PUBLISHED REVIEW: "Mean Girls" at Beckman High School is a Massive Deal!

written by Reiko De La Pena, a sophomore at Newport Harbor High School for Orange County Cappies

Breanna Nash as Regina George in Mean Girls at Beckman Theatre

At North Shore High, the cliques crumble under the reign of the ruthless Plastics. Trading the African savanna for the halls of North Shore High, new girl Cady Heron stumbles into the life of "Apex Predator" Regina George, and must learn how to survive the social food chain. Through vibrant dance numbers and a dynamic ensemble, Beckman sets the stage for a perfectly pink performance.

With sweet smiles, Eve Mallawong steals the show as Cady Heron. As Mallawong transitions from awkward mathlete to plastic, her timid and naive stance changes to confident and fearless, as she struts on stage and twirls her hair. Mallawong's talented vocal ability clearly conveys Cady's feelings in various situations, such as using a strong mix belt in "Stupid with Love" and "It Roars", while softening her voice for emotional songs like "I See Stars", truly knowing where Cady belongs in the end.

Breanna Nash radiates the stage as Queen Bee, Regina George. Nash's stage presence holds the same power as Regina holds over the North Shore students with hair tosses, menacing smirks, and dominant strides. In breathtaking performances like "Someone Gets Hurt" and "World Burn", Nash's vocals soar through the air and showcases her ability to go from sickeningly sweet to vindictive, embodying Regina's passive aggressive persona and her crave for revenge.

Andrew Dove (Jason) stands out among the talented ensemble, commanding the stage during every dance number. With bursts of energy in his choreography, Dove effortlessly performs a tap dance solo in "Stop!" with professionalism.

From 54 props to 72 lunch trays, each of Rebecca Nazareth's props are masterfully detailed. Nazareth's dedication is evident in the three hours it took to build the Burn Book's exterior, using a large sketchbook and fuschia fabric. Her creativity is outstanding, even differentiating purses by color for the Plastics: Gretchen's classiness shines through white, pink for Karen's kindness, and black embodies Regina's dominance and authority.

Hair and Makeup (Katie Matsui and Kaley Le) creatively portray the realistic yet colorful looks of each character. They represent Cady's character development by changing her childlike pigtails to luscious curls, enhancing her transformation throughout the show.

The company of Beckman High School explores the themes of being true to yourself, choosing empathy before judgement. We are all stars. Let's raise our right hand and swear we'd rather be us than anyone else!

READ THE PUBLISHED REVIEW HERE.