"Mean Girls" - By Tina Fey - Hanover Theatre (Worcester, MA.) - REVIEW

(Cover Photo: Nadina Hassan as "Regina George" in the musical "MEAN GIRLS" at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through October 16, 2022. Photo by Jenny Anderson)

By Kevin T. Baldwin

METRMAG Reviewer

# 774-242-6724 

"Stop trying to make 'fetch' happen. It's not going to happen!" 

The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts

Presents the Broadway Musical

"MEAN GIRLS"

Book By Tina Fey

Music By Jeff Richmond 

Lyrics By Nell Benjamin

Director And Choreographer Casey Nicholaw 

Cast includes: English Bernhardt - Cady Heron; Nadina Hassan - Regina George; Jasmine Rogers - Gretchen Wieners; Morgan Ashley Bryant - Karen Smith; Lindsay Heather Pearce - Janis Sarkisian; Eric Huffman - Damian Hubbard; April Josephine - Mrs.Heron/Ms.Norbury/Mrs.George; Adante Carter - Aaron Samuels; Kabir Bery - Kevin G; Lawrence E. Street - Mr. Duvall; Adriana Scalice - Standby for Cady Heron, Regina George, and Janis Sarkisian; Asia Marie Kreitz – Ensemble; Brittany Conigatti – Swing, Assistant Dance Captain; Dan Horn – Ensemble; Deshawn Bowens – Ensemble; Erica Simone Barnett – Ensemble; Grace Romanello - U/S for Gretchen/Karen, Swing, Fight Captain, Assistant Dance Captain; Iain Young – Ensemble; Jamary Gil – Swing; Kaitlyn Louise Smith – Ensemble; Lily Kaufmann – Swing; Aaron Alcaraz – Swing; Mary Beth Donahoe – Ensemble; Maya Imani – Ensemble; Niani Feelings - Swing, Dance Captain; Noah Blessing – Ensemble; Olivia Renteria – Ensemble; Samuel Gerber – Swing; Sky Flaherty – Ensemble; Susie Carroll – Swing; Sydney Mei Ruf-Wong – Ensemble; Tovi Wayne – Swing; Wesley J. Barnes - Ensemble; Morgan Harrison - Ensemble;

Additional Creative Team:   

Scott Pask - Scenic Design; Gregg Barnes - Costume Design; Kenneth Posner - Lighting Design; Brian Ronan - Sound Design; Finn Ross & Adam Young - Video Design; Josh Marquette - Hair Design; Milagros Medina-Cerdeira - Makeup Design; Mary-Mitchell Campbell - Music Supervisor; Benedict Braxton-Smith - Music Director; John Clancy – Orchestrations; Glen Kelly - Dance And Incidental Music Arrangements; Howard Joines - Music Coordinator; The Telsey Office – Casting; Casey Hushion - Associate Director; John Macinnis - Associate Choreographer; Michelle Dunn - Production Stage Manager; Emma Ramsay-Saxon - Stage Manager; John Carpentier & Rachael Wilkin - Assistant Stage Managers; The Booking Group - Tour Booking Agency; Allied Global Marketing - Tour Marketing & Press; Thompson Turner Productions - General Manager; Micah Frank & Caroline Maroney - Associate Producers; Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman & Paramount Pictures – Producers; Holly Coombs- Production Stage Manager - Broadway (NOTE: Information obtained from tour website subject to change)  

Performances:

Notice: October 11th Performance Cancelled

October 12 & 13, 2022 at 7:30pm
October 14, 2022 at 8:00 pm
October 15, 2022 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
October 16, 2022 at 1:00pm and 6:30pm 

Presented at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. 

For More Information:  

877-571-SHOW (7469) 

info@thehanovertheatre.org

“MEAN GIRLS” has arrived with a "Roar" and dressed all in PINK, bringing its "Revenge Party" to the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. now through October 16.

“MEAN GIRLS” is a musical adaptation of the 2004 motion picture and comes from the award-winning creative team of director Casey Nicholaw (“Aladdin” and “The Book of Mormon”), composer Jeff Richmond (“30 Rock” and the “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”) and, of course, book writer Tina Fey (who also wrote the original 2004 screenplay for the film and won the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical).

On Broadway, the above proved to be a perfect combination with the musical scoring an impressive 12 Tony Award nominations. This latest tour brings that same "Fearless" drive in electrifying fashion with great songs, terrific leads, a tight ensemble and stunning visual effects.

Yes, “MEAN GIRLS” is totally "fetch."

(Photo: Lindsay Heather Pearce and the CAST of "MEAN GIRLS" in the musical "MEAN GIRLS" at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through October 16, 2022. Photo by Jenny Anderson) 

As the musical begins, students Janis Sarkisian (Lindsay Heather Pearce) and Damian Hubbard (played at the 10-12 performance by Deshawn Bowens) welcome (both the audience and) new student Cady Heron (English Bernhardt) via the “MEAN GIRLS” openers “Cautionary Tale” and "Where Do You Belong?" as they point out the various "clicks" at North Shore High School in Chicago.

The clicks include the usual high school stereotypes from the nerds to the jocks to every possible recognizable faction in between - all those young people who are just trying to survive navigating their journey through the jungle that is high school. 

Cady is somewhat familiar with the above concept as, up until this moment, she has spent all of her life sequestered from other teens, living with her parents in Africa and learning about the native creatures with which she has grown up. 

English Bernhardt delivers a flawless performance as the conflicted Cady, who begins her journey as a fish out of water and rises to become a lioness out of Africa and a force to be reckoned with.   

Yet first she must survive the native creatures in the deepest darkest jungle of all - North Shore High School. However, at least she has met Janice and Damian, counting them instantly as her new friends. 

But just how trustworthy are her new companions? 

Pearce is a strong stage presence - a true belter with many outstanding moments on stage, including the second act tune, "I'd Rather Be Me." Janice has ulterior motives with regards to newbie Cady which soon become clear but she also has a genuine fondness for Cady, as well.

Bowens was a riot as Damian who proves to be a truer friend to Cady than Janis and serves as the overall moral compass of the musical. Bowens also adeptly dances his way into the audience's collective heart with the numbers, "Where Do You Belong?" and "Stop." 

The staging and choreographed moments in the show flow magnificently from beginning to end thanks to the incomparable work of Tony Award winner Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw ("Book of Mormon"). 

It cannot be emphasized enough that this latest tour would be nothing without the unified presence of its tight-nit ensemble who execute the staging and choreography to perfection.

(Photo: Nadina Hassan as "Regina George" in the musical "MEAN GIRLS" at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through October 16, 2022. Photo by Jenny Anderson)

Janis convinces naïve Cady to become a “friend” to the reigning school queens, “The Plastics,” a trio of lionized frenemies (aka the “MEAN GIRLS”) led by the beautiful but Machiavellian Regina George (Nadina Hassan) to complete Janis's own sinister plan to bring them all down.

Completing the trio of high maintenance "Plastics" are Gretchen (Jasmine Rogers) and Karen (Morgan Ashley Bryant) who each have a variant of the same disturbing level of dependency for Regina's constant approval. 

The stage musical adaptation focuses much attention on "The Plastics" and, once the "unstable element" of Cady has been introduced into their collective, all three veteran "Plastics" go through an onslaught of changes - with one falling harder than others - but with all three emerging forever changed from the experience.

Hassan, Rogers and Bryant all delivering outstanding performances.

There are many memorable tunes thanks to the score by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin - from the aforementioned opener, “Revenge Party,” "World Burn," and "Apex Predator" just to name a few. 

"Fearless," arriving at the end of Act One, completes the downfall of one Apex Predator and the rise of another...Cady.

Throughout most of Act Two, there is a kind of an overall "Prom" vibe coming from "MEAN GIRLS" with some of the multiple sub plots so glossed over that a few remaining loose ends are wrapped up so quickly you might actually miss a few. 

Yet none of that diminishes from the overall enjoyment of "MEAN GIRLS" that, thanks to the cast and ensemble, pouncing into the Hanover with a "Roar" and has many in the audience leaving with a contented purr saying, "I See Stars."

Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.

Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)  

@MetrmagReviews 

@Theatre_Critics

(Photo: CAST of the musical "MEAN GIRLS" playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through October 16, 2022. Photo by Jenny Anderson)

ABOUT THE SHOW

IT’S NOT A REGULAR MUSICAL. IT’S A COOL MUSICAL.

Vogue cheers, “MEAN GIRLS is HILARIOUS! The cast is sensational – expert comedians with fierce voices and acting chops to match.”

MEAN GIRLS is a ferociously funny new musical from an award-winning creative team, including director Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin, The Book of Mormon), composer Jeff Richmond (“30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” Bossypants). 

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. 

How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? 

By taking on The Plastics, 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.

Produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures, 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.

Contains adult language and situations.

Audio Description services available at the Sunday matinee performance, 1 pm

ASL available at the Sunday evening performance, 6:30 pm (If you are using ASL services, please let the ticket office know when you are ready to purchase tickets, so we can place you in seats in front of the ASL interpreter.)

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

Most recent Hanover Theatre safety protocol details may be found here: 

https://thehanovertheatre.org/plan-your-visit/safety-protocols/

Worcester Center for Performing Arts is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allow