It’s that time of the year again when classes come to a close, but the Black Box curtains open, where the spotlights shine on the cast of Boston Latin School theatre’s annual spring production. This June, BLS theatre is proud to present Mean Girls: The Musical. Adapted from Broadway and based on the 2004 film, the cult classic follows new student Cady Heron as she becomes inducted into an elite group of popular girls. The story navigates not just high school popularity but also the toxicity and superficiality that often turn teenage girls against each other.
Though many are more familiar with the movie, the musical is widely loved and has been gaining traction in many high school programs, especially since its adaptation into a motion picture this January. Writer of the original and high-school-adjusted musical Tina Fey tells Playbill: “I knew a show with five female leads would be great news for most schools,” commenting on the popularity of the musical on school stages.
For the past couple of weeks, BLS’s own directors, cast and crew have been preparing for the performance dates of May 30 and 31 and June 1 and 2.
Levi Liming (V), who performs in the ensemble, says, “It has been pretty smooth so far, a little rough at some points,” while acknowledging how “everyone is doing a great job,” referring to the immense amount of effort and hours that have been dedicated toward production.
When putting together a show as grand as Mean Girls, it’s not all blue skies and rainbows. Parker-Vincent Alva (III), who works backstage, says, “It’s always hard to transition from our guild play to our musical,” noting that the change from a single-digit cast to one of over 60 people is a big adjustment. They add that one of their largest challenges was expanding the Black Box stage and heavily reworking the schedule in a limited timeframe. Despite the obstacles, Alva is confident that Mean Girls will be “one of our biggest and brightest” shows yet.
Aside from the complex technicalities that go into producing a musical, the cast and crew agree that the community formed by working on a large-scale project is unparalleled.
Faye Nazarchuk (III) plays Janis, one of the lead characters in the musical. She points out the social component of working on such a character-driven show: “Being in the show is great because I got to meet a bunch of people who I didn’t know or haven’t talked to before. Then I get to go to rehearsal and have a good time with those people.”
Liming anticipates that this year’s production will be well loved, “especially because it’s geared towards students.” There’s no doubt that Mean Girls is a staple high school drama that, no matter how overdone, we can all relate to.
