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Review: ‘Mean Girls’ at La Mirada deftly captures the female blackboard jungle

April 14, 2026

Musicals set in high schools, from “Grease” through “Dear Evan Hansen” and, most recently “The Outsiders,” traditionally are ruled by the tribal politics and social struggles of adolescent alpha-to-omega males.

But in Tina Fey’s revved-up “Mean Girls,” adapted from the 2004 movie, it’s young women baring sharp fangs and catty cruelties who dominate the territory.

Now at La Mirada Theatre, after the “Mean Girls” opening wink-wink dance homage to “The Lion King,” we quickly recognize the female blackboard jungle can be as dangerous as the real one.

While the non-musical, original film was set in a now distant past — Lindsay Lohan the age-appropriate star — when face-to-face interactions drove “did you hear who said what about whom?” plotlines, the 2018 Broadway musical version was adapted to reflect the electronic age.

Adrianna Rose Lyons (standing back center) with Grace Fluharty, Katie Roche and Sarah-Anne Martinez (center) star in “Mean Girls,” on stage at La Mirada Theatre through May 3. (Photo by Jason Niedle)

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Here, altercations happened in real time online as well as on stage. Fey’s sharp, updated scriptwriting even captures a young character’s self-awareness and angst through modern technology metaphor.

“Sometimes I feel like an iPhone without a case,” laments one of the two teen narrators. “I know I’m worth a lot and I have good functions, but I could just shatter.”

Push forward to 2026 and La Mirada’s production has the flashiest and most compelling use of video projections and graphics framing scene after scene that I have seen on a local, independent stage.

David Murakami’s ever-changing, gleaming visuals create a dynamic framing for “Mean Girls’” incessant and even frantic energy, which choreographer — and first-time La Mirada director — Dana Solimando matches at an unflagging pace.

This is a valuable approach because, truth be told, “Mean Girls” stretches on for almost 2 ½ hours and audiences need the visceral distraction to keep them occupied.

The musical’s biggest challenge of all is the music itself.

Jeff Richmond’s pop tunes are mostly generic, lacking distinguishing hooks, and by the second act they blur to the inner ear as yet another noisy explanation of how this teen feels in this specific moment lands without a lot of musical impact.

While Nell Benjamin’s lyrics cohere nicely enough to Fey’s book, this isn’t as focused as in stronger her work for “Legally Blonde.” There is a grab-bag approach to themes here touching on a variety of ills including opioid abuse, online bullying and body shaming.

These well up and then recede as secondary thoughts to the throughline of the girl vs. girl power struggle that plays out at affluent North Shore High School.

The show’s principal figure is Cady (Katie Roche), homeschooled in Kenya, and a math prodigy hoping to fit in. Janis and Damian (McKenna Michael and Gavin Leahy), defiantly self-absorbed arts nerds — and the show’s intermittent narrators — adopt Cady and steer her a path to navigate the pitfalls.

This mostly means Cady must come to terms with her chief combatant Regina, the school’s Capo di Tutti (Adrianna Rose Lyons). Along with needy sidekick Gretchen (Sarah-Anne Martinez) and self-admitted dim bulb Karen (Grace Fluharty), Regina rules the social swirl with disdainful power. “Apex Predator,” one of the show’s more potent songs, lays this out.

Naturally, there is a love interest, Aaron (Eric Myrick), whom both Cady and Regina tussle over. Beyond these principals, a fulsome cast totaling 25 fills out the usual high school groupings of stoners, jocks, math club bottom feeders and inevitably put-upon teachers.

“Mean Girls” highlights performances and La Mirada have plenty worth noting. While Roche and Lyons are visibly beyond high school age, the evening profits from this equity-caliber, longer résumé talent in the leads.

Roche has a big voice but when the show outfits her with the solo for “Stupid With Love,” the song itself doesn’t quite convey her yearning for Aaron as effectively as one might expect. However, her strong singing drives some of the better numbers, like “It Roars” and “Fearless.”

Lyons makes for a sleek, blonde pantheress and the actress is at her best slinking above her kingdom of underlings, then flailing to hold her perch.

Cruelly undone by that unkindest of life realities — weight gain while trying to shed a pound or two — Lyons has a fun occasional sparring partner in her mother (Gwen Hollander), the hysteric traces of bloodline upping both characters’ freak-out factors.

Regina’s partners in crime are two of the show’s strongest presences.

As Regina’s chief aide de camp Gretchen, Martinez’s inner insecurities are terrifically conveyed in her plaintive, emotional reading of “What’s Wrong With Me?”

Fluharty has the unenviable task of conveying clueless Karen, but the actress works a wonder out of timing some marvelously conflicting rhythms. After delivering blunt, often not-so-dumb-at-all lines, Fluharty pauses just long enough to facially register self-recognition at the meanings of what just came out of her mouth.

La Mirada casts somehow always unveil a high likability factor in the secondary roles. Especially, an ensemble member you just notice and then come to appreciate throughout the show.

In “Mean Girls,” standing above — quite literally, by a few inches — is Shailen Patel Braun as Mathlete captain Kevin Gnapoor.

Braun’s gangling goodness includes skillfully cringy dance moves leading the intentionally nerdy rap number “Do This Thing.” Plus, on opening night his sheer presence continued to amuse and pay off, even when, unintentionally near the end of the show, he awkwardly struggled with getting his left arm through the sleeve of his jacket.

La Mirada Theatre has had quite the season for itself. First, “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” with theater potentate Cathy Rigby swinging once again from and up to the rafters, and then the ambitious, well-realized mounting of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd,” the theater has set and scaled some high peaks.

While “Mean Girls” is a lesser hill, it’s still a fun night out … in fact, in the language of the show itself, why, it comes close to “fetch.”

‘Mean Girls’

Rating: 3 stars (of a possible 4)

Where: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada.

When: Through May 3. 7:30 p.m., Thursdays; 8 p.m., Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturdays; 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets: $23-$115

Information: 714-994-6310, 562-944-9801; lamiradatheatre.com

Review: ‘Mean Girls’ at La Mirada deftly captures the female blackboard jungle Orange County Register

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Review: ‘Mean Girls’ at La Mirada deftly captures the female blackboard jungle

‘Mean Girls’

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