Big voices, Tina Fey's signature wit animate 'Mean Girls' national tour

“Mean Girls” - ★ ★ ½

In its initial moments, “Mean Girls” asks: “How far would you go to be popular and hot?”

The question, of course, is rhetorical. There's no limit to how far the queen bees and wannabes will go to dominate their high school social hierarchy in this bright, shiny, overstuffed musical adaptation of Tina Fey's 2004 satire about lip-glossed, perfectly coifed teens and the unfortunate souls upon which they prey.

The show, whose national tour plays Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre through Jan. 26, boasts Second City alum Fey's signature wit and buoyant tunes by composer Jeff Richmond (Fey's husband and Second City veteran) and lyricist Nell Benjamin. Eschewing schmaltz, Fey's nicely satirical book hews close to the film (most of the jokes remain), the exception being ubiquitous references to social media, which was in its infancy when the film premiered 15 years ago. However, the fundamental lessons remain: Don't play dumb to attract a boy, don't abandon flesh-and-blood friends for plastic pals and be nice to the other high school genera (mathletes, show choir kids, “woke seniors,” etc.) who share your watering hole.

Unlike the film, this “cautionary tale” tuner is narrated by artsy outsiders Janis and Damian (played by Mary Kate Morrissey and Eric Huffman) who befriend math whiz Cady, the perpetually perky newcomer powerfully sung by the immensely likable Danielle Wade. Transplanted from Kenya where she's spent most of her life, the home-schooled Cady lands in the upper middle-class environs of Chicagoland's North Shore where she encounters high school cliques as threatening as any wild beasts she's encountered.

At the top of the food chain are The Plastics - a trio of “shiny, fake and hard” girls - led by queen bee Regina (Mariah Rose Faith) who's attended by insecure Gretchen (Megan Masako Haley) and sweet-tempered but dim Karen (Jonalyn Saxer). Urged on by Janis and Damian, who are eager to dig up dirt on The Plastics in order to topple them, Cady accepts Regina's lunch invitation and soon finds herself adopted by the popular trio.

But the newfound friendship sours after Cady falls for Aaron (Adante Carter), Regina's former boyfriend, who Regina quickly reclaims after learning of Cady's interest in him, thus setting in motion a series of schemes and betrayals that threaten the entire animal kingdom.

Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw's production is big, brightly colored, kinetic and served up with nice amount of sass (a “Lion King” sendup sets the tone early on). But no amount of gloss makes up for the fact that not much happens in “Mean Girls” and the show feels padded. Case in point, “Sexy,” which pokes fun at teen girls' preference for alluring Halloween costumes (sexy Abraham Lincoln, sexy Rosa Parks, sexy Yoda) doesn't warrant an entire musical number, especially when it prolongs the lengthy first act.

Nevertheless, Act I ends (after nearly an hour) on a high note with the anthemic “Fearless,” whose admonition to young women not to hunch their shoulders and make themselves small is advice worth repeating. So is the second act's boffo 11 o'clock number, the equally empowering “I'd Rather Be Me,” in which Morrissey's Janis offers her “right finger to how girls should behave, 'cause sometimes what's meant to break you makes you brave.”

Morrissey, like Wade and Faith, is a robust singer whose outsize voice is well-suited to Richmond's pop-rock songs, which we might appreciate more if there were fewer of them.

Still, there's no denying the appeal of “Mean Girls,” a show that will resonate until a time when being popular and hot no longer matters.

Location: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 26. Also, 2 p.m. Dec. 27 and 31 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5. No shows Jan. 1

Running time: About 2 hours, 30 minutes, including intermission

Tickets: $30-$120

Parking: Paid lots nearby

Rating: For high school age and older