A DARKLY HILARIOUS REVIVAL

The 1989 cult classic film, Heathers (if you haven’t seen it, it’s a friggin’ must) preceeded the film Mean Girls (2004) by fifteen years. Later, it was adapted into a stage musical in 2014, four years before the Plastics sang their way onto Broadway. Now, eleven years later, Heathers the Musical returns to its original Off-Broadway home at New World Stages, directed once again by Andy Fickman. This time around, a new design team, choreographer, and cast breathe fresh life into the bloody halls of Westerburg High.

You wouldn’t think a show about teen murder and suicide would inspire a fanbase that screams like they’re at a Taylor Swift concert—but that’s exactly what I witnessed at a recent preview. High schoolers and their families cheered at ear-piercing frequencies as each character entered and with every musical number. The show’s original 2014 cast album has clearly taken off across social media—so much so that a new block of tickets through December has already been announced—before the official opening. That says a lot for a show that only ran five months in its original incarnation. But clearly, the show has improved in the ten years since. Its creators Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe (book, music, and lyrics) as well as Fickman are masters with comic high school Theater of Cruelty with an impressive collection of musicals between them: Bat Boy the Musical, Reefer Madness, and Legally Blonde.

Lighting designer Ben Cracknell leans into the rock concert energy, filling the show with pulsing cues and pin-pointed back lighting of red, green, and yellow for the queen bees. Sound designer Dan Samson adds to the intensity, cranking the volume and giving each actor a mic taped conspicuously to their foreheads—just shy of their eyebrows—as if to constantly remind us: this is part musical, part arena show.

Fickman’s steady hand ensures the show balances its dark comedy with its meanspirited high school angst. Violence is ever-present but ultimately played for laughs, and the laughs all land. Case in point: when Heather McNamara attempts suicide (played with earnest simpleminded charm by Elizabeth Teeter), she’s interrupted and proceeds to spit out the pills. But then there are several more to spit out. And still, even more. It’s awkward and dark, but LOL funny. That’s Heathers at its best.

The cast is game and sharp across the board. McKenzie Kurtz reigns as Heather Chandler, the tyrannical queen bee whose ghost thankfully looms long after her staged demise. Casey Likes delivers a layered, damaged J.D., whose gradual descent into chaos is chilling. As Veronica Sawyer, the conscience of the show, Lorna Courtney brings vocal firepower and heart—especially in her act two powerhouse number, “I Say No,” which may become this teen generation’s empowerment anthem.

Among other standout performances is TikTok sensation Erin Morton making her Off-Broadway debut as Martha Dunnstock. Her rendition of “Kindergarten Boyfriend” in act two is simply beautiful and sincere. (If you haven’t heard her viral cover of “Creep” on social media, it’s easy to see why she has over 13M views.) The supporting cast—particularly Kerry Butler as the hippie guidance counselor Ms. Fleming, and Xavier McKinnon and Cade Ostermeyer as the bumbling jocks Ram and Kurt—adds the right doses of camp and caricature.

David Shields’ scenic design is more textured and appealing than the 2014 original, though still somewhat generic and constrained by the number of settings required. The rolling 3-step half staircases didn’t make sense for me. His costumes, co-designed with Siena Zoë Allen, do more of the heavy lifting visually, adding flair and character while keeping true to the late-80s aesthetic. You will especially enjoy the instant changeover from green to red for the splendid Kiara Michelle Lee (understudy for Heather Duke) when she changes rank amongst the Heathers. (Olivia Hardy called out, and Lee got to change rank from ensemble member to Heather #2 and shined bright doing so.) The music direction by Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh keeps the offstage band tight and electric, and Gary Lloyd’s choreography, while less dance-heavy, effectively conveys movement, menace, and teen energy.

Name-calling, bullying, cliques, and cafeteria caste systems have always been part of teen life—and Heathers doesn’t flinch, nor does it apologize. And no trigger warnings in the pre-show announcement either. Instead, as the audience and characters experience the two-hours and twenty minutes of laughter in the darkest corners of adolescence, Veronica’s journey reminds us that acceptance isn’t about being popular—it’s about being seen, being kind. And in a world of curated identities and online validation, that’s a message that lands. If the screaming teens in the audience are any sign, Heathers is still speaking loud and clear.

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photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Heathers The Musical
New World Stages, Stage 1, 340 West 50th St.
ends on November 8, 2026
for tickets, visit Heathers and Telecharge

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Gregory Fletcher is an author, a theater professor, a playwright, director, and stage manager. His craft book on playwriting is entitled Shorts and Briefs, and publishing credits include two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and several essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.