***** “School days, school days, dear old golden rule days”! Yes, these are the words to a song that most of us are familiar with from our youth. When I think back to my school days, when, I was the “new kid” ( we moved a lot), some of my memories are not as happy as they could have been. I am pretty sure that this was in the back of Tina Fey’s mind when she penned her film “Mean Girls” and later converted it into a musical with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. “Mean Girls” came through Chicago on its national tour and while I liked it, the new production on the stage at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora is absolutely amazing!
Growing up, I believe that my parents wanted me to have more popularity than they had during their high school years. They wanted me to be active, have lots of friends, and be “popular”. I am sure that I wanted the same for my children and they for theirs. If you think about your high school days, there were the nerds, the thespians, the athletes and what one must call the “Mean Girls” ( I am sure there were male counterparts, but in my day, it was truly a feminine thing. This play takes us into that world.
The story takes place in a high school called North Shore and our main character, Cady Heron (a powerful Elizabeth Stenholt) who has been living in Africa and being homeschooled, by her mother ( Veronica Garza ) is going to see a whole new world and have to learn how to be a friend. The play starts with two characters who are also students that serve as storytellers as well as important characters. They are Janis ( deftly handled by Lucy Godinez) and Damian ( played to perfection by Steven Klenk). They are kind of “outsiders” as they are Gay and do not fit in with the other students.
Cady is warned about the trio of Mean Girls, so she will not get trampled by their nastiness. These girls are Regina (deftly handled by Dariana Mullen),Gretchen (Angel Alzeidan) and Karen ( the comicalJulia Hope Budd). They reach out to the new girl and take her under their wing, or so it seems. Cady meets Aaron (Diego Vazquez Gomez) and they sort of like each other. Aaron used to be Regina’s boyfriend, and despite her being the one that broke it off, she doesn’t want the “nebie” to have him, so she goes back after him, causing a rift.
Now comes the” don’t get mad, get even!” part of the show and how tables can turn for all involved. Who wins the war of the women? Does love win out at the end? I won’t give it all away, but will tell you that this cast of players is strong and the amazing direction byDevon Hayakawa and choreography by Kasey Alfonso on a magnificent set designed by Milo Blue will blow your mind.
Let’s hear it for the ensemble: Austin Nelson, Jr., Jacob Simon, Ben Matthew, Matty Bettencourt,Tola Abitogun, Jeremiah Alsop, Abby C. Smith, Anna Louise Bramlett, Nicole DiSandro, Ben Dow, Madison Jaffe-Richter, Joshua Messmore, Hannah Remian, Nataki Rennie, Morgan Schonecker, Amanda Walker, and Elaine Watson. Pay special attention to the three roles that Veronica Garza handles- both Cady and Regina’s mothers and a teacher. One of her role changes takes place onstage in a matter of seconds!
Is there a moral to this story? I would have to say that being mean is just not healthy, and being kind can never hurt one. I recall the people who became my friends when I moved to a new school ( in my senior year, no less) and how they welcomed me and made me feel at home. The memories I have from over 60 years ago are still in my mind, and the experiences that I had made me who I am today, a caring person who has empathy for those who have been through rough times. I have taught these values to my kids, and I know that my grandkids feel the same. We all have choices- it is just as easy to choose kindness over meanness!
The tech aspects of this production, as always, are sparkling. The costumes (Katryna Hilko), lighting (Greg Hofmann), sound (Adam Rosenthal), electronic music (Ethan Deppe), props ( Aimee Plant), and video/projections (Erin Pleake) are all terrific. The wigs and hair design by Katie Cordts and the intimacy and fight direction by Max Fabian are flawless. The musicians, led by Kory Danielson are spot on, and while I did not walk out of the theater humming any tunes from the show, I did walk out highly entertained and very energized by what Hayakawa and company put on the Paramount stage. If you have seen a production before, you want to catch this one to see how it really should be done!
“Mean Girls” will continue through October 11th with performances as follows:
Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.;
Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.;
Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.;
Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
The Paramount box office: 630-896-6666
Single tickets to Mean Girls are $34-$109 when purchased in-person.
Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.
The theater is located at 23 East Galena Blvd. in Downtown Aurora. Valet parking is available and there are garages and street parking is also plentiful.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Mean Girls:.
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