'Mean Girls' makes long-awaited premiere at Pantages Theatre

Adante Carter (Aaron Samuels) and English Bernhardt (Cady Heron).

HOLLYWOOD — The first national tour of musical comedy Mean Girls will open this week for a four-week stay, from Jan. 4–29, at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

Based on the hit 2004 film, “Mean Girls” is the story of Cady Heron, who after moving from the African savanna, claws her way to the top of the popularity pecking order of her new suburban Illinois home by taking on “Queen Bee” Regina George and The Plastics.

The show is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, featuring a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey based on her screenplay for the film, with music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond and lyrics by two-time Tony nominee Nell Benjamin.

Heather Ayers, who plays the roles of Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury, and Mrs. George in the show, says that the show has “something for everyone.”

“The music is like a rock concert; the dancing is incredible. We have projections that seamlessly take you from location to location. The audience really goes crazy,” said Ayers. “Tina Fey’s book is hysterical, and it really doesn’t matter if you have seen the movie or not. I think you’re going to be thoroughly entertained.”

Ayers adds that the show also delivers an important message that is relevant to today.

“Especially in this time where we’re trying to be kinder to each other, the interesting part is in order to show kindness sometimes you have to show the opposite,” said Ayers. “The title is Mean Girls, so you’re going to see some mean, but I think you are going to actually walk away from the theater with a sense of finding kindness and comradery, and acceptance; women in particular, because we also have girls in our title.

“I think you’re just really going to walk away with a sense of hope, and a sense of community.”

Fans of the movie can look forward to many callbacks to the musical’s namesake film, and – of course – plenty of pink.

“People who are huge fans of the movie, they’re going to hear all the lines that they love,” said Ayers. “For some reason – I don’t know if it’s Tina Fey, I don’t know if it’s Mean Girls in particular or Lindsay Lohan – but people know these amazing quotes.

“’Fetch.’ ‘She doesn’t go here.’ ‘Don’t be thirsty.’ ‘You’re really, really pretty.’ There are like stickers on Amazon listing all these amazing quotes, and you are going to hear them; they’re all there, don’t worry.”

Mean Girls will perform Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at BroadwayInHollywood.com or Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-982-2787, or at the Hollywood Pantages box office.

Mean Girls will also be performing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from March 7-19. Tickets for those performances can be purchased at www.SCFTA.org or by calling (714) 556-2787.