Rehearsals for Greeley’s spring musical Mean Girls are currently underway. With students and faculty involved on stage, behind the scenes, and in the pit, they are gearing up for three shows in late March.
Greeley’s production remains true to the original movie’s main plot: Cady Heron, daughter of scientists studying in Kenya, moves to America and goes to a public school for the first time. She befriends Damian Hubbard and Janis Sarkisian, who are outcasts among the otherwise cliquey high school culture. Then, Cady is invited to sit with the Plastics, an exclusive popular group composed of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith.

Though creator Tina Fey drew from her own high school experiences, the movie was inspired by a book written by Rosalind Wiseman titled Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence. This book was written in 2002 as a guide for parents of young women to navigate the drama associated with teenage years. Fey drew on this book as inspiration for the movie, which zeroes in specifically on “mean girls” of high school. The movie was released in 2004, winning several awards, notably “Best On-Screen Team” at the MTV Movie and TV Awards for Cady Heron and the Plastics. Mean Girls was adapted as a Broadway show in 2018.
Even twenty years after the movie came out, its message rings true. As Director of the Greeley Mean Girls production, Dr. Coates emphasizes: “We are trying to build a program and bring in an audience…so finding something more contemporary and something that students might connect with a little bit more [is important]. [W]hen it comes right down to it, I think the story behind this and the story that this musical tells is worthwhile.”

Mean Girls recently came off Broadway, allowing schools to put on the show themselves. Though some of the original play’s content is not appropriate for schools, edits have been made to the material to make it more high school friendly. The show’s popularity has generated excitement among the students involved, but has also presented difficulties. In trying to recreate a show that they adore, some thespians find themselves replicating the performance of others. Associate Musical Director and current senior Jordan Klein shares: “If you’re so used to hearing the melody, and now you’re an alto, you realize ‘oh man, that’s not the part I know.’ So that’s a challenge.” Focusing on learning one’s own part is an essential aspect of putting on any popular show. At the same time, Klein says, “It’s going to be a good time, I’m very excited just to put the whole show up.”
Although auditions and rehearsals began in early January, Dr. Coates began preparation for the musical in June 2022. After auditions in January, the cast and crew will work for roughly two and a half months to learn, master, and perform for the audience. To recreate the traditional lighting effects of the Broadway production, the theater will install special lighting so that large scale projections can be used as backdrops. The installations will happen before “tech week,” the period before a show when everything is added together, allowing performers time to adjust to their given setting for each scene and crew members time to learn to control the projections.
Although those in the cast often get the most recognition, there are numerous ways for students to be involved behind the scenes: The crew is responsible for sets, curtains, microphones, props, calling the show, and lots more. Production Manager and current junior Christene Maffucci shares that her favorite part of putting together shows is “as crazy as it sounds, probably the stress… The payoff is so amazing. I love it.” While their work often happens backstage or under the cover of darkness, stage crew advisor Ms. Mitchell stresses the importance of this group of students. She says, “I love how theater is all handmade and that every person’s contribution is essential. So, the performance can’t happen unless the backstage technical side of it is also working just as hard.” Ms. Mitchell also shares how hands-on the job of the crew is, touting the benefits of “learning by doing” to allow students to prepare for the shows. Along with the crew, some students are involved with the show’s music. The live band consists of student musicians who play for the three shows in March.

In working to put together both the on-stage and off-stage aspects of the show, actors and crew members build a community. Staying true to the traditions espoused in both film and play versions, on Wednesdays the entire cast endeavors to wear pink. Community building helps rehearsals — choreographer Ms. Olmo agrees, stating, “During the two and a half months, it’s a good time to build a family and community. The [more connected] the ensemble feels, the stronger the show is.” While this is Ms. Olmo’s first year choreographing a Greeley musical, the student life coordinator is no stranger to dance, saying that she has been dancing since she was three years old.
Just as Ms. Olmo grew up with dance, many performers grew up watching both film and theater versions of Mean Girls. Greeley senior and performer Jolie Leibner shares how she approaches acting as characters whom she herself has seen perform on stage: “It’s interesting to see [an actor’s] take on [a role] and how you’ll make it your own, whether it’s taking some of their inspiration, but also putting your own twist on it. I think that’s true with any part.” While many students have been drawing inspiration from the movie and Broadway show they grew up with and admire, they are working to create a production that will truly be unique to Greeley.