*This post is written in partnership with Broadway in Portland. I received complimentary tickets to the show to facilitate my review. Opinions are 100% my own.
Based on the 2004 hit-film (which we happen to LOVE), Mean Girls follows new student Cady Heron as she makes her transition from home-schooled life in Africa to the jungle that is suburban high school. By befriending the frenemies that are “the Plastics” (the high school “it” girls), Cady soon finds herself at the top of the popularity food chain. When Cady attempts to take down queen bee Regina George, she finds that her status continues to grow as her true personality begins to fade away.
The incomparable Tina Fey delivers powerful and positive messaging using humor. While Mean Girls is a laugh-out-loud comedy, it’s also a treatise on human behavior that will likely trigger self-evaluation and reflection. If you’re willing to look, Mean Girls is about so much more than high school cliques. Yes, it’s about the girls we love to hate and the quest to climb the popularity ladder – but it’s also about the why. Why do we change who we are to fit in? Why do we believe tearing others down causes us to rise? Why do we yearn for approval to feel worthy?
Ultimately, Mean Girls is about our desire to belong and our absolute need to be who we are. Mary Kate Morrissey (who was an example of SPOT-ON casting!) as Janis Sarkisian said it best in the song, I’d Rather Be Me, “Everybody has opinions but it doesn’t make them true. What’s true is being me, and I’d rather be me -I’d rather be me than be with you.”
Mean Girls will remind you that it’s okay to be yourself – it’s how it’s supposed to be! Changing who you are to fit in, isn’t belonging and it only dulls your shine. Be loud. Be proud. Be YOU! #MeltThePlastic
Every member of the Mean Girls ensemble brought authenticity and believability to their roles. This was high school. This is life. While yes, some of the characters are charicatures and over-the-top representations of archetypes, we understand Cady’s desire to belong, Gretchen’s longing for approval and feelings of unworthiness, and Regina’s fear of losing her position. We’re laughing yes – but we’re feeling their feelings – and I believe that is a testament to this incredibly talented cast.
While the ENTIRE CAST was absolutely fetch, not unlike the film, some of the audience-favorites were Eric Huffman as Damian and Jonalyn Saxer as Karen. These talented actors brought truth to the stage in a wonderfully quirky and humorous way. I was smiling behind my mask every time these two opened their mouths. Total heart-eye emojis. 😉
You KNOW you wanna sit with us and catch Mean Girls live! You’re going to love it and I highly recommend making plans to catch a performance of this hit-musical while it is in Portland OR while it is in YOUR town!
*As a parent, I felt as though Mean Girls would be most appropriate for high-school aged kids+, due to some sexual content and language.
The remaining showtimes for Mean Girls (in Portland) are as follows:
Thursday, November 11th: 7:30 PM
Friday, November 12th: 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 13th: 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 14th: 1:00 PM and 6:30 PM
At time of posting, there are still tickets available! Visit the Portland’5 Center for the Arts website to purchase your tickets.
*Be mindful of the Portland’5 Center for the Arts policy regarding masking and vaccination/COVID testing. You can find their policy HERE.
If you miss out on Mean Girls, there are still some INCREDIBLE shows heading to Portland in the new year. Make sure to visit https://portland.broadway.com/ to find out more and to snag your tickets to some can’t-miss shows heading to the Rose City.
