It’s the one movie that has us all saying “That’s so fetch!” and it has us all wearing pink on Wednesdays (and by the way, if you don’t, you can’t sit with us.) It has some of the most unforgettable quotes and it’s a movie that resonates with us all in some way or another. You definitely must have guessed what we’re talking about without us even having to say it, but yes, indeed, we’re talking about the iconic and classic film, “Mean Girls.” Without a doubt, “Mean Girls” is a movie that we all have watched over a hundred times and we still catch ourselves quoting things from the movie in the middle of a convo, so when it was announced that the next show as part of Kate Pazakis’ “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of… Series” would be “Mean Gurlz,” we all couldn’t help but fan-girl with excitement and take out our good ‘ol burn book to bring along with us as we watch the musical parody at The Rockwell in Los Angeles.
“The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz” is the ninth show in the “UMPO” (Unauthorized Musical Parody Of…) series. Prior shows include UMPO: Scream, UMPO: Cruel Intentions, UMPO: Clueless, UMPO: Home Alone, UMPO: The Devil Wears Prada, and UMPO: Hocus Pocus, amongst a few others. With each and every show, Co-writer / Executive Producer Kate Pazakis and the cast of the shows manage to bring masterpieces to The Rockwell and it seems as though each show keeps getting better and better. With that being said, the other UMPO shows have been mesmerizing, but the UMPO: Mean Gurlz show definitely is one of the best so far.
“The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz” is told from the point of view of a professional fan-boy who loves the movie just as much as you and me and is played by Ryan O’Connor. He tells the story of Cady’s journey as she moves to the US from Africa and joins the fierce clique known as “The Plastics.” Cady, played by Bianca Gisselle, has her eye out for the dreamy kid in her class known as Aaron Samuels, alternatingly played by Jason Michael Snow and Michael Thomas Grant, but she runs into some trouble when that happens to be the queen of The Plastics, Regina’s ex-boyfriend. Cady and her two, new friends, Janis, played by EK Dagenfield, and Damien, played by Andy Arena, work up a plan to take Regina, played by Corbin Reid, and her fellow Plastics members down.
The cast includes Ryan O’Connor, Katherine Tokarz, Marla Mindelle, Bianca Gisselle, Corbin Reid, Natalie Lander, Briana Cuoco, Jason Michael Snow, Michael Thomas Grant, Andy Arena and EK Dagenfield with Nicci Claspell, Kyra Selman, Janelle Cohen, Kalen Edean and Tal Fox as cast swings.
There are so many fantastic things to say about “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz” that it’s hard to even choose where to begin. First off, the musical parody grasps all of the memorable moments from the movie so well – from Regina’s “cool mom,” to the classic burn book moment, and even when Tina Fey’s character was pushing Cady to join the math team. As you’re recalling all of these excellent moments from one of your favorite movies, UMPO: Mean Gurlz puts its very own twist with hilarious punch-lines and witty jokes along with some extraordinary musical renditions. It’s everything that you could wish for in one show: a parody of a phenomenal, fan-favorite movie with awesome humor, an incredibly talented cast, and some outstanding musical performances. Plus, while watching the movie, I’m sure we’ve all wanted Damien to finish singing his whole song at the talent show as he gets rudely interrupted by his school-mates. Well, thanks to Kate Pazakis and “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz,” our Damien dreams have finally come true.
One of the many things that I love about all of the UMPO shows is how interactive they are. Each of the shows allows attendees to become immersed into the show and feel like they’re not just watching UMPO: Mean Gurlz, but that they are a part of it! (Just make sure you’re not Regina, please!) One minute you could be having Regina George and The Plastics sitting on your lap and the next moment you have Aaron Samuels right by your side. The UMPO shows, and especially UMPO: Mean Gurlz will have you singing along, laughing from start to finish, and wanting to see basically every single show during its run. It’s definitely something that you will be talking about for the whole night and day after that.
The “Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz” is having its run at The Rockwell from February 2nd – April 15, 2017 and trust me, you don’t want to miss it! I, Alexisjoyvipaccess had the honor of being invited to attend the press opening night of UMPO: Mean Gurlz and I cannot stress enough how much you all need to see this show right now. Grab your friends, grab your family members, grab everyone you know and watch as many shows as you can as UMPO: Mean Gurlz is one of the greatest things you will see here in LA!
You can get your tickets at www.rockwell-la.com and join in on the social conversation by following @UMPOSeries and @LA_Rockwell on Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #UMPOMeanGurlz.
Kate Pazakis and the cast of UMPO: Mean Gurlz, you have done a brilliant job. 5 stars for you Kate Pazakis and cast, you go Kate Pazakis and cast! Check out some pictures from “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz” below!
Photo Credits: Bryan Carpender
