BETH: When creating the look for the Broadway adaptation of Tina Fey’s 2004 hit movie
MEAN GIRLS, director Casey Nicholaw, set designer Scott Pask and costume designer Gregg Barnes
were excited to collaborate once again on a musical comedy.
--The whole production part of Mean Girls was such a breeze in the way that
all of us have such a short hand --I feel like Casey is one of these very special
people who knows the backstage world as well as the front of stage, and with that
it just brings this entire wealth of knowledge to
the design process for me.
--They set a tone that is joyful, and it you know
doing a new musical is not for the faint of heart, but when you have a bunch of
collaborators that are quick to laugh, it makes all the difference in the world.
BETH V.O.: The designer spoke about creating a set as sleek as The Plastics.
--You know Tina's writing moves so quickly, I was like how
am I gonna keep up with that?
We can't wait for something to just come in.
So that's when I got the idea for for the screens.
It ended up being so right for the show.
We're able to move the show like nothing I've ever moved before.
--The shape of the half circle was something that he was inspired by.
I kept going oh god you know I want to make like shape it
like the tube of lipstick or something, so we just start going with that.
And this and I always love a semicircle because I was feel like the focus
is so great onstage for those people that are holding center and actually
has a great square footage but it feels really intimate
--It was so exciting, but it also was really hard
because it was like I was directing two shows at the same time, because the
screens move with the choreography, they move with the set changes, they move with
every transition --We're spinning through each of the various hallways, locker room,
classrooms, and the cafeteria, ultimately.
Even the way that we're going from one scene to the next, there's a dynamic quality
to those transitions.
What was important to me was, if we're gonna do projection
design at this scale and at this like level of intensity, I wanted to
fully embrace it.
And then have these scenic elements that kind of drift
in and actually complete the world and work within the flow of the show, and
I think we've accomplished it in a way that I I've always hoped that we would.
BETH V.O.
: Of course, the costumes for Mean Girls are fabulous, but Barnes and Nicholaw
were also concerned with capturing the essence of each character.
--You know the challenge of designing a modern dress show is often that
while you want it to be authentic, you also don't want everybody in the audience
to be wearing your costume plot.
The big question is always where did this stuff come from?
So like in the case of Taylor, we decide, oh economically she's
her family's a little bit you know bumped on the on the ladder, so we pair pieces
from Moschino with things from H&M.; In the play, Janice and Damien are the
they're the counterculture to the plastics they're the other, other.
We thought it would be hilarious to assemble an array of t-shirts
--Oh my gosh, Grey Henson and all those t-shirts.
I was saying you know what we can't have it look like costumes.
It has to look like things they would wear.
And Greg was so good, and he really talked to
the actors, and really was like what what do you want to wear?
What is your character?
What do you feel like?
--And then with with Janis, you know, she's an art
she's an art freak.
But we customized every single thing she owns with little people
and funny you know political slogans, and things against The Plastics
[BETH V.O.:] --With such a talented creative team Mean Girls is
full of wit.
It's also full of feeling.
--It's the most fun you're gonna have on Broadway, and it's written by a genius
staged and directed and choreographed by most talented and brilliant director on
Broadway, the clothes are fantastic.
Your style tips are up there.
--There's a lot of lessons to be learned, and I know for myself,
when they get to the finale and they have those crepe paper flowers hanging
over their spring dance, it takes me back and I get very emotional
--And then what I love at the end of the show is when we sing I See Stars, and everyone
is going like come on guys let's just be kind and open-minded to each other.
And I just think that is such a good message, and I think that it's such a nice bookend
at the end of the show that you come in wondering what the story's going to
be about, and then you leave feeling good and hopefully getting the message,.