A perfect cast leads Hart House’s production through the difficulties of high school
As a long-time fan of Heathers: The Musical, I am beyond pleased to say that Hart House Theatre’s production was comparable to, if not just as good as the Off-Broadway original, doing a stunning job of capturing exactly what makes this musical such a wonderful experience.
Directed by Jennifer Walls, Heathers: The Musical is a rock musical that follows the story of Veronica Sawyer, a 17-year-old badass who navigates the ups and downs of life at the clique-driven Westerberg High and dreams of better days. However, once she’s taken under the wings of the school’s idolized trio of mean girls, The Heathers, her gaze into the poisonous social hierarchies unveils a frightening reality, especially when mysterious new kid J.D. shines a new light on what the cost of being a “somebody” might be.
What makes this production particularly well-done is the quality of its casting. Emma Sangalli is the perfect Veronica–when she feels genuine happiness, fear, yearning or frustration, the audience feels everything with her. Justan Myers’s portrayal as Jason “J.D.” Dean is also extremely well done, as he holds the audience between feeling sympathetic for him and simply marvelling at the unsettling atmosphere he creates. Together the pair do the iconic duo an enormous amount of justice and carry the narrative of the story forward with ease. The titular characters of The Heathers are also portrayed phenomenally. Heather Chandler (Mary Bowden) is just as intimidating as she is hilarious, serving as the proverbial “devil” on Veronica’s shoulder throughout the play. Heather Duke (Paige Foskett) does an excellent job of following Chandler and making us dislike her, shedding an important light on the overarching message of the play. The role of Heather McNamara (Becka Jay) eventually develops into a spotlight-stealer with her incredibly moving rendition of “Lifeboat,” a necessary step the musical takes in beginning a dialogue about the pressures of adolescent mental health. The same can be said about Martha Dunnstock’s (Moulan Bourke) rendition of “Kindergarten Boyfriend,” which becomes increasingly moving in light of her developing friendship with Veronica. Other notable performances are Ram Sweeney (Wade Minacs) and Kurt Kelly’s (Aaron Cadesky) portrayal of despicable high school archetypes, which fueled many of the laughs throughout the show. This is also true for their respective fathers (Mark J. Umphrey and Hunter Agnew) during their rendition of “My Dead Gay Son.”
With set design that is just as colourful, mesmerizing, and twisted as the story becomes, and a killer live band accompanying equally killer vocals, Walls calls Heathers: The Musical the intersection between “MTV and musical theatre,” and I couldn’t agree more. While it’s arguably one of the decade’s most well-done movie-to-musical adaptions, it’s the attention it brings to bullying, suicide, and mental health that truly makes it an incredibly important story, and why I commend the production team, cast, and everyone involved for portraying that message so well. Westerberg High School might seem like an extreme version of what actually goes on in high schools, but to those who have lived through many of its realities—myself included—it brings to light the sometimes-claustrophobic atmosphere that is present in all stages of schooling and life. Through its depictions of social hierarchies, loneliness, familial pressure, and societal expectations, Heathers: The Musical emphasizes the importance of dialogue, action, and compassion in times where the negative voices often seem to outweigh the positive. Overall, Heathers: The Musical aimed to make this beautiful and all I can say is, that worked for me; Hart House Theatre’s adaption is an absolute triumph.
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