Photo credit Boris Martin
The Paramount Theatre in Aurora opened its 2026-2027 Broadway Series this weekend with Mean Girls and it is fetch!
If you’re not sure what that means, you are probably not familiar with the 2004 film starring Lindsay Lohan, the Tony nominated musical from 2018 or the musical remake of the film from 2024. To translate, the woman next to me said “I’d see that again” as soon as the curtain call ended while the man behind me exclaimed “that was F’ing Amazing.” So now, you have an idea of what fetch means!
The Paramount Theatre doesn’t do anything small and Mean Girls is no exception. Be ready for the color pink everywhere- lots and lots of pink, including on many of the patrons- and a two-story set designed by Milo Bue, complete with two movable staircases that are constantly repositioned to reflect the shifting power dynamics of North Shore High. Be ready, too, for powerful vocals from much of the cast, especially Elizabeth Stenholt as Cady Heron, the formerly homeschooled teenager trying to navigate the social hierarchy of her new high school.
After spending much of her youth in Kenya, Cady arrives at North Shore and meets Janis (Lucy Godinez) and Damian (Steven Klenk) two social outcasts who seem perfectly comfortable with who they are and happy to teach Cady about the social food chain.Then, for reasons even Cady doesn’t quite understand, the Plastics- popular girls Regina (Dariana Mullen), Gretchen (Angel Alzeidan) and Karen (Julia Hope Budd)- take an interest in her. Janis and Damian encourage Cady to play along so she can learn their secrets. But the more Cady becomes entangled with the Plastics, the more she begins to resemble them, hurting her true friends, pushing away Aaron (Diego Vazquez Gomez), the boy she has been crushing on, and eventually causing Regina to get hit by a bus. (Don’t worry- no one dies.)
The show is fast-paced and funny- thanks in large part to a book by Tina Fey- and Paramount’s artistic collaborators put their own stamp on the production, making it visually stunning. Kotryna Hilko’s colorful, contemporary costumes perfectly capture the world of high school, and as mentioned before, Milo Bue’s multilevel set keeps the action moving and reinforces the ever-changing social hierarchy. Kasey Alfonso’s high-energy choreography adds even more momentum, keeping the production engaging from beginning to end.
Mean Girls is a show I am very familiar with, so I was looking forward to seeing Paramount’s spin on it. The production I saw most recently was a high school version, so I was pleasantly surprised by how different this production felt. Paramount calls it a “Chicago premiere,” and it certainly gave me a fresh perspective on a show I already know well. My one hesitation was that it was sometimes a little difficult to believe the actors onstage were actually high school students. They may have been slightly more mature than the characters they were playing, but they brought plenty of energy to the show and impressed me vocally throughout.
Stenholt brings powerful vocals to the stage and convincingly moves Cady from a naive, homeschooled girl to Queen Bee. The Plastics are a strong trio, with my favorite being the vulnerability Alzeidan brought to Gretchen. Mullen is strong and suitably evil as Regina, while Budd’s Karen is dumb and pretty, just as she’s supposed to be. Godinez and Klenk are funny as the show’s narrators, and the supporting cast of Mathletes, high school students and teachers are equally entertaining.
A special note on the actress who stole the show for me- Veronica Garza. She plays multiple characters- Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury, and Mrs. George- and she is fantastic. Each character is completely distinct, and Garza’s comedic timing is impeccable. Her ability to switch between characters, sometimes seemingly in the blink of an eye, is especially impressive. I have to point out that this is the second review this summer where I’ve singled out Garza as my favorite actor in a show. I hope to continue to see more of her in Chicago theater productions.
Mean Girls is funny, energetic, visually impressive and filled with talented performers. What makes the musical work is that beneath all the jokes, pink and outrageous high school behavior, there is a surprisingly straightforward message about the danger of losing yourself while trying to fit in. Paramount’s production reminds us why most of us never want to go back to high school and that, in the end, as director Devon Hayakawa points out, kindness always wins. Plus, you can never have too much pink!
Mean Girls is now playing at the Paramount Theatre, 8 E Galena Blvd., Aurora, through October 11. Performance times vary; check the website at Paramount Theatre. Find more information about current plays on our Current Shows page and at theatreinchicago.com.