The Playhouse Square touring production of ‘Mean Girls’ gets its message across

High School is tough...no doubt about it. Even with kids you grew up with and survived kindergarden, elementary school and middle school with. Then something changes as you face the four daunting years of college preparitory classes. Add to this a bad case of raging hormones, wanting to “fit in” with some kind of group and finding that your time is no longer your own can be a challenge.

Cady Heron (Natalie Shaw) has just moved from Kenya, Africa where she had been home schooled her entire life by her scientist parents. Now she finds herself thrust into the suburben nightmare known as High School (in this case (North Coast High School somewhere near Chicago,Illinois) where certain “rules of the jungle” still apply. This is the plot of Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls The Musical” with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Neil Benjamin.

Cady is befriended by Damian Hubbard ( Joshua Morrisey) and Janis Sarkisian (Alexys Modera) who are two misfits who have formed a clique of two. The three soon form a tight friendship. At lunch they point out the various cliques of the theater wierds, the jocks, the mathletes, AP kids (advance placement), video game kids, music kids, the goths and the plastics. At North Coast this last clique consists of wealthy but insecure Gretchen Wieners (Kristen Amanda Smith), sweet but dumb Karen Smith (Rosemary Brendel) and “Queen Bee” Regina George (Maya Petropoulos). At lunch, for some unfathonable reason the plastics ask Cady to sit with them. Damian and Janis urge her to say yes and to report back to them everything that is said.

While taking Calculous, Cady meets dreamy Aaron Samuels (Jośe Raúl) and falls in love. Cady is invited by Kevin G. (Shawn Mathews) to join the Mathletes who compete in various math contests. Gretchen tells Cady that joining the Mathletes is social suicide and talks her out of it. The plastics take Cady to the local mall too shop for shoes. Regina picks out a pair of red high heels knowing that Cady will have trouble mastering walking in them. Cady tells Gretchen about Aaron Gretchen who in turn tells her that Aaron was regina’s old boy friend. Back at Regina’s house they meet Regina’s “cool mom” where they dig out “The Burn Book” where they had put photos of classmates and wrote mean comments about them. Cady sees Janis’ photo in the book and Gretchen explains that her and Regina used to be best friends but after not being invited to Regina’s 13th birthday party Janis was put in “art therapy”.

At school, Aaron tells Cady about his relationship with Regina that has him swear off dating. Cady fakes math ignorance in order to get closer to the young man. Aaron invites Cady to his Halloween party and while the party is a dress up Sexy Party, Cady not knowing arrives in a scary costume. Regina finds out that Cady is interested in Aaron and steps in to seduce him in front of her.

Cady ends up at Damian’s house and tells him and Janis what happened. Damian says that the reason Regina and Janis parted was that in 6th grade Regina accused Janis of being a lesbian. She was then shunned by friends. The three plot revenge with Cady giving Regina weight gain bars telling her they are for losing weight. They also reveal that Regina is also seeing the boy who is the rival team’s mascot. At the talent show Regina has a costume malfunction showing how much weight she has gained. Regina comes to school the next day wearing sweat pants (because they are the only thing that still fits) and the group ban her from the lunch table.

This is a superb production with lots of energy and a solid moral lesson. Joshua Morrisey is superb as Damian Hubbard along with Alexys Morera as Janis Sarkisian. Natalie Shaw shines as Cady Heron. Other notables are Maya Petropoulos as Regina George, Kristen Amanda Smith as Gretchen Wieners and Maryrose Brendel as Karen Smith. The nine piece orchestra is fantastic as well. Scott Pask’s scenic design goes from “Lion King” motiff right to the halls of your typical high school. Gregg Barnes costumes are well thought out. The lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by Brian Ronan sparkle and shine.

This upbeat tale of the inner workings of high school cliques is a timeless tale that is set in the present because some things never change. Happily we are treated to a plausable happy ending that has everyone chearily leaving the theater.

The Playhouse Square touring production of “Mean Girls” will be on stage in the Keybank State theatre through November 3, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://www.playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000.