High school can feel like a survival of the fittest, but for the cast of Northampton High School’s upcoming production of “Mean Girls: High School Version,” the jungle is just a stage. Opening March 12, the musical adaptation explores the painfully familiar world of cliques and “queen bees,” while offering a cast of 46 students — and a live pit band — the chance to prove that finding your own voice is always in style.
The production will take place in the school’s Main Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14, with a matinee on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m.
“Mean Girls: High School Version” is a musical adaptation of the hit 2004 Mark Waters film “Mean Girls” about Cady Heron (played by Lindsay Lohan), a teenager who moves to the Chicago suburbs for high school after being homeschooled by her zoologist parents in Africa. At school, Cady has to contend with the clique “The Plastics,” a group of mean girls led by Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams). Cady quickly finds that high school has plenty in common with the African savannah.
The Broadway adaptation of the movie, which opened in previews in March 2018 and ran until March 2020, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards.
Dave Grout, who directed the production, said the show was selected in part because it features more speaking and singing roles than last year’s production, an adaptation of “Hadestown,” which only featured five or six students. This one, by contrast, has speaking roles or featured solos for 27 students out of a cast of 46.
“This is a show that everybody, no matter who you are, can relate to,” Grout said. “No matter what, you are able to find that connection of having a different point of view than others, being a fish out of water … trying to fit in … and how does getting what you want ultimately change you? And those are things that we can all connect to in many ways.”
Choreographer Zazie Tobey took inspiration from a variety of sources, including ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, hip-hop, tap, the work of director and choreographer Bob Fosse — who was known for his iconic Broadway dance style — as well as the flock movements of wild animals and the social dance styles typical of high school parties. It was important to her to create choreography that was accessible both to kids with lots of dance experience and to those with none at all.
“Learning a dance in musical theater is all about muscle memory, so you need to get it in your body and be able to sing and dance and know what’s coming next,” Tobey said. “We’re singing, we’re trust-falling while we’re singing, we’re jumping off things — we have dance breaks [out] the wazoo. … It’s about taking care of ourselves at this time, too, because rehearsals have been so intensive. But it’s always a beautiful thing to see it come together.”
As of this writing, the cast and crew have already learned the music, choreography and blocking; what’s left is to “rinse and repeat and drill,” Tobey said, and put the finishing touches on everything — program lighting cues, finalize the costumes and set.
As Grout said, “The cake is baked, and now we just gotta decorate it.”
One of the original movie’s most famous phrases is “fetch,” which the character (played by Lacey Chabert), one of Regina’s acolytes, tries to make into a popular slang term for “cool” or “awesome.” In that same spirit, Grout, Tobey and musical director Susan Dillard likewise had high praise for their cast and crew.
The caliber of what the students and staff are able to produce is so high that, “the biggest feedback I get is, ‘I forget it’s a high-school show,’” Grout said.
“I have been so impressed with everyone’s positive attitude and willingness to take this show that is silly and irreverent and in-your-face and be so supportive [and] be on board to make it the best it can be,” Dillard said.
“Working with these students, man, seeing their growth — it’s why I keep coming back,” said Tobey. “I so look forward to these musicals.”
In fact, the directors had younger students in mind when putting the production together. “Mean Girls” features bullying and exclusion, issues painfully familiar to many people. Consequently, Grout was worried that, in light of the sociopolitical climate, certain characters’ meanness “started seeming like it wasn’t satire anymore.”
Similarly, during a focus group with the principal actors, the team shared their vision: “We want a student at JFK Middle School to be able to come to this show and be excited to come to the high school, not scared,’” Dillard said. “… [We want] young people to be able to sit and watch the show and enjoy it, have a couple of ‘Oh my God!’ moments, but then walk away and say, ‘That was good! Wow, we have some talent, and I’m excited to meet those people next year!’”
They also want audiences to take away the message that it’s good to be yourself.
“Don’t be afraid to let your colors fly,” Tobey said. “Be proud of them. Definitely always find a melody in a dance. I feel like this show reminds me to just shake it off and keep moving through life and let go of that self-doubt, man. It’s time for us to celebrate who we are and feel comfortable in our skin.”
Tickets, not including fees, are $15 general admission and $10 for students and senior citizens via nhsmusical.com. Tickets may be available at the door for $18 general admission, $12 for senior citizens and $10 for students. The show runs approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission.
