina Fey's 2004 movie Mean Girls took me by surprise. Though partially based on Rosalind Wiseman's book Queen Bees and Wannabees, it could have been just another comedy for teenagers, but it wasn't. The same can be said for her musical adaptation, playing DC's historic National Theatre before a move to Broadway in 2018. It's as smart, witty, and entertaining as the source material.

Fans of the movie won't find any surprises in Tina Fey's writing for the stage, but that's certainly okay. She follows the lead of her own movie pretty closely though there are some updates. Social media, for instance, plays a substantial role. All of the catch phrases are still there (who can forget "so fetch"?), and the poignant story of surviving high school cliques is further enhanced by Jeff Richmond (Music) and Nell Benjamin's (Lyrics) score. Richmond, a relative theatrical newbie, delivers a cohesive set of well-suited, catchy contemporary compositions. You won't find any radio friendly generic pop here. It's pure musical theater and that's a good thing in this day and age. John Clancy's orchestrations, well performed by a fourteen-piece orchestra under Mary-Mitchell Campbell's direction, give the compositions an even more theatrical edge. Likewise, Benjamin's lyrics are just as a witty as the dialogue - and you can hear them perfectly thanks to Brian Ronan's excellent sound design.

Though Fey and Richmond, in particular, may be new to the whole Broadway thing, Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw certainly isn't. He assembled a uniformly excellent cast of triple threats that brought energy and then some on opening night. While the production concept is over reliant on video elements (Finn Ross & Adam Young) - much like many a Broadway musical these days - and fully realized set pieces are few and far between (Scott Pask did the scenic design), it doesn't matter all that much. Why? The exuberant and committed cast makes sure you, the audience member, become fully immersed in the world of North Shore High School - a place that might seem really familiar if you went to school in a cushy suburb.

And that's an important thing. We all know or knew someone like Cady Heron (a likeable Erika Henningsen) - a new girl who just wants to fit in and then gets wrapped up in a mess, losing herself in the process. We also all probably know or knew people like Janis Sarkisian (the powerful beltress Barrett Wilbert Weed) and her sidekick Damian Hubbard (Grey Henson, a master at comedy) - two loners that don't fit in any cliques, but find the connection that every human needs in each other. Then there are the Plastics, led by the "Apex Predator" Regina (a perfectly cast Taylor Louderman) who provides "guidance" as only she can to her followers Gretchen Wieners (a perfectly vulnerable Ashley Park) and Karen Smith (a hilarious Kate Rockwell). There's the adorable football player Aaron Samuels (Kyle Selig), the awkward mathlete (Kevin Gnapoor, played by Cheech Manohar), and the caring teacher (Ms. Norbury, played by Kerry Butler) too. Archetypal characters, sure; however, they are fully fleshed out here thanks not only to Ms. Fey's skillful writing, but the cast's polished performances.

The world of high school cliques is not unlike the wild as Cady learns when she moves from Kenya - where he parents are biologists - to the suburbs of Chicago. Even though she's aware of how animals behave and interact with one another in the wild, nothing really prepares her for the real zoo that is an American high school. As she learns important lessons as she navigates her tumultuous junior year, so do we.

As much as the musical is highly relevant, well-structured, and fun, there are still some areas for potential improvement before the move to the Great White Way. While the peppy score is definite ear candy, and includes such memorable numbers as "Stupid With Love," "Revenge Party," the Act One closer "Justice," and my personal favorite, "Watch This World Burn," there are some missteps. There is some repetitiveness. I am also not quite sure "Whose House Is This?" moves the story along or provides greater emotional insight into the characters, but the rapping section and accompanying choreography is pretty fun. The same can be said for "Sexy." Although Kate Rockwell certainly sells the number to the fullest, it's unclear whether that moment in the show really needs to be musicalized. Likewise, Tina Fey's book could use some trimming here and there. These are all small issues though. The musical is in really, really great shape.

I hope this one has great success on Broadway. It has the potential to be an audience favorite.

Running Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one intermission

MEAN GIRLS plays the National Theatre - located at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington, DC - through December 3, 2017. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 1-800-514-3849, or by visiting the box office.

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