“Mean Girls”, a musical based on the well-known movie written by Tina Fey, will make its proud debut on UAHS’s iconic stage this March. Written in 2017 by Fey, it was reworked from its original screenplay into a Broadway musical. Now, UAHS will be putting it on and leaving its own mark.
The cast of 58 students has been working since winter break, with rehearsals five nights a week. Though it is such a rigorous schedule, senior Abi Swart, who plays Regina George, still finds time to complete her other coursework.
“I’m actually not in a lot of hard classes right now, and I don’t have rehearsal every day because sometimes just certain people are called,” Swart said.
This is Swart’s third musical at the high school, and she has been dreaming of this role for a long time.
“I’ve wanted to be Regina George for like, two years now. It’s one of my favorite musicals ever. And it’s my senior year so I have to do it; one of my favorite parts of the year is the musical,” Swart said.
Sophomore Jimmy Zolkowski, who plays Damian, echoed this sentiment, stating that his favorite part of theater is the people that you meet. Zolkowski does voice lessons and theater outside of school, performing at both the Abbey Theatre of Dublin and Westerville Civic Theatre.
“‘Mean Girls’ definitely stuck out to me. It’s more popular and trendy now,” Zolkowski said.
Director Arturo Perez Jr. released a modernized version of the iconic movie on Jan. 12, 2024. The new movie aimed to combine the ingenuity of the 2004 film with the Broadway score. The movie featured stars such as Renée Rapp and Auliʻi Cravalho and has grossed over $102 million worldwide so far. This release has sparked a newfound interest in the long-favored film.
Beyond just the popularity of the film itself, the novelty of the show also struck a chord with Swart.
“I just feel like the actual musical we’re doing is really fun because everyone knows it and it’s like a cool classic. I think it’d be really funny for all age groups, not just the young people,” Swart said.
Director Tim Browning originally saw the show on Broadway and was blown away by it.
“It’s contemporary, real contemporary. It’s a lot more technology to kind of reflect where we are at this time in history, right?” Browning said.
He explained how the play has been adapted from the original 2004 movie. While the songs are the same as the Broadway version, some lyrics were changed to become appropriate for a high school production.
“It’s very similar, but you know, [the show is] about relational aggression, and it’s been updated to reflect all the implications, but it’s pretty cool. It’s a very contemporary score,” he said.
Browning touched on how the cast at UAHS brings a special flair to the musical.
“I don’t often get to direct kids playing people their own age, and that’s been really rewarding,” he said.
Having a supportive and dedicated cast is what makes a production truly shine. Browning shared that the “Mean Girls” cast at UAHS has excelled in this aspect.
“This cast in particular has been incredibly enthusiastic and very talented. I love the way these kids treat each other. That’s the best part- they are kind, professional kids. That’s been by far the best. They’re just extraordinary humans,” he said.
As well as performers, high school students are also taking part in the orchestration of the musical, as well as tech crew and costumes. There is a combination of students and trained professionals performing in the pit to provide the musical score.
“The [tech crew’s] input in meetings has just been fantastic. Sometimes I feel like I’m working in a professional theater because their ideas are so good and their knowledge is so deep,” Browning said.
Production stage manager junior Drew Poling shared his experience with the musical so far.
“My favorite thing about what we are doing right now is all the teamwork and cooperation that happens. We have a production team that involves tech, costumes, lighting, cast, crew, all sorts of stuff and it’s just awesome to see all the teamwork and cooperation that goes into putting on a show like this,” Poling said.
Poling has worked two years at the high school before in tech, and three years at the middle schools. He also has participated in multiple smaller shows in the Black Box Theater as a technical director, as well as working in the PAC as an employee.
“My primary job [as a production stage manager] is to oversee and manage all of the tech aspects of the show, so tech crew and all of that. I call cues during the show, direct all of the tech operations, and pretty much oversee anything that is lighting or sound projections. And I delegate and oversee all of those positions,” Poling said.
Since “Mean Girls” is such a modernized show, the tech crew has a lot of new work to learn. Browning shared that some of these technologies required some getting used to.
“The show uses a lot of projections. That’s probably the most different thing for me about the show- I’ve directed shows that use projections, but never to this extent. I’ve used them in the past to sort of help create an atmosphere and that sort of thing. But [in] this one, actually, the projections will set the time and the place and it’s pretty cool,” Browning said.
Poling agreed with Browning, sharing his excitement over the new technology. He believes this will aid in the overall quality of the show for viewers.
“Our grand finale of the show is pretty fun and it’ll incorporate a lot of elements of tech that we haven’t technically really used in a show before. It’ll be very interesting and fun for the audience to watch,” Poling said.
“Mean Girls” opens March 14, and runs until March 17. Tickets can be purchased online at uavocalmusic.org and ticket prices range from $10-20.
