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MEAN GIRLS

McCoy on Movies: Mean Girls

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“Lindsey Lohan? Never heard of her …” Regina George (Reneé Rapp, center) holds court in the lunchroom with Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) and Karen Shetty (Avantika) in a scene from Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez, Jr.’s production of MEAN GIRLS. Credit: Jojo Whilden © 2023 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

 

 
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Angourie Rice, Jenna Fischer, Reneé Rapp, Auli’I Cravalho, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Jaquel Spivey, Christopher Briney with Busy Phillips, Tim Meadows and Tina Fey

DIRECTOR: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.
THE BACK STORY: Based on the hit musical – which itself is based on the original hit 2004 theatrical film – Mean Girls stars Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, a young girl who has been homeschooled by her mother (Jenna Fischer) while living in Kenya. Ms. Heron, however, has taken a job back in the United States, meaning Cady is about to get her first taste of what life is like in an American high school.

And that’s where she encounters a cast of characters that are going to change her life.

After meeting her new homeroom teacher Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey), Cady is observed by Janis (Auli’I Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), two social outcasts who quickly see she needs a rundown of the law of the land. That means letting her know about the Plastics, a.k.a. queen of the school Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her two faithful underlings, the clueless Karen Shetty (Avantika) and the smart-yet-still-fearful-of-her Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood). None of this would be a problem for Cady if Regina hadn’t also taken an interest in her … And Cady took an interest in Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), a.k.a. her ex. 

So … What happens when you mix teenagers, insecurity, hormones and life lessons all to the beat of a diverse musical soundtrack? A film that is sure to turn plenty of potentially mean older fans into pleasantly surprised moviegoers …

THE REVIEW: The musical version of a beloved stage production … Sometimes, it can turn out great (like Les Misérables) …Other times, you get Cats. But creating a movie musical based on a stage musical that was originally a film that came out just 20 years – YUP, 2004 was two decades ago now – ago? Now that could be a daunting task for any directing duo … But for one that is primarily known for shorts and music videos like Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.? It has “make or break” written all over it.

Fortunately for Jayne and Perez, Jr. – and fans of the original film – Mean Girls 2024 makes for an entertaining film fans old and new will enjoy.

 
Here’s what works well about the musical film adaptation of Mean Girls: The story is told efficiently through a clever mix of traditional dialogue and song, the latter diving deeper into their respective characters’ psyches, motivations, fears and insecurities in a way the original did not. In addition, the dance sequences enhance each moment or scene in similar fashion, serving as a complement rather than a distraction. 

None of this would matter, however, without the performances of the relatively unknown cast. Whereas Rice channels Cady with the same innocence Lindsey Lohan did in the original, Rapp owns pretty much every scene she’s in – while yet being more relatable arguably than Rachel McAdams was in the role in 2004. Wood likewise gives Gretchen considerable spunk and Avantika plays her role with such a wide-eyed aloofness it honors the work her predecessor Amanda Seyfried did and then some. 

Cravalho and newcomer Spivey, however, may have the best star turns of the entire affair, each bringing a dynamic (and needed) entertainment aspect to the film. Fey, Tim Meadows (reprising his role as the beleaguered Mr. Duvall) and the other adults are wise to mostly stay out of the way, letting the young people – even though it’s hard to buy in to most of the cast outside of Rice, Cravalho and Avantika being in their teens –  shine. Of course, Jayne and Perez, Jr. deserve kudos for their interpolation of TikTok and the modern world into the mix to deliver the best package possible – then again, having Fey on board for this go round likely helps.

Whether you prefer the 2024 version of Mean Girls likely comes down to how much you love the original versus you love musicals. The new one has all the exploration of the insanity that is high school, the humor and utlimately the empowerment that made the original so beloved by so many, plus a few new wrinkles thrown in for good measure. Thus, both are fine, both are entertaining …

And don’t worry, both are worthy of fetch-ing your attention.

 
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

‘Mean Girls’ means Fun and ‘Fetch!’

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How can we ever forget our awkward days in hight school, especially when ‘Mean Girls’ nails those inner-demons so well. Tina Fey’s musical has a little bit of everything you want in a show, and some things you didn’t know you needed. It’s all here….just as it was in your high school cafeteria: Two faced friends, un-warranted anxieties over the stupidest things, lost loves, new-found hate, uncomfortable silence, unbearable noise….you get the picture! The difference in the musical and our everyday high school is the amount of talent in this cast…..REMARKABLE!

We have all been to a show where there are one or two characters we depend on to belt the songs, score the dance moves and bring up the energy. This cast doesn’t miss a beat! All of this talent, working in harmony, to remind us. that somewhere, somehow, we all belong! When the show begins, so do the laughs…Damian Hubbard (played with pure zeal by Eric Huffman lets the audience settle into the hysteria that. is soon to incur. His wry ‘Where Do You Belong?’ brings the entire audience back to those days of angst from 9th-12th grade! And it is from there we encounter songs like ‘Sexy‘ (Which brought back nightmares to this formal teacher at Halloween Time), to the first act anthem ‘Fearless‘ which keeps us all rooting for Cady Heron  (played with that great blend of vulnerable and voracious by English Bernhardt).

I am not one to want more musicals based on movies. It causes a certain expectation that raises the bar fairly high…but it’s the writing in this show that allows the musical to navigate, seamlessly, through the story we all know. ‘Mean Girls’ are the ones we hate but want to be….and in being a ‘Mean Girl’ you somehow seem you have made the big time. You remember it. You recognize those people on the stage….muscle-heads, nerds, geeks, pot-heads…..and you can’t help but wonder where they are today!

Outside of the music and mayhem there is a stage that fascinates with its high tech scene changes, which launch us from African Savannah to High School Cafeteria, Math Class to bright pink bedrooms. The variety of settings alone is engaging and exciting to see. The use of props throughout the show leans to genius…(of note, the cafeteria trays…ummm, YES!)…and those rolling cafeteria tables we all got accustomed to as kids are a mainstay of the ‘fast-paced’ frenzy that is ‘Mean Girls.’

It’s not all fun and games, for sure. ‘What’s Wrong with Me’ (performed by Jasmine Rogers with heart and grit) struck a chord and took me back to those days of wanting to just fit in. And there it is….at its core. Wanting to fit in! ‘Mean Girls‘ keeps us laughing all the way, as Fey’s 2004 film did. Little do we realize that as we are laughing, we are learning the most valuable of lessons…..JUST BE YOU!

There were a few moments in the show when I thought the music was a little loud….(ok, I’ve been out of high school for 40 years)…but it, too, reminded me that I long for that feeling of innocence and finding my place. ‘Mean Girls‘ makes no apologies for its direct hit on social status, and that’s important. There’s a lot of people pulling us all in different directions, even for us adults…..but as the song reminds us ‘I’d Rather be Me!‘

‘Mean Girls’

Where?  The Schuster Center

When? May 31 – June 5

How? Tickets are available at https://www.daytonlive.org/events/mean-girls/

DAYTON LIVE Announces 2021-2022 Season

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Dayton Live announced the 2021-2022 lineup for Premier Health Broadway in Dayton, Projects Unlimited Star Attractions, Universal 1 Credit Union Music Series, Dayton Children’s Family Series and the National Geographic Live Series, sponsored by Subaru of America and Wagner Subaru.

“For months and months, we’ve waited and waited to be able to say when Broadway will be back in Dayton,”  stated Ty Sutton, Dayton Live President & CEO. “We’re thrilled to be announcing not only the Premier Health Broadway in Dayton lineup, but also as many additional performances and series as we possibly can. We can’t wait to have our venues brimming with people and shows and excitement.”

The Premier Health Broadway in Dayton Series features the hottest touring Broadway shows going back out on the road, including some titles previously announced. “But of course, having two weeks of HAMILTON in January is going to be huge – with DEAR EVAN HANSEN right after that! You’ll definitely want to be in ‘The Room Where It Happens’ by being a Season Ticket Holder.”

 

2021-2022 PREMIER HEALTH BROADWAY IN DAYTON 

at the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center

 

HAMILTON

January 26-February 6, 2022

This “theatrical landmark has transformed theater and the way we think about history” (The New York Times). HAMILTONis the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway,HAMILTON has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre – a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

March 8-13, 2022

Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is “a cultural phenomenon” (LA Times). A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. DEAR EVAN HANSEN has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere, including The Washington Post who says DEAR EVAN HANSENis “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history.” The New York Times calls it “a gorgeous musical for anyone with a beating heart.” And NBC Nightly News declares the musical “an anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.” DEAR EVAN HANSEN features a book by Tony Award® winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy®, Tony®, Olivier® and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal).

 

COME FROM AWAY

April 6-10, 2022

Broadway’s COME FROM AWAY is a Best Musical winner all across North America!  This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Don’t miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony® nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by Tony®-winning Best Director Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers, “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!” On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.

 

MEAN GIRLS

May 31-June 5, 2022

Direct from Broadway, MEAN GIRLS is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. New York Magazine cheers, “MEAN GIRLS delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!”

 

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

June 21-26, 2022

Audiences across North America are toasting a new production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF!  Rich with musical hits you know and love, including “Tradition,” “Sunrise, Sunset;’ “If I Were A Rich Man;’ “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life (L’Chaim!),” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and life, love and laughter. Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony® winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Featuring a talented cast, lavish orchestra and stunning movement and dance from Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins,FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to the uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

 

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

August 2-7, 2022

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is an iconic musical phenomenon with a world-wide fan base. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, a new mesmerizing production comes to North America. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and helmed by the acclaimed director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom), this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades. Appealing to both theater audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring. Featuring award-winning music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and “Superstar.”

 

Season Ticket Holders from the 20-21 Premier Health Broadway in Dayton Series will have their subscription tickets rolled into the new 21-22 Season. They will receive a statement of account from the Dayton Live Ticket Office which will confirm their seat locations and any amounts due. Contact the Ticket Office with any questions at 937-228-3630 or email [email protected].

 

Season Tickets are the best way to guarantee seats to these Broadway hits. Call 937-228-3630 or go to daytonlive.org/broadway for more information. Season Ticket Holders get many perks, including advance opportunities to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Season Tickets are the way to go to get the best seats at the best price. Popular demand can make ticket prices go up as the performance date approaches. With titles like HAMILTON and DEAR EVAN HANSEN, Season Tickets will be the best way to guarantee seats.

Single tickets will go on sale late in the summer or early in the fall for most shows. Patrons should sign up to receive Dayton Live’s emails and follow Dayton Live on social media to be sure to hear the latest on-sale information.

 

Additional performances and series being announced in chronological order:

 

STOMP

October 15-17, 2021 – Victoria Theatre – Projects Unlimited Star Attractions

 

CATS

November 23-28, 2021 – Schuster Center – Premier Health Broadway in Dayton  (not on season package)

 

GRIMMZ FAIRY TALES

November 6 & 7, 2021 – Victoria Theatre – Dayton Children’s Family Series

 

THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW! A PUPPET PARODY
November 9, 2021 – Victoria Theatre – Projects Unlimited Star Attractions

 

DAVID SEDARIS LIVE

December 1, 2021 – Victoria Theatre

 

THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER

December 3, 2021 – Victoria Theatre – Dayton Children’s Family Series

 

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

December 22, 2021 – Schuster Center

 

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: LED ZEPPELIN II

January 7, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

Universal One Credit Union Music Series

 

RONAN DONOVAN: SOCIAL BY NATURE

January 9-10, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

National Geographic Live Series

Sponsored by Subaru of America & Wagner Subaru

 

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – CHRONICLES

February 4, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

Universal One Credit Union Music Series

 

KARA COONEY: WHEN WOMEN RULED THE WORLD

February 20-21, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

National Geographic Live Series

Sponsored by Subaru of America & Wagner Subaru

 

THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE

March 6, 2022 – Schuster Center

 

DRUM  TAO

March 10, 2022 – Victoria Theatre – Projects Unlimited Star Attractions

 

ANDY MANN: FROM SUMMIT TO SEA

March 14-15, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

National Geographic Live Series

Sponsored by Subaru of America & Wagner Subaru

 

THE PEKING ACROBATS

March 16, 2022 – Victoria Theatre – Dayton Children’s Family Series

 

ALTON BROWN LIVE

March 23, 2022 – Schuster Center – Projects Unlimited Star Attractions

 

 

RED HOT CHILI PIPERS

April 21, 2022 – Victoria Theatre – Universal 1 Credit Union Music Series

 

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: AC/DC – BACK IN BLACK

April 30, 2022 – Victoria Theatre

Universal One Credit Union Music Series

 

On sale Dates will be announced at a later time. Go to DaytonLive.org for  more information.

All performances, dates & times are subject to change.