When I first heard rumors of Mean Girls making its Broadway debut, my reaction was horror.
Why tamper with a classic?
Mean Girls has probably become the most quoted movie of our generation. Girls (and even some boys) have memorized the script word for word, and a remake could only lead to disappointment and despair.
My worries were quickly set to rest when I found out that Tina Fey was the one toying with the idea of a musical. Nothing can go wrong when Tina Fey takes the lead and we will have to learn to put our trust in the woman who first gave us the genius of Mean Girls.
I do have a few pieces of advice that I hope she will take into consideration when putting together what should be one of the most talked about musicals ever (although, honestly, I trust Tina Fey’s judgment much more than my own).
DO keep the classic one-liners we’ve all come to know and love.
When one thinks Mean Girls, one can’t help but think of those great lines that practically every person on the planet can recognize, if not recite. “I’m a mouse, duh,” “On Wednesdays we wear pink,” “It’s like I have ESPN or something,” “The limit does not exist,” “That is so fetch,” and of course, “I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.”
I could list these one-liners all day and likely fill a full page, and quite honestly, I’ve probably overdone it as is, but what can I say, the entire movie is so damn quoteable!
DON’T recast Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron.
She had her moment in the sun, and she did a great job.
There’s no denying that Lindsay Lohan was a great actress, especially in Mean Girls. But she’s had a rough patch lately, and this musical is too important to the crazed teenage girls of the world to risk the casting of the main character.
It’s time for someone else to have the chance to prove herself worthy of Tina Fey’s script.
DO have Regina George’s mother dance along to the Christmas routine in the actual audience.
Who doesn’t love a bit of interactive Broadway? Especially if it’s Mrs. George acting completely ridiculous (and hilarious, as per usual) with her camera in hand, right near your seat?
DON’T keep the script word for word.
As great as Mean Girls is, the movie won’t translate to a musical perfectly. Because of this, people need to keep an open mind to changes that will come with the change of medium.
Rather than looking at it as changes to their favorite movie, people need to look at it as an opportunity to witness more of Tina Fey’s hilarity.
Think of it as a Mean Girls 2.0 (and no, I don’t mean Mean Girls 2, the atrocious movie that should never have shared a namesake with our beloved Mean Girls).
DO lengthen Kevin G’s rap.
I personally refer to the rap scene as my favorite part of the movie.
Kevin G is one of the best characters and the rap is everything he represents. Every time it is cut short in the film, I find myself wishing it was much longer.
Please, please Tina Fey, write him a longer rap in the musical. The audience will thank you greatly for it!
DON’T forget to write our favorite dim-witted character, Karen Smith, a hilariously-stupid song.
The genius of Karen’s character can easily be overlooked and an entire musical number to showcase her would be an amazing addition. A musical presents a great opportunity to provide audiences with even more Karen, so why not take advantage?
Now all that’s left to do is wait for Mean Girls the Musical with bated breath.
As rumors fly about the casting and timing of this much-anticipated event, I will keep my faith in the ever-hilarious Tina Fey.
She hasn’t led us astray yet.
