I did NOT want to go see Mean Girls. I kept trying to think of reasons to blow if off but ultimately I decided that, since I already had the ticket thanks to my Broadway in Boston subscription, I might as well go.
I won’t go overboard and say I LOOOOVED the show. And, admittedly, during the opening number my first thought was “Okay, I’m going to hate this.” Ultimately, though, I decided to follow the vibes coming off the audience and settle in and just try to enjoy it. And I did.
 |
| Using screens instead of actual backdrops for the majority of the set was clever and less distracting than I anticipated. |
The audience was amazing. A fair mix of both the young people the show is geared toward and the older people who have the money to pay to see the show. EVERYONE seemed to be having a hell of a time. I sat between two women, one in her 20s and one in probably her 60s and they were equally delighted by the entire performance. There was a lot of cheering at certain lines in songs and even a huge ovation the first time The Plastics took the stage. It is always a better theater experience for me when the audience is into it, and last night they really were.
My feelings are a little mixed about the performances and casting. For example, Megan Masako Haley, who plays Gretchen, is drop-dead, out of this world, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, absolutely gorgeous. And while she played the part wonderfully it was almost a little bit difficult to believe SHE would have insecurity issues around Regina. (Which isn’t a knock against the actress who played Regina but Megan Masako Haley is stunning. There was a teenager behind me who gasped when Gretchen took the stage in her Halloween costume and asked her mother if she thought she could look like that someday. Her mother hedged a bit and then offered a quick “sure.”)
Eric Huffman deserves a special mention as Damian. Every young girl in my section was just enamored of him. His singing and dancing were great, of course, but his stage presence alone had them cheering literally every time he took the stage.
There are plenty of shows I’ve liked better (I was reminded of The Prom all night. Not just because the action takes place in high school but it was obvious even before I checked that they share the same director and choreographer – Casey Nicholaw) but, honestly, in the shitshow that is currently the world we live in, for 2.5 hours I was thoroughly entertained and that’s all I really ask for.
 |
| My view did not suck. The seats, however, were a little, let’s say SNUG |