MEANINGFUL
Fey’s nasty ‘Girls’ become likable B’way show
TINA FEY’S new Broadway musical “Mean Girls” delivers a fizzy blast that tickles the ears, eyes and funny bone. The queen of laughs from film, TV, books and awards ceremonies expands her brand to the Great White Way with this show that opened Sunday night at the August Wilson Theatre.
Based on Fey’s screenplay for the 2004 movie about a high school loserturned-queen bee, “Mean Girls” is this season’s most likely to crowd-please.
That’s not the same as saying it’s a great musical — but the show surprises and impresses. Especially considering how thoroughly the adolescent genre has been mined — and how familiar is the movie that starred Lindsay Lohan as an impressionable fish out of water.
Songs by composer Jeff Richmond (Fey’s husband) and lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde,” the musical) are easy to like. The score ranges from lively pop rock to more soulful ballads.
Direction by Casey Nicholaw (“Aladdin,” “The Book of Mormon”), who has assembled an excellent cast, shines particularly bright. His staging packs style, invention and Red Bull-force energy that showcases the material to the max.
Scenic design that makes smart use of video projections gives the show a seamless cinematic flow.
Fey’s book is faithful to the film and, naturally, preserves beloved lines — like “fetch” and “On Wednesday we wear pink.” But she’s added fresh jokes and updates for the social media age as 16-year-old Cady (an appealing Erika Henningsen) goes from Africa (there’s a sly nod to “The Lion King”) to a Chicago high school.
Two loners, goth-y Janis (a bang-up Barrett Wilbert Weed) and Damian (Grey Henson, who’s 50 shades of great), described as “almost too gay to exist,” narrate what they call “a cautionary tale.” The song “Where Do You Belong?” sums up what everyone wants to know.
Cady figures that out by getting involved with three mean girls, aka the Plastics, who are led by merciless Regina George.
“I’m a massive deal,” she belts. She gets no argument from her followers — insecure Gretchen and dim-bulb Karen. Taylor Louderman, Ashley Park and Kate Rockwell, respectively, are all terrific in these key roles.
Kerry Butler gets a shoutout for hilarious triple duty as Cady’s earthy mom, Regina’s inappropriate mother and a nerdy math teacher.
For all its pluses, the show has issues. Dance numbers, choreographed by Nicholaw, get repetitive. The book gets a bit choppy toward the end, and a couple of songs, including one at a raucous house party, have little payoff. And the 2¼-hour running time — up from the 97-minute film — makes you wish for more lean girls.
Still, Fey’s baby is a lot of fun. Where do you belong? “Mean Girls” is at home on Broadway.