Mean Girls at the Eccles

I have to admit that I wasn't very enthusiastic when Broadway at the Eccles announced that the musical Mean Girls would be making a stop in SLC.  However, after hearing a live performance of "World Burn," I changed my mind and I've actually been looking forward to seeing it ever since.  I had the chance last night and, as a former high school teacher, I absolutely loved it!  Cady Heron (Danielle Wade) has recently moved to Chicago from Kenya, where she was home schooled, and is finding North Shore High School to be as brutal as the African plains.  Two social outcasts, Damian Hubbard (Eric Huffman) and Janis Sarkisian (Mary Kate Morrissey), attempt to help her fit in and advise her to avoid The Plastics, a clique made up of Regina George (Nadina Hassan), Gretchen Wieners (Megan Masako Haley), and Karen Smith (Becca Peterson).  Regina shows an interest in Cady and allows her to sit with her and her friends at lunch until she discovers that Cady likes her former boyfriend, Aaron Samuels (Adante Carter), and takes him back.  Cady devises a plan for revenge against Regina and, when it is successful, she takes her place as the leader of The Plastics.  However, she eventually alienates her real friends Damian and Janis, angers Aaron, disappoints her Calculus teacher Ms. Norbury (April Josephine), and loses her identity.  When she decides to participate in a math competition, she shows all of the students that it is much better to be yourself than to pretend to be someone else to fit in.  This show has such a great message and I honestly wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did!  I especially loved the songs "Where Do You Belong?' as Damian describes all of the cliques (my favorite is the show choir) at school to Cady, "Apex Predator" where Janis compares Regina to an animal at the top of the food chain, "Fearless," during which Gretchen and Karen stand up to Regina, and the aforementioned "World Burn" where Regina distributes her Burn Book to make Cady look bad.  I really enjoyed the use of projections to depict the classrooms (complete with subject specific bulletin boards), hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria, and gym at the school and the choreography involving moving desks and cafeteria tables is incredibly clever.  I liked the entire cast but Hassan (as Regina) was my favorite because she can really belt out a song and she has such an attitude as the ultimate mean girl.  I think the narrative loses a bit of momentum in the second act and some of the songs, especially "Sexy," might be too risque for some but I highly recommend this show!  It runs at the Eccles Theater until Dec. 5 (go here for tickets)