(Cover Photo: Maryrose Brendel as “Karen Smith,” Maya Petropoulos as “Regina George” and Kristen Amanda Smith as “Gretchen Wieners” in a scene from the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jenny Anderson)

By Kevin T. Baldwin

METRMAG Reviewer

# 774-242-6724

"This is a cautionary tale about corruption and betrayal and getting hit by a bus."

                                     - ("Janis and Damian") / Tina Fey, Nell Benjamin 

The Emerson Colonial Theatre

Presents the Broadway Musical

"MEAN GIRLS"

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT!

Book by Tina Fey

Music by Jeff Richmond

Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

Original Direction and Choreography Casey Nicholaw

Tour Director Casey Hushion

Music Supervisor Mary-Mitchell Campbell

Music Director Julius LaFlamme

Tour Choreographer John MacInnis

Cast Includes: Katie Yeomans as “Cady Heron,” Maya Petropoulos as “Regina George,” Kristen Amanda Smith as “Gretchen Wieners,” Maryrose Brendel as “Karen Smith,” Alexys Morera as “Janis Sarkisian,” Joshua Morrisey as “Damian Hubbard,” Kristen Seggio as “Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George,” Michael Mottram as "Mr. Heron/Coach Carr/Mathletes Moderator," José Raúl as “Aaron Samuels,” Kabir Gandhi as “Kevin G,” Tym Brown as “Mr. Duvall,” Megan Arseneau as “Swing, Dance Captain, Fight Captain,” Brandon Moreno as “Ensemble, Assistant Dance Captain.” Ensemble: Gino Bloomberg, Armani Brown, Paloma Dauria, Kayla Goins, Owen Kent Ing, Madeline Kendall, Giulia Marolda, Tay Marquise, Michael Mottram, Ariel Shani, Jocelyn Darci Trimmer. Swing: Connor Buonaccorsi, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Lucy Rhoades. (Information obtained from tour website and subject to change)

Additional Creative Team: 

Set Design - Scott Pask; Costume Design - Gregg Barnes; Lighting Design - Kenneth Posner; Sound Design - Brian Ronan; Hair Design - Josh Marquette; Make-up Design - Milagros Medina-Cerdeira; Dance and Incidental Musical Arrangements - Glen Kelly; Orchestrations - John Clancy; Vocal Arrangements - Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Jeff Richmond, Natalie Tenenbaum; Music Coordinator - John Mezzio; Production Stage Manager - Kathleen Carragee; Company Manager - Soldanela Rivera; Tour Marketing and Press - Allied Global Marketing; Online Marketing - Situation Interactive; Casting - The Telsey Office; Tour Booking - The Booking Group; Production Management - NETworks Presentations / Alex Williams; General Management - Gentry & Associates; Executive Producer - Mimi Intagliata. (Information obtained from tour website and subject to change)

Performances:

April 29, 2025 through May 4, 2025

(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)

EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE, 106 Boylston St, Boston, MA. 02116

TICKETS:

By phone # 888-616-0272 Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am - 8pm (EST); Saturday-Sunday: 10am - 8pm (EST) 

THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE Box Office is located at 106 Boylston Street, Boston, MA. 02116

THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE website is the official source for tickets:
http://www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com/  

BUY TICKETS

COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.

(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)

"MEAN GIRLS" has returned to Boston with a "Roar," dressed all in PINK, bringing its "Revenge Party" to the Emerson Colonial Theatre for a limited engagement! 

If you have seen the musical before, it might feel slightly different as numerous changes have been made to the show from previous tours. 

Some changes are for the better....some changes not so much...but yet leaving us with a still engaging musical that has a lot going for it. 

Much of what it has going for it is in this latest tour cast which gives the show its undeniable best effort, a few standout performances, and a fun musical that still remains a crowd pleaser, for sure. 

"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 "MEAN GIRLS" scoring an impressive 12 Tony Award nominations. 

While the show has been touring for a while, now, this latest tour still brings that same "Fearless" drive in electrifying fashion with great songs, terrific leads, a solid ensemble and many impressive visual effects. 

What seems to be lacking is in the area of actual production value, as if many of the effects previously used have been “scaled back” by producers, perhaps sensing this might be the final days of the show’s “tour life”… at least, for now. 

The "MEAN GIRLS" tour currently runs until June 1^st, 2025, hitting seven more states before heading north to Canada and then ultimately ending in Moncton, NB with a UK tour planned for 2026. 

In fact, it is widely speculated that the show will soon have rights released by Music Theatre International (MTI) to allow for regional and community theatre productions (There is already an MTI “High School Edition” of  "MEAN GIRLS" available for licensing). 

However, until that time when virtually every other theatre company in Massachusetts begins staging their own production of the sure-fire crowd-pleaser, this 2025 national tour of "MEAN GIRLS" at the Emerson Colonial Theatre still remains (dare I say it?) totally "fetch." 

(Photo: Joshua Morrisey as “Damian Hubbard” is flanked by Katie Yeomans as “Cady Heron” and Alexys Morera as “Janis Sarkisian” along with the CAST of the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel)

As the musical begins, students Janis Sarkisian (Alexys Morera) and Damian Hubbard (Joshua Morrisey) welcome (both the audience and) new student Cady Heron (Katie Yeomans) 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. 

Morera and Morrisey are quite enjoyable on-stage, appearing as both friends and manipulative conspirators and collaborators. 

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. 

Yeomans is absolutely captivating as Cady - and 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. 

At first Cady feels like a fish out of water but soon emerges as a lioness out of Africa and one that is 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. 

Fortunately for Cady, however, she at least has met Janice and Damian, counting them instantly as her new friends. 

And yet...just how trustworthy are her new companions? 

Morera gives a fine performance as the venomously acerbic Janice, illustrated by her second act tune, "I'd Rather Be Me." 

Janice’s ulterior motives with regard to newbie Cady soon become clear although, with that said, Janice also seems to have genuine fondness for Cady, as well. 

Morrisey impresses as Damian, who proves to be a truer friend to Cady than Janis and serves as the overall moral compass of the musical. 

Morrisey gives a commendable musical effort, as well, dancing his way into the audience's collective heart with the numbers, "Where Do You Belong?" and "Stop." 

However, the effort does appear to leave the actor visibly strained by the conclusion of some of the more “high octane” dance numbers. 

(Photo: José Raúl as “Aaron Samuels” with Katie Yeomans as “Cady Heron” in a scene from the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel)

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

The combined force of the ensemble on this latest tour presents a unified presence as they execute well the staging and choreography. 

There were, however, a couple of minor “rookie mistakes” made with certain set pieces completely visible to the audience prior to them being brought onto the stage by the cast. 

Thankfully, these moments were minimal and occurred only during the show’s first act. 

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 (normally portrayed by Maya Petropoulos but at the April 30^th performance was played by u/s Paloma D'Auria) to complete Janis's own sinister plan to bring them all down. 

Paloma D'Auria was terrific as the powerful, manipulative and domineering Regina. 

Completing the trio of high-maintenance "Plastics" are Gretchen (Kristen Amanda Smith ) and Karen (Maryrose Brendel) who each have a variant of the same disturbing level of dependency for Regina's constant approval. 

Both Smith and Brendel deliver laudable performances, with Smith providing a marvelous anxious energy as Gretchen, and Brendel offering us up a delightfully ditzy Karen who (outside of her relationship with Regina) does not really appear to have a “mean” bone in her body. 

There are many memorable tunes in "MEAN GIRLS" 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. 

(Photo: Kristen Seggio as “Ms. Norbury” with Tym Brown as “Mr. Duvall” in a scene from the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel)

Throughout most of Act Two, there is a kind of an overall "PROM" vibe to "MEAN GIRLS" with some of the multiple subplots and loose ends wrapped up so quickly you might actually miss a few as they occur. 

None of that diminishes from the overall enjoyment that, thanks to the cast and ensemble, bounds into the Emerson Colonial Theatre with a "Roar" and has many leaving with a contented purr saying, "I See Stars." 

Another delightful aspect to "MEAN GIRLS," is in how Tina Fey’s stage adaptation focuses much attention on the de-evolution of "The Plastics." 

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. 

The strength of the script by Fey is in showing more than the high school stereotypical one-dimensional “clicks” some characters represent at first. 

(Photo: Maryrose Brendel as “Karen Smith,” Maya Petropoulos as “Regina George” and Kristen Amanda Smith as “Gretchen Wieners” in a scene from the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jenny Anderson)

As for the adults involved, played here by Kristen Seggio as “Mrs. Heron,” “Ms. Norbury” and Mrs. George,” Michael Mottram as "Mr. Heron” and “Coach Carr,” and Tym Brown as “Mr. Duvall,” there is little exploration of their characters, but the actors still give standout performances. 

Other performances worthy of note are José Raúl as the mutual love interest of both Cady and Regina, “Aaron Samuels” and Kabir Gandhi who gives a rousing portrayal of NSHS “mathlete” extraordinaire “Kevin G.” 

As the story progresses, somewhat mirroring how adults can look back upon their high school days later in life and with fresh eyes, Cady and all the varied NSHS “clicks” soon discover there was a lot more going on there than they presumed. 

(Photo: Maryrose Brendel as “Karen Smith” celebrating Halloween with members of the CAST of the musical, "MEAN GIRLS" by Tina Fey, now playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, MA. through May 4, 2025. Photo Credit: Jenny Anderson)

"MEAN GIRLS" continues at the Emerson Colonial Theatre until May 4^th, 2025 and for many it will still be a fun, "fetching" musical delight.

For tickets and more information, phone # 888-616-0272.  

THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE Box Office is located at 106 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. 

THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE website is the official source for tickets:
http://www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com/  

BUY TICKETS

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

ABOUT THE SHOW

"MEAN GIRLS" features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film; music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond; lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin; and original direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw. 

"MEAN GIRLS" opened on Broadway in 2018 to rave reviews at the August Wilson Theatre, following its world premiere at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, in the fall of 2017. 

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. 

New York Magazine calls "MEAN GIRLS"“HILARIOUS! A smart, splashy new musical that delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.”

Chicago Tribune said “Tina Fey writes FUNNIER, SMARTER, SHARPER satire than anyone else in the business.”

People Magazine calls the show “FRESH, FUN AND INFECTIOUS – Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin’s songs keep the laughs coming!”

The New York Daily News said "MEAN GIRLS"“TICKLES THE EARS, EYES AND FUNNY BONE – the direction by Casey Nicholaw packs style, invention and red bull-force energy.” 

And, Entertainment Weekly calls "MEAN GIRLS"“A MARVEL: DAZZLING & HILARIOUS!”

TICKETS available by phone # 888-616-0272 

BUY TICKETS

ABOUT THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE

In its storied history, THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE has debuted such seminal Broadway shows as Anything Goes, Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, Born Yesterday, Follies, A Little Night Music, Grand Hotel and La Cage aux Folles, among others. Reviving a great theatrical tradition, Boston’s newly restored EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE officially re-opened its doors in July 2018 with the pre-Broadway World Premiere of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE, which opened in 1900 with a production of Ben-Hur, is the oldest continuously operated theater in Boston; as well as being amongst the most magnificent, having retained most of its original period details. A theatre for the community, EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE will once again contribute to the rich cultural landscape of Boston, with a new and varied program of Broadway shows, live music, comedy and events.

THE EMERSON COLONIAL THEATRE

106 Boylston Street

Boston, MA. 02116

www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com