Broadway Across Canada’s (BAC) production of Mean Girls had the audience erupting in laughter as it offered a glimpse into high school gossip, bullying and cliques in a glittery pink drama.
Based on the 2004 cult classic film, Mean Girls follows new student Cady Heron as she tries to find her place at North Shore High after being homeschooled in Africa. Cady is thrust into “girl world” when she is invited to join the school’s most popular clique, “the Plastics.” However, after being betrayed by their ringleader, Regina George, Cady and her newfound friends, Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard, devise a plan to bring Regina down once and for all.
Directed by Casey Nicholaw and written by Tina Fey, this hilarious musical adaptation of the film remained true to its source material while also incorporating elements of cyberbullying and social media to provide a modern esthetic.
English Bernhardt delivered a well-rounded performance as the naive and thoughtful Cady. Her enthusiasm during “It Roars” showed her determination to fit in as she excitedly explored her new surroundings and tried to make friends. Bernhardt showed versatility, evolving into a trendy it-girl upon befriending the Plastics while maintaining her character’s awkward and curious nature. In the show’s finale, “I See Stars,” Bernhardt delivered a great moral message, encouraging audiences to be their authentic selves.
In a sultry and fiery performance as the queen bee of school, Nadina Hassan played Regina George in true villainous fashion. While at first sweet and approachable to Cady, Hassan showed her character’s true colours in a captivating performance of “Someone Gets Hurt,” delivering powerful vocals while strutting across the stage. In her show-stopping villain anthem, “World Burn,” Hassan provided strong belts and showed her conniving nature as she began to wreak havoc on the girls at North Shore High.
As Regina’s two right-hand women, Jasmine Rogers and Morgan Ashley Bryant played Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith respectively, with impeccable comedic timing and attitude. In Gretchen’s somber number, “What’s Wrong With Me?,” Rogers emotionally portrayed her character’s internal worries of merely following in Regina’s shadow. As the ditzy yet sweet Karen, Bryant delivered a fun performance of “Sexy,” leaving the audience laughing as she purposely walked offstage and returned to start her piece over from the beginning.
In the roles of Janis and Damian, Lindsay Heather Pearce and Eric Huffman provided great chemistry as the narrators of the show, often interjecting to talk about the importance of the colour pink and the toxicity of social media. Pearce delivered a dynamic rendition of “I’d Rather Be Me,” while Huffman showed off his impressive tap dancing skills in “Stop.”
The ensemble of North Shore High students provided great energy and dynamics, notably in the number “Where Do You Belong?” Each member crafted together their own high school persona and brought the set to life by moving different pieces such as desks and cafeteria tables around the set.
The show’s scenic design by Scott Pask consisted of large LED screens projecting backgrounds of the different locations, as well as impressive graphics projecting the pages of the Plastics’ infamous “Burn Book.”
Designed and assembled by Gregg Barnes, the costumes remained true to the film with small additions to keep up with current fashion trends. Regina wore a leather jacket and skinny jeans in addition to her signature pink top, and Janis sported a denim jacket covered in patches, reflective of her artsy personality.
As the cast exited the stage and the National Arts Centre (NAC) filled with thunderous applause, the audience was left with a resonating message on how to be a supportive friend while remaining true to yourself. This message, as well as BAC’s production of Mean Girls, was “so fetch.”
Mean Girls will continue its run at the (NAC) until Oct. 23. Tickets are available on the NAC’s website.
Featured image by Jenny Anderson via BAC.
