Heathers: The Musical, 2023.
Directed by Andy Fickman.
Starring Ailsa Davidson, Simon Gordon, Maddison Firth, Vivian Panka, Teleri Hughes, Vicki Lee Taylor, Mhairi Angus, Liam Doyle, Rory Phelan, Oliver Brooks, Andy Brady, Benjamin Karran, Chris Parkinson, Jermaine Woods, Eleanor Morrison Halliday, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Hannah Lowther, and May Tether.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the 1988 cult-classic movie, this musical follows Veronica’s struggle to survive her senior year while navigating the beautiful but cruel Heathers, a dangerous romance with the school rebel, and the pressure to fit in with everyone else.
Any film fan who loves cult classics knows all about Heathers from 1988. The Winona Ryder-led dark comedy was a fan favorite for years and eventually caught the interest of the musical world.
Much like John Waters’ infamous Hairspray, we would see one of the most iconic cult films flipped and dipped into something vastly different, but could it keep the soul of what made the original work so great? Thankfully, the answer to that question is a resounding yes; Heathers: The Musical is a near-perfect adaptation that proves this story works in any medium.
Speaking of the story, Heathers is not an easily digestible story; it takes some reasonably dark elements like teen suicide and bullying but gives it a sardonic twist. When adapting this for the stage, going from the West End to Broadway, it’s easy to assume they’d tone down the darker elements, but something about seeing this story told through a candy-coated musical lens makes it hit that much harder. Heathers: The Musical knows this type of setting could make it easier to process these conversations, and the production dives headfirst into them with a cheeky grin.
Any hesitation about Heathers heading toward the musical world will need not worry as the work almost feels made to be sung loudly and proudly.
Veronica Sawyer (Ailsa Davidson) has dreams of popularity, and they begin to come true when she’s taken under the wings of the three stylishly cruel Heathers. Veronica’s life is thrown into a tizzy when J.D. (Simon Gordon) enters the picture, being a hot loner to twist Veronica’s perception of life. Shade is thrown, and deaths happen, but does Veronica love it all?
Heather: The Musical follows the same basic outline of the film but takes liberties with the story to tell a fresher tale. The changes don’t hurt the story, though it feels like J.D. doesn’t bring the same uneasy energy that Christian Slater’s version had in the movie. Ailsa Davidson is an excellent example of someone who takes their movie counterpart and twists it to make it her own; Veronica remains the glue that holds the whole story together, and that remains the same here.
Though, three baddies make everything theirs regarding the musical elements. Led by Heather Chandler (Maddison Firth), the Heathers trio is just as memorable as they were in the film, but they stand out even more with some killer tunes. Vivian Panka is a favorite with her pitch-perfect delivery and ability to fit into the trio when needed seamlessly. It would be easy to “steal the spotlight,” but the Heathers need to be an ensemble, and the women here make it seem effortless.
Outside of these characters, the supporting cast delivers precisely what they need. Especially Mhairi Angus’s Martha Dunnstock gets a stellar ballad solo that stands out as one of the best songs. There’s also a good number featuring a fight between J.D. and jocks Ram and Kurt, using the most of the stage, actors, songs, and film production.
The songs of Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s musical adaptation need a spotlight. Providing the music, lyrics, and book, this duo had the daunting task of bringing the movie to the stage and making a killer musical. Getting the performances right was essential, and thankfully, the songs were a delight, and they found a way to add new layers to the source material.
One song style wouldn’t have fit everyone, and production was innovative for tapping into different sounds. The genres range from power ballads to hip-hop, keeping things fresh as we move from story beats and the individual characters. Songs’ Our Love is God’ and ‘I Say No’ do a great job of becoming toe-tapping ear-wormy songs, but there’s one that rides above the rest, and that’s ‘Candy Store.’ What a killer number, and it proves precisely why Heathers: The Musical needs to exist: we needed dark, hilarious, and insanely addictive songs like this.
Many numbers feature Veronica, sung by or with the character, putting much pressure on Ailsa Davidson. She handles it easily, giving the entire musical a rock-solid foundation. Someone get Davidson in a big-screen musical as soon as possible.
As hesitant as I was about watching Heathers: The Musical, especially a filmed version of a production, what a fantastic way to be proven wrong. This production delivers everything a die-hard Heathers fan could want and give us even more with top-tier musical numbers and some of the darkest comedy you’ll ever see on the stage.
Director Andy Fickman once said of Heathers: The Musical, “I can’t stop smiling, and I hope audiences feel the same way!” Well, mission accomplished because this is non-stop sick smiles the entire time.
Flickering Myth Rating – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
EJ Moreno
