HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL

Review by Celia Ipiotis

Highschool can be deadly in the wildly popular musical Heathers: The Musical at New World Stages. Crowds of young people jam into the theater primed to laugh, gasp and boisterously applaud very bad behavior. 

Desperate for acceptance, highschooler Veronica (Lorna Courtney) finds a way to gain access to the three “mean girls”  named The Heathers. Ring leader and machiavellian tactician, Chandler (McKenzie Kurtz) — dressed in commanding red — orders her acolytes to do her bidding until she pushes a few too many emotional joints.

Friends since childhood, the geeky Martha (Erin Morton) and Veronica face a stress test when Veronica becomes a Heather satellite. Adding to the mix, the dark one, J.D. (a charismatic Casey Likes) dressed in a long black leather trench coat, black shirt and pants, has — hmmmm –how to put it–issues.

J.D.’s father blows up things, an apt metaphor for his world view. And speaking of costumes, the stage bounces in vibrantly colorful costumes, one louder than the next, by Siena Zoe Allen. 

Adapted from Daniel Waters’ cult classic film, Heathers: The Musical book, music and lyrics are by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, gamely directed by Andy Fickman. From the skanky highschool antics that include two dumb and dumber football buddies harassing students, the production is stuffed with catchy musical numbers and lyrics that speak pointedly to all the young folks in the audience. The cast soars over dances that explode in every imaginable location. 

There are cheerleading calls and jumps, acrobatic cartwheels and spins, plus goofy unison kicks choreographed by Gary Lloyd with additional contributions by Stephanie Klemons. Considering the nefarious content clogging social media platforms, The Heathers was a harbinger of youthful mediations of destructive forces.

EYE ON THE ARTS< NY — Celia Ipiotis