“Mean Girls” is finally making its way to the stage. The long-awaited musical version of the beloved 2004 teen film is scheduled to make its world premiere this fall at the National Theater in Washington, The New York Times reports.
Written by Tina Fey, the original cult comedy stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, a teen who enters the public school system after being homeschooled and living in Africa for 15 years. Cady is welcomed into The Plastics, a clique of mean girls (Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert), and struggles to maintain her own identity. The film is based on Rosalind Wiseman’s nonfiction book “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” which Fey has said she was drawn to because it “was about girls. And it was nasty and violent.”
The creative team behind the musical includes “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” co-creator Fey, who also played Cady’s math teacher in the movie. While the female-centric production will be directed by Casey Nicholaw (“The Book of Mormon”), a man, the “Mean Girls” musical will have lyrics penned by a woman: “Legally Blonde’s” Nell Benjamin. Composer Jeff Richmond (“30 Rock”), Fey’s husband, is writing the music.
The musical is slated for a developmental lab in April.
“Mean Girls” was released over a decade ago, and the film’s famously passionate, devoted following has been begging for a sequel since. We’re betting that the musical version of the story draws big audiences.
