Midtown’s theater program is performing “Mean Girls” for its annual spring musical. The show is based on the popular movie from the 2000s. Remaining performances are March 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. Each night of the show entailed something special — including tech night, alumni night, understudy night and senior night.

Actors began the audition process in December. They were asked to prepare one “Mean Girls” song and one musical theatre song. Senior Naomi Kester, who plays the role of Janis, said this was a new auditioning experience for the returning actors.

“The audition process was unlike one Midtown has ever seen for a musical in the past four years,” Kester said. “We had a recorded singing audition due the day of in-person auditions, at the in-person audition, we read different excerpts from the show for around an hour and learned and performed a dance from the show in about an hour, then the next day, we had callbacks, which are basically people that our director wants to see more from.”

Rehearsals began in January, with actors preparing for the production in every way possible. Students have been attending multiple music, choreography and blocking rehearsals weekly in order to put the large show together. Senior Gianna Soave is playing the role of Gretchen and emphasized the importance of dedication outside of rehearsal, as well. 

“All of the lead roles have pretty high voice parts and high belts, so it was really important to practice that and practice good vocal technique to be able to hit those,” Soave said. “Also, I feel like it was very important to be familiar with the show and be able to have an interpretation of your scene.”

Sophomore Sawyer Scofield is part of the backstage crew and said the success of “Mean Girls” does not only depend on the actors, as the backstage teams work to make everything flow seamlessly. The technical crew has been designing and building the set, costumes, lights, sound and props for the show since rehearsals began. 

“I think that sound and lights are both important but unnoticed and unhonored aspects of the show,” Scofield said.

The lighting crew works to shape the mood of the production with responsibilities, such as programming cues and adjusting spotlights. They create an ambience that correlates with the different scenes in “Mean Girls.”

“My lighting, specifically using the spotlight, draws the total focus to Regina in the song ‘World Burn,’” Scofield said. “It can make the audience feel the power that she holds. Lighting effects used in the show have imbued additional energy and joy into scenes.”  

The choreography is also a central part to the show’s energy. Head choreographer Rowan Wang said the opening number, “Where Do You Belong,” was the hardest to choreograph, as it’s five minutes long with three dance breaks and includes the majority of the cast. 

“Some numbers are more classic jazz, whereas others are hip-hop based, but the majority of the choreography is commercial jazz and musical theater style,” Wang said. “We haven’t fully gelled as a group yet, and we had to work around an imaginary set we didn’t have yet.” 

The music direction ties the show together, as well. Music Director Zoe Diamond-Wilding said the music reinforces the storytelling throughout the production. 

“In many scenes, there’s music that plays under the conversation, setting the tone for each scene and making the show feel more cohesive as musical themes are repeated throughout,” Diamond-Wilding said.

The production is being directed by theater teacher Brooke Collins, who has been guiding the cast and crew through months of preparation. 

“We started with a read-through so the cast and crew could understand the full arc of the show,” Collins said. “The crew works on designs that align with the needs of the show, while the cast works on singing, choreography and blocking. Once everything is set, we put it all together with set changes, props, lights, costumes and microphones. The tech process is when we put it all together, and everyone’s hard work pays off.”

Soave said she hopes the school community will recognize the dedication behind the show and come to support their work. 

“I just hope people will go away feeling like they could see themselves in the show in some way and get to see the incredible talent onstage,” Soave said. “I also hope we can recruit a few people to join theater next year.”