‘Mean Girls’ Learn to Play Nice at Toby’s

I’m so far removed from high school it was only called school back in the day, and the third side of a triangle in Geometry hadn’t been discovered. There was no TikTok, Instagram or smartphones. If you wanted to talk behind someone’s back, you simply talked behind someone’s back.

It’s different today, and any meanness can be fueled by social media and even a “burn book.” This phenomenon is displayed in the rousing musical Mean Girls currently playing at Toby’s, the Dinner Theatre of Columbia.

Though it’s a challenge for me to relate to the modern-day high school culture, I enjoyed the musical Mean Girls.  Helen Hayes Award winner Mark Minnick directed the talented cast through a well-staged, high-energy production with superb attention to details. David Singleton choreographed the dance-heavy musical with precision and creativity mimicking the chaos of high school vitality. The vocals by the performers as well as the high-voltage dancing executed by the entire cast are stellar contributing to a polished production. 

Mean Girls, based on the 2004 film of the same name, entertains on all fronts. The artistic cast and the six-piece orchestra directed by Ross Scott Rawlings deliver the music by Jeff Richmond, the clever lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Tina Fey of TV fame who also wrote the film.

Richmond’s and Benjamin’s music, while not spectacular, works well in bringing the story along. Several songs are notable and spread throughout the cast so that all the leads have a turn. The lyrics feature a decent degree of wit, but Fey’s droll and biting dialogue carries the day.

Conveyed in a contemporary universe where social media can make or break someone, the plot is punchy and at times, preachy. But it is melded into a hilarious tale focusing on teenagers’ social angst and its related mission to strive for popularity seemingly at all costs.

Tobi Baisburd as Janis and Alan Gutierrez-Urista as Damian

The central character Cady Heron (played spectacularly by Rachel Cahoon) is invited into The Plastics—a three-girl clique of high schoolers.  She is there to not only spy on the group as directed by her new friend Janis Sarkisian (Tobi Baisburd) who has vengeance on her mind towards the “queen bee” Regina George (MaryKate Brouillet), but also to boost her social status and desirability. As one of the lead characters Damian Hubbard (Alan Gutierrez-Urista) aptly put it, The Plastics are called that because “they are shiny, fake and hard.”  How that relationship works out for all concerned forms the crux of the story.

Cady had moved to a Chicago suburb from Kenya where her biologist parents had home schooled her. Naïve Cady realizes that she was not even noticed let alone accepted by the kids at North Shore High School until Janis and Damian Hubbard befriend her. This duo also act as the show’s narrators breaking the 4^th wall.

In the school cafeteria they point out to Cady the school’s eclectic cliques—jocks, nerds, sex maniacs, freaks among others—and then ultimately describe The Plastics—Regina George (MaryKate Brouillet), the leader; Gretchen Wieners (Emily Flack), the second in command; and Karen Smith (Alexis Krey Bedore), not the smartest phone in the pocket.

Janis had an unpleasant history with Regina, and as a means to revenge, she encouraged Cady to accept The Plastics’ invitation to sit with them for a week in the cafeteria in order to spy on them and feed Janis with information she can use against Regina.

As the members of The Plastics revealed their own individual personalities and character, Cady using cattiness and mean tricks maneuvered to eventually oust Regina as the number one Plastic and emerge as a popular force in the school.

Along the way, she became smitten with a talented and good-looking math student Aaron Samuels (Payton O’Keefe) who liked the more innocent version of Cady as opposed to what she later became.

The Plastics had compiled a “burn book” whereby photos of classmates were pasted in with nasty and mean comments included. Totally mean. The revelation of this book provides the turning point in the plot and the road to redemption and forgiveness was paved.

As Cady, Rachel Cahoon is convincing as the once naïve student who rose to the top of the social ladder and ultimately recognizing that hurting people was not the proper means to reach that goal. She is an exceptional math student and had resisted until the end to be part of the Mathletes math team. She had been warned by The Plastics that if she joined such a group, she would experience “social suicide.” Ms. Cahoon’s mezzo-soprano vocals shine in such numbers as “Stupid with Love,” “Apex Predator” and “More is Better.”

Tobi Baisburd as Janis possesses fine acting skills in portraying her complex character. Janis’ relationship with Regina was once friendly until the latter spread rumors that Janice was a lesbian forcing her to drop out of school at one point. Recognizing the ills of The Plastics, she tried to steer Cady away from the group’s influence.

"David Singleton choreographed the dance-heavy musical with precision and creativity mimicking the chaos of high school vitality."

Ms. Baisburd has an amazingly powerful voice, which is evident in several group numbers including “Apex Predator,” “Revenge Party” and the superbly moving “I’d Rather Be Me.”

MaryKate Brouillet is adept in portraying The Plastics’ leader Regina George. Wealthy with a “cool mom” (Valerie Adams Rigsbee), Regina’s cruelty and meanness is evident throughout, and an unlikely and near fatal encounter with a school bus altered her outlook for the better.  

As she engaged in reconciliation with Cady, Regina pointed out that she was “dead” for 15 seconds and offered her spoiler alert that heaven was a large hotel in Miami.

 Ms. Brouillet sings well as she always does in “Someone Gets Hurt” and “World Burn.”

Emily Flack plays the insecure second-in-command Gretchen as a member of The Plastics. Displaying nervous charm and quick wit, she divulges Regina’s secrets to help deal with her insecurity.  Ms. Flack showcases her lovely voice in one of the few solos in the show, the touching “What’s Wrong with Me?”

 In a comedic role Alexis Krey-Bedore performs exceptionally as the third member of The Plastics, Karen Smith. Essentially vapid and dumb, Karen is loveable and easily manipulated. Ms. Krey-Bedore handles the comedic role with impeccable timing and displays her fine vocals in “Sexy.”

Rachel Cahoon as Cady and Payton O'Keefe as Aaron

My favorite character of all is fierce and sassy Damian, who is played brilliantly by Alan Gutierrez-Urista, making his debut at Toby’s. Damian is the only character in the show who seems totally comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t need to pretend to be anybody else. This is both refreshing and surprising that an openly gay high school student is not the target of bullies and seems so together.

Mr. Gutierrez-Urista is blessed to have the lion’s share of the funny quips and carries the comedic role to perfection. He is also a splendid vocalist “Where Do You Belong?” “Revenge Party” and an accomplished dancer in the rousing opening production number of the second act “Mean”. 

Other notable members of the cast include Otega Okurume as Mr. Duvall; Nico Thompson as Kevin G and who is also in the Ensemble; and Brandon Bedore, who ably steps into a variety of roles throughout. The remainder of the stellar Ensemble who sing and dance up a storm are JC Bost, Joey Ellinghaus, Jaylen Fontaine, Amanda Kaplan Landstrom, Kayla Marks, Katelyn O’Connor, Anna Phillips-Brown, Gab Ryan, and Bryan Stopak.

David Singleton’s choreography is one of the show’s best features conforming to the in-the-round stage at Toby’s.  The wonderful dancers bring this chorography to life especially in such numbers as “Sexy,” “Revenge Party,” “Whose House Is This?” and the finale “I See Stars.”

The use of images on the video screens around the theater depict high school scenes like lockers and classrooms, and when equations from a Calculus class appeared, I almost went into cardiac arrest from the memory trauma it produced. Many cool props and set pieces are used to enhance the optics.

Janine Sunday does a fabulous job with a wide array of costumes befitting modern-day high schoolers. Unexpected, to me at least, is a New York Islanders jersey worn by Payton O’Keefe as Aaron Samuels.

And, of course, there were wigs for the female students with Jayson Kueberth doing a fine job in designing them. A full listing of the Production Staff and Orchestra is shown below.

This fast-paced, well-directed production of Mean Girls featuring an extremely talented cast, several of whom are new to Toby’s audiences, exceptional choreography and singing performances makes this a must-see experience and will keep you in the pink. The ultimate message of being kind to one another no matter what era you’re from hits the mark.

And the marvelous buffet will put you in the right mood. Don’t skip Regina's BBQ ribs!

Running time. Two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission.

Mean Girls plays through August 23 at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre, 4900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia, MD 21044.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 410-730-8311or visiting here.

Photos: Jeri Tidwell Photography

The menu is shown here.

Specialty Drink: The Burn Book

Next up: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical August 28 to November 1

  

Howard County Summer Theatre Presents a First-Rate ‘Fiddler on the Roof’

Howard County Summer Theatre’s 50^th annual production is Fiddler on the Roof, and it is so spot-on, it is easy to forget this is a community theatre presentation. Director Tom Sankey weaves a gorgeous tapestry of talent, costuming, choreography, and lighting in guiding the large cast (I stopped counting at 2 million) through a tightly, well-staged version of the classic musical.

Combining the outstanding music with a blend of comedy and tears-provoking emotions, Fiddler on the Roof, if you haven’t seen it already, will touch your heart in multiple ways. It starts with the central character Tevye, who from the opening number, is consumed by his devotion to tradition.

If there ever was a character in theatre who one feels compelled to root for, it has to be Tevye, the nearly impoverished milkman who resides in Anatevka, a small village in Czarist Russia in 1905.  His strong-willed wife has a sharp-tongue, and he is struggling to house, feed and clothe his five daughters.  

The three oldest of them eschew deeply ingrained Jewish traditions to which Tevye so desperately tries to cling in favor of pursuing lives of their own fueled by changing social mores.  And on top of that, Tevye and his family as well as the other Jews in Anatevka face constant anti-Semitism and intimidation from Russia’s Czar.

This production has enough gusto and energy to light that village of Anatevka and perhaps some of Columbia’s villages as well.

Fiddler on the Roof, with its iconic score, opened in 1964 and became the longest running show on Broadway (over 3,000 performances) until it was eclipsed by Grease.  It captured 9 Tony Awards of the 10 categories nominated including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography. 

Based on the Sholem Aleichem story Tevye and his Daughters, the show was crafted from music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. A hit movie and countless productions worldwide were spawned by the timeless musical. 

Popular songs, such as “Tradition,” “Matchmaker,” ‘If I Were a Rich Man,” “To Life” and “Do You Love Me?” are performed expertly.

The central character, Tevye, who appears in most of the scenes, requires a commanding presence and superior acting skills to include appropriate facial expressions, stage movements, mannerisms and comical timing.  He also needs to possess a rich and authoritative baritone voice.  John Bruns checks every one of those boxes. On one hand he demonstrates comedic instincts.  On the other hand, he can dance. And on the other hand, he talks directly to God. Mr. Bruns would have made Zero Mostel—the original Tevye—proud of his work and would have applauded him with both hands.

Mr. Bruns kicks off the production with a solid rendition of “Tradition,” and you know you are in for a treat the rest of the way.  He continues to soar in “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sabbath Prayer,” and in one of the more touching numbers, “Do You Love Me?” with Rebecca Stryker as his wife Golde.

Demonstrating his acting dexterity, Mr. Bruns convincingly and endearingly conveys his frustrations with his daughters Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava.  Each one of them pushes back on Jewish traditions, deeply troubling Tevye, to pursue the men they love. 

With Tzeitel it was Tevye’s breaking an agreement—convinced by the protests
from Tzeitel (played nicely by Sarah Young)—with the much older wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf, superbly played by Todd Hochkeppel.  Lazar had been “matched” by Yente (Debbie Mobley).   But Tzeitel wanted to be with and eventually marry the poor and timid tailor Motel (pronounced MAH-tel) with Jed Silverman in the role.

Hodel, charmingly played by Naomi Abankwah, caused Tevye’s blood pressure to rise as she rebuked tradition, too.   She was not being formally “matched” and instead found love with Perchik, a radical who thinks little of such customs.  Strong-headed Perchik is played excellently by Justin Moe.  Ms. Abankwah’s rendition of “Far From the Home I Love” is moving, using her gorgeous soprano voice to full effect.

For Chava (Libby Burgess), it was all Tevye could take.  When analyzing each of the other two daughter’s intentions, he reasoned, “On the one hand…but on the other hand…” before he reached a decision.  In Chava’s case, “I have no other hand,” he concludes.  This is a result of her desire to be with Fyedka (Sam Bishop) who is not Jewish.  Tevye could not go along in this case. 

Then there is Golde, Tevye’s wife of 25 years.  She provides comedic balance with her brusque retorts to Tevye especially when the sacred traditions were being compromised. Rebecca Stryker is exceptional in the role.  Golde succumbs to Tevye’s fake nightmare ruse in a stunning scene that includes white-clad spirits from the otherworld that allowed her to be convinced that Tzeitel should marry Motel.

Jed Silverman effectively portrays the poor tailor Motel in need of a new sewing machine.  Wimpy, especially in front of Tevye, Motel calls up his latent inner strength to fight for the woman he loves.

Todd Hochkeppel is perfectly cast as Lazar Wolf—that wealthy but lonely butcher. Hilarious in all his scenes, Mr. Hochkeppel is particularly laugh-producing during Tzeitel and Motel’s wedding when he chastised Tevye for breaking his agreement that would have allowed Tzeitel to marry him.

"...a tightly, well-staged version of the classic musical."

Debbie Mobley plays Yente to the hilt leading to amusing exchanges.  And although frequently onstage or above (like on a roof) but not speaking a word, The Fiddler himself is played by Michael Gbadamoshi.

Matt Cannon is effective in the role of Constable, an underling of the anti-Semitic Czar but one who has compassion for the Jewish community in the village.  He ably expresses his conflicting emotions between duty and his concern for Tevye and his cohorts.

Other notable performances were turned in by Doug Kook as The Rabbi, Luke Pinsky as Mendel, his son, and Sam Bishop as Fyedka.

Lists of the entire cast and production team are shown at the conclusion of the review.

At the end, the Czar ousts the Jewish residents from Anatevka, and the family members go their separate ways in a melancholy conclusion.

As fascinating as the story is, the music, choreography and staging excel.  Other special songs like “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Wedding Dance” add depth to a superb score.  Orchestra Director Kevin George and the musicians do a fine job with the wonderful music in backing up the vocalists, effectively enhancing the singers’ robust performances. 

Kassi Serafini directed the choreography, which was on target with traditional Jewish t and Russian Cossack dances.  The entire ensemble executes these with energy and precision and are terrific in their vocals.

Kathy Bondura and her team designed extraordinary and colorful period costumes.  They truly augmented the visual quality of the show as did the lighting sequences by Lucy Lanthier, Em Muryhina and Olivia Rumsey. I particularly enjoyed the continual changes in hues projected on the blank screen behind Tevye’s cabin.

Howard County Summer Theatre and all who participated should be congratulated for taking a classic show and maintaining its luster after six decades.

Anti-Semitism, a key component in Fiddler, is real. Whether it occurred in 1905 Russia or 1939 Germany or 2026 worldwide, it is a scourge that needs to be addressed. Anti-Semitism has surged globally and, in the U.S., fueled by social media, political polarization, generational shifts, and conflicts involving Israel, resulting in increased violence and fear among Jewish communities. This production is welcome not only for the entertainment value it brings but also to raise awareness of anti-Semitism.

Running time. Two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission.

Show Dates & Times:

8 Performances Only
June 18, 20*, 24, 25*, 26, 27 @ 7 p.m.
June 21, 28 @ 2 p.m.
* ASL interpretation is available for this performance

Venue:  Marriotts Ridge High School, 12100 Woodford Dr., Marriottsville, MD 21104

Tickets:   Tickets available at the door or online .

The proceeds of the production will benefit Luminus.

Photos: Neil Rubino

 

Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ Rocks Silhouette Stages

Silhouette Stages continues its 21^st season, which is themed “Coming of Age!” with an ambitious production of Green Day’s American Idiot. Director Henry Cyr excels in guiding an energetic and youthful cast through the sung-through punk rock opera with some excellent vocal performances, clever choreography by Maddie Ervin and stellar staging keeping the production lively throughout. Costume Designers Zen Tabligan and Jaylyn Hess appropriately fitted the cast with grunge-style attire that contributes splendidly to the vibe. Sammy Jungwirth’s lighting design enhances the rock show environment.

What also makes the production work is the wonderful live six-piece orchestra assembled on stage led by conductor Virginia Moses who is also on keys. For nearly 90 minutes straight, the musicians did Green Day’s score justice and then some. All members of the talented orchestra will be listed in the Production Team at the conclusion of this review.

With the stage basically cluttered with numerous set pieces wheeled in and out and with the orchestra stationed upstage, it is a testament to Mr.  Cyr and the crew to allow the leads and Ensemble to adroitly navigate through those obstacles symbolizing the chaos that’s associated with the story. A screen upstage contains images as the show progresses but are not truly clear. Prior to the show there are videos that depict lowlights of 21^st century events from 9/11 to covid to the current mess in our country that set the mood.

American Idiot is based on the punk rock group Green Day’s 2004 concept album of the same name and incorporates songs from another Green Day album, 21^st Century Breakdown from 2009. Both albums won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in their respective years. Lyrics were by Billie Joe Armstrong, and the book was penned by Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The 2010 Broadway show captured two Tony awards.

Some of the memorable songs include “American Idiot,” “Give Me Novacaine,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” and the finale “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”.  There’s an abundance of angst and teenage rebellion throughout, and many of the songs are laced with profanity.

The musical follows three disaffected friends from the suburbs in post-9/11 suburbia—Johnny, Tunny and Will—who are about to set off from their empty lives to look for fulfillment. To that end, Johnny and Tunny head to the big city. Will remains, however, when he learns his girlfriend is pregnant and goes into a drug and alcohol tailspin. Johnny is seduced by women and drugs while Tunny enlists and marches off to war where he is seriously injured.

Maxwell Wolf turns in a superb performance as Johnny, the musical’s protagonist.  His journey takes him to lost love to drug abuse as he conjures up St. Jimmy, a fast-living, drug-dealing, chaotic manifestation of everything Jimmy wishes he could be. St. Jimmy is played exuberantly by Tyler White.  

Mr. Wolf’s acting skills shine as his emotions range from depressed to even more depressed. Yet, his movements are animated and often packed with high energy.  You can feel how overwrought he is with emotion, and he conveys it convincingly. Mr. Wolf’s vocals in the numerous songs he is called on to perform are strong. His singing versatility are demonstrated by the many high velocity numbers to the tender ballad “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.  On a couple of occasions, he strums a guitar to accompany the songs.

Terin Kelsey adroitly plays Johnny’s friend Tunny. He accompanies Johnny to the big city but is enticed by advertisements to join the military. In a chilling scene, Mr. Kelsey and members of the ensemble, clad in military fatigues, slowly march across the stage as they head to war, presumably Iraq. There Tunny is seriously injured and is sent to rehab. He meets his nurse “Extraordinary Girl,” played by Lily Arbaugh, and they fall in love. Both Mr. Kelsey and Ms. Arbaugh display fine vocals.

The friend who remained in suburbia, Will, is played well by Ryan New. Will yearns for freedom but is trapped by reality as he learns his girlfriend Heather (played by Domenica “Minnie” Gregorini) is pregnant. His devotion to alcohol and drugs was too much for Heather. She decides to leave him, baby in tow.

Other key members of the cast include Geneva Croteau who plays Whatsername, the woman Johnny longed for and dragged into the world of drugs; Tyler White who excels as the frenetic St. Jimmy, the drug pushing id of Johnny with abundant singing talent; Ross Bollinger, who plays Favorite Son, the TV model who got Tunny’s attention that led to his enlistment; and Scott Armiger as Heather's Rock N Roll Boyfriend.

The Ensemble is excellent. They participate in virtually every number in backup singing roles and dancing. Their movements around the compact stage are precise and add tons of energy and enthusiasm. All cast members are named at the conclusion of the review.

By no means, is this show uplifting and joyous; it contains some rather unlikeable characters who struggle to find the happiness they crave. 

American Idiot works best if you view it not as a conventional book musical, but as a theatricalized punk rock concert. If you are a Green Day fan or love high-energy, unconventional theatre, it is a thrilling experience. However, if you require deep character development and a linear, dialogue-driven story, the show may leave you somewhat confused by the fragmented plot with the music valued over nuanced storytelling. Regardless, the stage presentation, the talents exhibited by the cast, and the fine direction make for an entertaining 90 minutes.

Advisory: The production contains mature themes including drugs, sexual situations, violence and profanity and is not recommended for young children.

Running time. One hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.

American Idiot plays on weekends through June 28 at the Slayton House Theatre, 10400 Cross Fox Ln, Columbia, MD 21044. For tickets, call 410-730-3987 visit online.

Photos: Shealyn Jae Photography