In the world of comedy, two female stars shine brighter than their contemporaries. One is Amy Poehler. The other is Tina Fey.
Most know Fey through her character, Liz Lemon, on "30 Rock." But before "30 Rock," Fey served for nine season as head writer and a cast member on "Saturday Night Live." It was during her SNL tenure that Fey wrote the screenplay for "Mean Girls," which she would later star in and adapt into a Broadway musical. Described as a cross between "Heathers" and "Hairspray," the Broadway production was nominated for a staggering 12 Tony Awards.
Melody Lane Theatre in Cape Coral is producing the musical October 26th through the 29th at Cultural Park Theatre. According to co-directors and sisters Dana Alvarez and Amber Angeloro, two reasons for the musical’s popularity are its timely themes and modern score.
“'Heathers,' [is] a little bit more diabolical; this is a little bit more innocent,” Angeloro said. “It’s the more subtle forms of bullying that takes place — so things like gossiping, talking behind your friends’ backs, stealing somebody’s boyfriend. But these are the things that happen every single day that young people today can definitely relate to.”
Nowhere is this better illustrated than in “World Burn,” a number in which the girl at the center of the bullying, Regina George, exacts revenge on the school after her nemesis, Cady Herron, dethrones her as queen bee-atch of the Mean Girls triad, The Plastics.
Cady, time to watch your back
Cady, time to turn and cough
Because you took me down
But you didn't finish me off
My name is Regina George
And in case you're keeping score
Cady may have won the battle
But I will win the war, for
I wanna watch the world burn
Aubrey Barnhouse plays the part of Regina George, and Amber Angeloro thinks her vocals are professional caliber.
“That girl needs to be on Broadway one day. Her range is absolutely out of this world; incredible…. She absolutely, you know, blows the ceiling off of this theater with her vocals,” said Angeloro.
Another cast member with powerhouse vocals is Averie Carlson, who plays Janis Ian, the only girl in North Shore High who remains true to herself despite Regina George’s bullying and the incessant pressure from her peers to conform. In this clip from “I’d Rather Be Me,” Janis gives some sage advice to her classmates.
So raise your right finger
And solemnly swear
Whatever they say about me
I don't care
I won't twist in knots to join your game
I will say, "You make me mad"
And if you treat me bad
I'll say, "You're bad"
And if I eat alone from this moment on
That's just what I'll do
'Cause I'd rather be me, I'd rather be me
I'd rather be me than be with you
Although Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin’s score isn’t as well known as the track from Heathers, Angeloro feels that the music in "Mean Girls" is more relatable to younger audiences.
“It’s modern, it’s upbeat, lively, you’ll be dancing in your seats in the audience to it,: she said. "We even have some rap music involved. Kevin Gnapoor played by Arlan Won, he gets the opportunity to rap for us a couple of times."
Maybe the haters gonna make fun of you
All you can solve's the problem in front of you
High school's a four year social curse
But math's the foundation of the... Universe!
“So it’s something that young people, I think, will really enjoy ‘cause it sounds more like the music that they’re used to hearing on the radio as opposed to maybe some of the old school Broadway show tunes,” Angeloro added.
As is true of any good Broadway production, the "Mean Girls" finale is the show’s most rousing and uplifting number. But as Co-Director Dana Alvarez observes, it’s the message as much as the music that makes “I See Stars” so memorable.
“’I See Stars’ is a really inspiring and moving number because it’s a moment where they finally look around and realize that everybody has something to offer and everyone can shine," said Alvarez. "It’s not about being the brightest star in the sky but creating a really beautiful picture together and appreciating each other for their strengths and their beauty.”
So many stars tonight
You could make diamonds dull
You are so beautiful
I see stars
You are real
And you are rare
I want to say
I see you there
It's me and you
Not us and her
'Cause if we knew
How strong we were
We'd say what we are Stars!
Remaining shows are Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s closing 2 p.m matinee.
MORE INFORMATION
Go here for play dates, times and a full cast list.
- Mean Girls is centered around Cady Heron. After growing up on an African savannah and being home schooled, she is desperate to be liked and accepted by the kids in the Illinois high school into which she’s suddenly inserted. When she decides to take on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George, she quickly discovers that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
- Cady is played by Ariana Ferrugia, a student at North Fort Myers High School Academy of the Arts. “She’s an incredible talent,” touts Co-Director Amber Angeloro. “Cady is a great contrast to the character of Regina George because she represents the girls who feel like they don’t fit in. You know, she’s new to the school. She doesn’t know anybody. She’s trying to make friends, and we get to follow her journey as she’s learning her ways around the school. But [Ariana’s] a phenomenal actress, great talent, so definitely come out and see her as well.”
- A senior at Oasis High School, Averie Carlson shines in the role of outsider Janis Ian. “Way before we even announced that we going to be doing Mean Girls, she was saying Janis Ian was her dream role,” Co-Director Amber Angeloro shares. “She gets to be kind of the alternative punk character who winds up teaching a lot of the other characters a lesson about how important it is to be ourselves, to not conform to the crowd, and you’ll see that she really embodies this role. And vocally, character-wise, even her physical look, her outfits, her costumes, she just really does a great job with this part, and you don’t want to miss it.”
- The plot, characters and especially the dialogue reflects playwright Tina Fey’s unmistakable world view and comedy.
- “It’s just a really funny comedy that has everybody laughing and there’s a really good moral lesson that we can draw from it as well about being ourselves and standing out, being different and not trying to fit in and stick to the stereotypes and norms of high school,” adds Co-Director Amber Angeloro.
- In addition to Mean Girls, Tina Fey also co-created the series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Mr. Mayor. On film, Fey starred in Baby Mama and Sisters alongside Poehler, plus Date Night and Soul. Fey's memoir, Bossypants, topped the New York Times best-seller list and has sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. since its release. Her current sold-out comedy tour with Amy Poehler has been extended into February of 2024.
- Amber has directed dozens of major musical productions, including three Disney pilot productions. Some of her Amber’s favorite roles as a performer include Fagin in Oliver! and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Go here for more about Amber’s theatrical and other accomplishments.
- Dana Alvarez has been the Theatre Director of the Melody Lane Theatre Department since 2017. Dana has directed more than 35 major musicals, including three Disney pilot productions. Her most recent directorial projects include Les Miserables, Cats, Newsies the Musical, School of Rock, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Peter Pan. Dana holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from FGCU as well as certification in Drama, Grades 6-12. Read the rest of Dana’s extensive theatrical credits here.
- Angeloro says that one of the reasons the Melody Lane Theatre production of Mean Girls will drive audiences wild is Sami Doherty’s choreography. “Sami is always amazing. She pushes the envelope with her choreo, always making sure that it stands out. It’s unique. It’s creative. It’s not like anything that you’ve seen before, and she always challenges these kids, even those who aren’t natural dancers … they may not identify as natural dancers … she really helps them come out of their shells and hone in on those skills, and so her choreo is definitely something you want to check out as well.”
- As a co-owner and founder of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center, Doherty does all of the choreography for Melody Lane Theatre. She has also done shows for The Belle Theatre in the Cape. mong her developing choreography credits are Les Miserables and Newsies the Musical.
- “As a choreographer who is a musical theater performer herself, Sami always challenges her students to dive deep and understand the motivation for each character’s movement,” observes Co-Director Dana Alvarez. But Doherty’s legacy extends far beyond work ethic, motivation and technique. “The lessons they learn from Sami are life lessons. Even if they choose not to pursue a career in theater or dance, they’ll carry those lessons with them into adulthood,” observes Ginger Lynn, a co-director and dance instructor at Melody Lane Performing Arts Center.
- Alvarez reminds everyone that “Mean Girls is a cautionary tale of what happens when people are mean … and it’s not just the three girls that you think are the ones who are the cruelest, but you get to see how other characters are affected by the societal pressures to fit in or pressures to get back at one another and how everybody has a bit of meanness inside.”
To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall's website: SWFL Art in the News.
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