Heathers, with book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Lawrence O’Keefe, based on Daniel Waters’ film and snappily directed by Andy Fickman, is a musical that could bring hordes of young people to live theater. It’s a brash, bold, irreverent take on high school kids and has the flavor of terrible teenage conflict, sprinkled with death, that brings cheers from the audience.
Strong performances, in song, dance and acting, come from the entire young cast, including Barrett Wilbert Weed as the lead, and Jessica Keenan Wynn and Katie Ladner. They sing the quirky, lively songs whose music resonates with the absurd humor of a skewed teenage reality. Dance numbers by choreographer Marguerite Derricks are sparkly, zippy, racy, fresh and original. Good set by Timothy R. Mackabee, fine lighting by Jason Lyons and great costumes by Amy Clark, help make Heathers one of the most fun shows in town.
