When I heard that “Heathers: The Musical” was coming back and being presented at New World Stages on W. 50th Street, I was so excited, as was my daughter Jasmine. We rushed to the theater and we had an outrageously fun time.
Firstly, this musical stars Lorna Courtney (who made her Broadway debut as Juliet in “& Juliet”) who plays Veronica Sawyer, an awkward teenager in a new town and school, desperately trying to fit in. She is a joy to watch as she devours this role with her phenomenal vocals and marvelous acting abilities. As Veronica, she tries to find how to not only belong but to thrive at Westerberg High School, where everyone has been delegated to a rigidly designated role, and the popular girls are three girls all named Heather.
Casey Likes delivers a stunning performance as Veronica’s love interest, Jason “J.D.” Dean, also a new student, but what he brings to the table is much more than anyone could imagine. Likes takes the audience on a captivating journey into the mind of a young man who has been emotionally abused by his father, witnessed his mother’s death, and truly has a chip on his shoulder that only seems to be quelled by murder.
The actresses who play the Heathers are absolutely mesmerizing. McKenzie Kurtz as Heather Chandler is evil personified. She is mean, vain, and without a conscience. Kurtz plays her in a funny and cold-blooded manner that will have you amused and immersed.
At the performance I attended, Kiara Michelle Lee played Heather Duke (a role normally played by Olivia Hardy). Lee brought a great deal to the role — her character goes through a metamorphosis that you have to see to believe.
Elizabeth Teeter plays Heather McNamara and does a wonderful job of bringing this lesser of the evil characters to life.
School jocks and jerks are hilariously portrayed by Xavier McKinnon (Ram) and Cade Ostermeyer (Kurt). These young men are amusing on so many levels.
Erin Morton, who is making her off-Broadway debut, is wonderful as Martha Dunnstock, the heavy-set girl who is often targeted by the Heathers. Morton is definitely an amazing talent and I know we will see more of her in the future; she plays Martha with so much heart.
Kerry Butler plays Ms. Fleming, a teacher at the high school, and brings a lot of humor to the musical.
This cast is full of so many delightful performances. Ben Davis plays multiple roles and does each distinctly. Cameron Loyal also plays multiple roles and will have you in stitches each time he takes the stage. Additional cast members include Sara Al-Bazali, Emma Benson, James Caleb Grice, Louis Griffin, Devin Lewis, Kiara Michelle Lee, Brian Martin, Lav Raman, Syd Sider, and Cecilia Trippiedi.
This cast truly will make you smile as they take the audience on this journey of trying to fit in, but at what cost? This musical makes you question: When does a teenager realize that maybe their relationship has gone too far? You have to wonder how much a person will do to fit in.
The production has an incredible book, music, and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, and engaging direction by Andy Fickman. The creative team for this production is splendid and consists of choreography by Gary Lloyd, with additional choreography by Stephanie Klemons; set and costume design by David Shields; co-costume design by Siena Zoe Allen and assistant costume design, Amanda Roberge; lighting design by Ben Cracknell and associate lighting design, Colleen Doherty; sound design by Dan Samson and associate sound design, German Martinez; music supervision by Will Joy; music direction by Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh; associate director, Taylor Haven Holt; fight director, Lisa Connell; and intimacy coordinator, Rebecca Reaney.
For tickets and more info, visit heathersthemusical.com.