Mean Girls may actually be on Broadway some day. Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen took the chance to address rumors of a musical adaptation when he sat down with Tina Fey, the writer and co-star of the 2004 cult hit. In a “speed round,” he peppered her with all of his questions about the project, unearthing information that will make fans of the film sing and dance with joy.
Fey, who is married to composer Jeff Richmond, confirmed that she is working on the musical but that they haven’t finished it yet. She said that it follows the movie’s plot pretty closely, based on what they have done so far. What has been challenging is figuring out where Act 1 would end, and what the the 11 o’clock number would be about, according to Fey, though she did suggest that the girl fight would possibly serve as the 11 o’clock number. (The term refers to the major number that occurs late in the second act of a two-act musical.)
Cohen and Fey also discussed casting, and she quickly shut down any possibility of her reprising her role, saying she would want a Broadway performer to do it. It sounds like a good choice, considering that they want the music to be more classic Broadway than pop. (Cohen used Bring It On: The Musical as a point of reference.)
As for the film’s stars, which include Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, and Daniel Franzese, Fey has no intention of asking them to return for the musical. Cohen didn’t ask her why, but we would assume that age is a factor. The story follows high school students, and the actors who originally played them are now well into their late 20s and 30s.
Fey didn’t have a serious estimate for when the musical could open, but she did joke that they would wait out Hamilton and premiere in 2027.
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