About the work
Mean Girls is a musical with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and a book by Tina Fey, based on Fey's hit film of the same name from 2004. Its 2018 Broadway premiere brings the sharp high-school comedy to music theatre. Pointed, contemporary and full of keen observations about peer pressure, social media and girls' friendships, the show became an audience success and appealed especially to a young audience.
Plot
Sixteen-year-old Cady Heron, until now homeschooled by her parents in Africa, comes to an American high school for the first time and is overwhelmed by its rigid social hierarchies. She befriends the outsiders Janis and Damian and at the same time falls under the spell of the "Plastics" – a clique of perfectly styled, feared girls around the manipulative queen Regina George. A plan to topple the Plastics from within turns into a dangerous game in which Cady herself threatens to become a "mean girl". Through intrigues, the infamous "Burn Book" and public humiliations, she finally learns what true friendship and self-respect mean.
Cultural significance
Mean Girls successfully brought a modern teen cult film to the stage and updated it for the age of smartphones and social networks. With catchy, witty numbers such as "World Burn" and "I'd Rather Be Me", the show combines entertainment with an anti-bullying, anti-conformity message. Thanks to its pointed language and closeness to the world of young audiences, it became a fixture of contemporary Broadway pop culture.