Musical Mondays: Mean Girls

I love Tina Fey. I think she is a brilliant comedian, I think she is an incredibly funny writer (30 Rock is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I think she is just a phenomenally talented human being. I also really enjoyed Mean Girls the movie, which is almost unfathomably quotable and fun even nearly 15 years after it came out. That being said, I wasn’t dying to see Mean Girls on Broadway because I felt to some extent the story had been done and I was nervous that I would hold it up to the movie. Even when I heard Tina Fey was writing the book I didn’t know if I’d see the musical. That changed when I decided I would stop for the in-person lottery a couple of Saturdays ago on the way home to my apartment and won front row tickets.

First off, Tina Fey is still phenomenally funny. Her dialogue is funny, biting, and real. She captures high school insults that feel as true today as they did when the movie came out. They’re somehow both caustic and endearing. The characters come to life from the book, and I found myself laughing in the very same manner as the movie but not just because the jokes were recycled. Tina Fey is still phenomenally talented, and this is a fun musical.

Also, Ashley Park, who plays Gretchen, is amazing. I first saw her in Sunday in the Park with George, and she was amazing in that. I did not see her in The King and I, but guess what? She was apparently great at that. Ms. Park is only 27 and has incredible range—she can sing, she can dance, and she is damn funny. I can’t wait to see where her career goes.

Being in the front row was pretty cool—I will admit this is the first time I’ve been that close to the stage and there was a lot of energy that came off the stage. I was also laughing before the show as insults from the infamous “Burn Book” were put along the curved video wall that acted as the back drop.

As much as I liked the use of the video board there, it felt like a bit of a cop out for some scenes. Rather than establish larger scenes, they would just have video projection or computer animation change from scene to scene. Sometimes it was funny and added to the plot, but other times it just felt like a cop out. As the gym background? Meh. As burning fire when Regina George (played with the best type of sass and power by Taylor Louderman), the video screens were perfect.

The music also was fun, but nothing to necessarily write home about. Ms. Park absolutely crushes a song called What’s Wrong with Me?, which is funny in its painful relatability. There are also some fun messages throughout about accepting yourself and young female empowerment, and these radiate through some songs. There is also a rap number that just doesn’t fit nearly as well as the other songs.