Upon its release in 2004, Mean Girls promptly became a cultural phenomenon. As time went on, the popularity did not fade due to the quotable nature of the movie. Following the recent trend of popular movies being adapted into musicals, Mean Girls also underwent a transformation.
The visionary behind the script for this new musical was Tina Fey, the same woman who wrote the screenplay for the movie. Due to this, there are many similarities between the musical and the movie. However, there were some transformations made during its adaptation. Here are 10 changes that happened when Mean Girls went from screen to stage.
Janis and Damian Are Narrators
One common trope used in musical theatre is having a narrator. Mean Girls the Musical followed this cliché by having Janis and Damian serve as the narrators. They break the fourth wall several times throughout the show, sharing crucial background information with the audience.
This is set up right at the beginning of the show as the duo introduce Cady and the journey we are about to join her on.
Coach Carr
Coach Carr was an extremely problematic character. For a movie that claimed to be progressive and feminist, this character's serious offenses were not handled appropriately. This pedophile - who happened to be the sex education teacher as well as the gym teacher, was engaging in sexual relations with his students.
This is an extreme abuse of power and constitutes statutory rape. Instead of taking these crimes seriously, this character was played for laughs. Luckily, this is no laughing matter in the musical. Coach Carr makes a cameo as a teacher, but he doesn't have a significant role as he does in the movie.
No Jingle Bell Rock
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when the girls dance to "jingle bell rock." In the movie, this is a pivotal scene for Cady as she steps up to save their performance after Gretchen accidentally kicks the boombox off the stage. This scene would have seemingly fit well into the musical as it's the only dance number in the movie.
Instead of using this scene, the girls dance to "Rockin Around The Pole." During the dance, Regina's skirt is torn off, and pictures are taken, which then go viral.
Cady Gets A Warning
In both the musical and the movie, Cady destroys her grades and her relationship with her parents in an attempt to attract Aaron Samuels. In the movie, no one seems to know just how much trouble Cady has gotten herself into until it's too late.
In the musical, Cady gets a warning about the dangers of obsessing over a boy. This warning comes in the form of the musical number "Stop," which is performed by Damian and all of the girls at school. It is a warning that Cady ultimately chooses to ignore.
Damian Is More Developed
In the movie, Damian is mainly used for comedic purposes. He is extremely stereotypical and one-dimensional. Very little time is spent getting to know this character.
Damian is much more developed in the musical. In addition to serving as the narrator in the musical, he has several songs and even gets a backstory about a guy he crushed on at camp.
Gretchen Questions Her Choices
In the movie, Gretchen is desperate to be liked. She blindly follows Regina around, although she feels self-conscious due to Regina's insults. When Cady begins to emerge as a leader, she quickly jumps ship - happy to play second string to a new queen bee.
In the musical, Gretchen thinks more carefully about this. She is more hesitant to follow Cady blindly and ponders whether she is entering into a relationship that is going to be just as troubling as the one she had with Regina. This doubt begins very early into the power switch, occurring even before the famous party scene at Cady's house.
Karen Given More Agency
In the movie, Karen is nothing more than a dumb blonde. While Karen certainly seems dim-witted due to her delivery and facial expressions, it is clear that Karen is smarter than she originally appears.
In some of her throwaway lines, she matter-of-factly imparts some real knowledge on the audience. One such example is when she mentions that boys are responsible for revenge porn, not the girls who took the photos. And as this Karen is taken more seriously, she also doesn't make-out with her cousin.
Regina Is A Boss
In the movie, Regina seems very insecure. Her desperation for recognition drives her character, and although she has power, she constantly seems afraid to lose it. This Regina is very different than the confident, empowered Regina in the musical.
This Regina actually doesn't care what people thinks about her. She is less spiteful and refuses to accept an apology from Cady as she doesn't believe Cady has a reason to apologize. She tells Cady never to apologize for something that she can't control and for being a boss.
Social Media
The effects of social media have changed drastically since Mean Girls was released in 2004. Of course with this change, the impact of social media had to be included in this new version. There are slight nods to its importance - such as the girls constantly taking selfies or being on their phones, and then there are bigger moments.
When Regina's skirt is ripped off during "Rockin' Around the Pole," Janis and Damian pause the show to talk about the dangers of social media. This coupled with throw away lines such as mentions of the president's twitter account and the mention of revenge porn put social media at the center of the show.
Heavy-Handed Feminism and Politics
Mean Girls was praised for being a feminist movie, but it was mostly because the movie was telling a story that hadn't been told before and bringing topics into the open that were often avoided. The feminist and political references in the musical are much more jarring.
There are lines such as "men are grabbing butts and shooting everybody" and a line about girls being called the B-word for behaviors that would be called strong if carried out by a man. This is definitely a huge tonal shift from the movie as it moves from using subtle humor to humor that is much more direct.