Tina Fey talks about bringing 'Mean Girls' to Broadway
TIMES SQUARE, New York City (WABC) -- It's hard to believe but almost 14 years have passed since the original "Mean Girls" movie came out, and it has stood the test of time to make a couple of generations laugh.
And since the film came out, Tina Fey has become a much bigger star on small screens and big ones. Now, Broadway beckons.
Fey equals funny, and comedy could be her middle name. The star says Broadway musicals were her first love growing up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
"I was a theater nerd in high school," she said. "I came from a town where there were a lot of singers and dancers in my town. I am not one of those!"
That makes Fey's name on the marquee of the August Wilson Theater all the more meaningful.
The musical premiered at the National Theater in Washington D.C. Fey, who wrote the screenplay, also wrote the play with lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Fey's husband Jeff Richmond.
"I've been trying to worm my way into a theater for a long time, and this is the only way I can get in there," Fey said during a break in rehearsals at 42nd Street Studios.
Fey believes the musical's morals will resonate with the audience.
"Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter," she said. "Calling someone else ugly doesn't make you better looking. That 'lashing out at other people will not improve your life' is, sadly, a very timely message that we're happy to re-deliver."
Erika Henningsen plays the lead, Cady Heron, the role that made Lindsay Lohan a household name.
"I remember I watched it at a sleepover for the first time, and I think I was entering 8th grade, 9th grade, and I just remember thinking 'oh, I know those girls!'" Henningsen said.
Taylor Louderman, known for her roles in "Kinky Boots" on Broadway, co-stars as the head of the "Mean Girls," Regina George.
Fey wrote a part for herself as a teacher in the original film, but audiences will be disappointed to hear that she won't be onstage this time around.
"Mean Girls: The Musical" starts preview performances March 12 and opens April 8.
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