Mean Girls—the record-breaking new musical comedy produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures based on the hit film – opens on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus at the Academy of Music on Tuesday, November 19, running through December 1. The Mean Girls First National Tour features Philadelphia native, Mary Kate Morrissey.

Mean Girls features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film; music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond; and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin. Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs.

My wife and I attended the opening night of the musical, and it was wonderful. If I could describe the musical with one word, it would be fun. It’s a high-energy show punctuated with a heavy helping of humor and numerous catchy songs that the audience thoroughly enjoyed. From the complicated dance numbers to the incredible vocal range of the entire cast, I was impressed by what I saw.We were invited to the cast after-party at Volvér. Having never been to this restaurant before, we looked forward to it. The food was excellent, as were the drinks. And it was nice having the opportunity to get some face-time with the cast and crew. As you can see above, I even had the chance to speak and take a photo with Mariah Rose Faith, who played Regina George—the meanest of the mean girls. Contrary to the character she inhabits, Mariah is a lovely person and it was a pleasure meeting her.

Upcoming Mean Girls Performances

• Wednesday, November 20, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, November 21, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, November 22, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 23, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 23, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 24, 2019, 1:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 24, 2019, 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 26, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 27, 2019, 1:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 27, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, November 29, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
• Friday, November 29, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 30, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 30, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, December 1, 2019, 1:00 p.m.

Mean Girls is a fun, high-energy musical filled with topical humor and melodic music. The cast is stellar, the set design inventive, and its two-and-a-half hour runtime blows by because of how entertaining it is. You don’t need to see the Mean Girls movie to appreciate what this musical has to offer. If you’re looking for a fun time out in Philly, seeing Mean Girls should be at the top of your list of things to do.