Displaying items by tag: Steven Klenk

This new staging of Mean Girls the Musical, now playing at Paramount Theatre in Aurora’s downtown theatre district, brings Tina Fey’s sharp, culturally defining high-school satire to the stage with a pop-infused score and a contemporary theatrical energy that reframes the familiar story for a new generation - and they do a pretty fetch job with it. What this production captures especially well is the all-too-well-known rush of being thrown back into the fiercely competitive atmosphere of high school all over again - the crowded hallways, the shifting alliances, the way a single rumor can tilt the entire school social landscape. The staging at Paramount Theatre makes those dynamics feel immediate, almost uncomfortably recognizable, reminding audiences how quickly the desire to fit in can override better judgment. It’s funny, sharp, and just self-aware enough to let you laugh at the chaos while remembering exactly what it felt like to navigate it.

The plot follows Cady Heron (Elizabeth Stenholt), a teenager who moves from Kenya to suburban Chicago and enters North Shore High School after years of being homeschooled. She quickly discovers that the school operates on a rigid social hierarchy, narrated with biting humor by Janis Sarkisian (Lucy Godínez) and Damian Hubbard (Steven Klenk), who guide her through the cliques and warn her about the most powerful group: The Plastics. Regina George (Dariana Mullen), Gretchen Wieners (Angel Alzeidan), and Karen Smith (Julia Hope Budd) rule the school with a mix of charm, intimidation, and ruthless social strategy, and when Regina unexpectedly invites Cady into their circle, she is pulled into a world of manipulation, gossip, and carefully curated popularity. Janis, who has a long-standing feud with Regina, convinces Cady to infiltrate The Plastics and report back on their behavior, setting off a chain of choices that gradually erode Cady’s sense of self as she begins adopting Regina’s tactics and losing sight of her own values.

Paramount’s “Plastics” are played by (from left) Julia Hope Budd as Karen Smith, Dariana Mullen as Regina George and Angel Alzeidan as Gretchen Wieners.

One of the production’s most “wow” moments comes when The Plastics first appear, silhouettes poised atop the school stairway before descending like rock stars - a clever, high-impact entrance that instantly sets the tone.

Central to the musical’s conflict is the Burn Book, a scrapbook created by The Plastics and filled with photos of classmates alongside handwritten insults, rumors, and secrets. It’s a private weapon of social destruction, and when Regina discovers Cady’s betrayal, she detonates it by releasing the book to the entire school, planting a fake insult about herself so she appears innocent. The fallout sparks a chaotic riot among the junior class, forcing Principal Duvall (Austin Nelson Jr.) to intervene and leading to a school-wide reckoning. 

Mean Girls taps into something painfully recognizable: the way girls learn to measure themselves against each other, and how the need to fit in can become its own quiet form of survival. It lays bare the unspoken rules of teenage girlhood - the constant self comparison, the social performance, the fear of exclusion - and shows how easily those pressures can harden into the very behaviors that hurt others. Beneath the comedy, there’s a clear understanding of how identity gets shaped, distorted, and reclaimed in the crucible of adolescence.

At the center of the production is Elizabeth Stenholt, whose performance as Cady Heron gives the show its emotional anchor. She charts Cady’s evolution with clarity, moving from wide-eyed newcomer to reluctant Plastic with a grounded, human touch. Opposite her, Dariana Mullen delivers a sharply etched Regina George, wielding charisma and calculated menace with effortless control. Together, Stenholt and Mullen create a dynamic push and pull that fuels the show’s momentum, supported by a leading cast whose charged performances keep the story vivid and unexpectedly heartfelt. Veronica Garza (Mrs. Heron / Ms. Norbury / Mrs. George) adds versatility and grounded humor across her roles, shifting smoothly between characters and giving each one a distinct presence; among the talented cast, she stood out as one of my favorites, especially in her turn as Regina’s humorously over-the-top “cool mom.”

Director Devon Hayakawa guides the production with a steady, clear approach, keeping the story moving and giving the cast room to shape their characters. Kasey Alfonso’s choreography brings consistent energy to the ensemble, supporting the humor and helping the larger numbers land with ease. Kory Danielson’s music direction and conducting provide a reliable foundation throughout, keeping the vocals tight and the orchestra responsive to the shifts in tone. The design team adds cohesive polish: Kotryna Hilko’s costumes are full of sexy punch and humorous excitement and Greg Hofmann’s lighting is an explosion of flashing pink tones that would delight any Mean Girls fan. Adam Rosenthal’s sound design maintains balance, Erin Pleake’s video work adds many layers of reality to the already aesthetically exciting set, and Ethan Deppe’s electronic elements blend smoothly into the score.

Cady (Elizabeth Stenholt, center), the new girl from Africa who transfers to Chicago’s North Shore High, is befriended by social outcasts Damian (Steven Klenk, left) and Janis (Lucy Godinez, right) in Mean Girls.

The set is impressively immense, a sprawling expanse of pink that never feels wasted or ornamental. Every nook and cranny is smartly utilized to build out North Shore High School, with stairways, hallways, classrooms, and common spaces folding into one another in ways that keep the action fluid and visually engaging.

The musical numbers are where this production really hits its stride, pairing Alfonso’s crisp, high-energy choreography with songs that sharpen the show’s humor and emotional stakes. I wasn’t necessarily expecting the music to land as strongly as it did, assuming the humor and engaging story would carry most of the weight, but the score proves to be one of the production’s biggest strengths. Elizabeth Stenholt shows she can truly belt, delivering powerhouse vocals in both “It Roars” and “I See Stars,” while Dariana Mullen matches her intensity and range with a commanding “World Burn.” Lucy Godínez gets a standout showcase of her own in “I’d Rather Be Me,” reinforcing why Janis Sarkisian remains such a fan favorite. Steven Klenk’s Damian - the “too gay to function” best friend - lands sharp comedic lines throughout and brings infectious energy to “Where Do You Belong?” The choreography makes clever use of the revolving floor and incorporates desks, lunch tables, and trays in ways that keep the staging inventive and visually playful. Comedy lands not just in the dialogue but in the musical staging itself - the heightened high-school dramatics, the sly visual gags, and the rhythmic timing that turns social chaos into full-company spectacle. The humor comes through clearly, supported by musical numbers that are confidently staged and consistently engaging.

Based on the now cult-favorite 2004 film, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2018, adapted once again by Tina Fey with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Its theatrical form allows the story to expand emotionally, using songs to deepen character motivations and give voice to internal conflicts that the film conveyed through montage or narration. While the musical retains the film’s core plot, several notable differences distinguish it from its 2004 source: updated characterizations, modernized humor, broader representation, a stronger presence of social media, and shifts in relationships and family dynamics that reflect contemporary storytelling.

Paramount’s production of Mean Girls the Musical proves to be a smart, engaging take on the material, carried by a committed cast and a creative team that understands how to translate the story’s humor and heart to the stage. It moves with confidence, lands its character beats cleanly, and offers enough freshness to make revisiting this world worthwhile. For audiences looking for a lively, contemporary musical with sharp performances and a cohesive design approach, Mean Girls is an easy recommendation - now running through October 11, 2026 at Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

https://paramountaurora.com/events/mean-girls/