One of the most significant decisions a teenager has to make in life, arguably, is whether to go to the show Heathers the Musical or not.
Regarded as on of the greatest coming-of-age show, Heathers The Musical is the gloomy but fascinating story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teen who's penmanship attracts the notice of the school's meanest and most popular clique - the Heathers. When Veronica stumbles across an opportunity to become part of the gang, she ditches her long term best friend Martha and seizes the moment. Veronica meets new boy J.D who appears to be bright, fresh and has more life oozing. However, the reality is different.
Most of the gloomy issues that teenagers confront in high school are highlighted by the musical. Westerberg High, like many high schools is split into groups; those who fit in and are popular and those who survive (do not fit in). Heathers, the clique, is a bunch of pretty but cruel girls, who everyone adores - just as it happens in may schools.
In the show, J.D is depicted as the kind of guy you wouldn't want to meet alone in an alleyway, a loner with a different view of the world. Duets between Veronica and J.D. capture tender teenage love so well you can that you can almost see the twinkles in their eyes. Veronica finds herself juggling between keeping the cool crowd and J.D happy, whilst being what they all want her to be. This is until she is faced with being part of the in-crowd or protecting Martha from their cruelty. Veronica comes to realize she's traded her soul for popularity and ultimately, she makes the right choice leaving her clique.
The cast of the show was great, each of them was equally as talented as the other. I imagine a large percentage of the audience were there to see Christine Bennington, but I can also see them leaving with other casts names on their lips. Like Jamie Muscato, his interpretation of J.D. was outstanding -you'd have thought it was his actual personality.
Jodie Steele, commandeering the stage whenever present, as well as how she presented herself as Heather Chandler, was commendable and reflected every mean popular girl you'd ever had the misfortune of meeting.
The musical was amazingly delightful, drawing us into the high school life of these cool girls. It mirrors Veronica’s well-honed characterization of the insecure teen who’s seduced by high school power and privilege into joining a clique. In addition, it reflects how Veronica gets into a relationship that takes a twist turn and causes a lot of problems. The singing, acting and the costumes were all so catchy and blended perfectly with the storyline.
All in all, the show was such a delight to behold and I can only hope to see it again.
