Students of La Porte High School and local theater enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to this weekend. The school put on their opening performance of the spring musical ‘Mean Girls’ on Thursday, March 13. Family members are given the first chance to see the show before it opens up to the public for the weekend.
For several weeks, the team has been working diligently to get better everyday and put on the best show possible for when the curtains open.
“These kids have such positive energy,” said Co-Director Sallie Hanson. “It’s been amazing to see the growth and how much they’ve improved since January. We’ve overcome plenty of hurdles as a group between singing and dancing.”
Sophomore Camryn Ruiz believes this performance teaches an important lesson about treating everybody the right way.
“This show really dramatizes a lot of different personality types,” Ruiz said. “The message of the show is about how to treat women differently and be kind to one another. A lot of the show focuses on bullying that happens in high school, so it’s really targeted towards our age group.”
After several weeks of intense rehearsals filled with musical brilliance, Ruiz is thrilled to finally showcase the performance for her close ones.
“There’s a lot of songs in the show, including some that are pretty challenging to sing,” Ruiz said. “We’ve had a vocal coach come in to help out with different techniques. This show probably took more practice than a lot of performances I’ve done before. There’s also dance scenes, working with the band and figuring out the choreography. I’m glad that the big day has finally arrived.”
Ruiz, who has been doing theater for more than five years, was excited when she found out she would be playing the role of Cady Heron for this performance.
She has played a lead role in the past, including her role as Princess Jasmin for Aladin in middle school. As for her high school career, she’s grateful for the chance to be the lead for the first time at this level.
“I’m really happy that I got this opportunity because Cady is such a fun character to play,” Ruiz said. “There’s only been one other show that has had an impact on me like this before. I love our directors and all of the seniors that have been a part of this performance. My best friend is also a lead for this performance, so it’s fun to act with her.”
Ruiz’s best friend is Sophomore Molly Cooper, who played the role of Regina George for the show. Cooper, who started doing theater in fourth grade, has a strong appreciation for her high school theater experience.
“One of my favorite parts of doing theater for the high school is that I get to know the people a lot more,” Cooper said. “I get to be a part of what takes place behind the scenes. I’m allowed to help out with designing all the makeup and the hair for our cast, as well as being on stage.”
The cast, directors and students in this performance have shared plenty of laughs and smiles through rehearsing for this show.
“We’re pretty much a giant family,” Cooper said. “We’re all friends with each other outside of the show. We might have our moments, but everybody on the cast loves doing theater, especially with this group.”
With a movie as popular as Mean Girls, there’s a lot of exciting moments that still get referenced everyday. When it comes to La Porte’s musical rendition of the film, there’s one scene in the play that stands out above the rest for Cooper.
“My favorite scene is probably the ‘I’d Rather Be Me’ part,” Cooper said. “I’m not really in that scene, but I love watching it because it’s a huge turning point for the entire cast. It’s the moment where everyone realizes that they aren’t alone.”
The families filled the audience and were entertained all night long. The cast can’t wait to put on a show three more times over the weekend.
“It’s so exciting to finally have the audience in here for the show,” said Co-Director Tim Hanson. “These students have been ready for this show to be seen. I can’t wait to see the audience laughing and clapping over the next few days for this great group of kids.”
Mean Girls will continue at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 14. There will be two showings on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at the door.
For more information on La Porte High School, you can visit its website.