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Renee Rapp in Mean Girls
Renee Rapp in Mean Girls

A New Queen Bee: Reneé Rapp to Join Mean Girls

Reneé Rapp, winner of the Best Actress Award at the 2018 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (commonly known as the “Jimmy Awards”), will join the production of Mean Girls. Rapp, who will be making her Broadway debut, will succeed Taylor Louderman in the role of “Regina George” in the hit musical, entering the production at the August Wilson Theatre starting Tuesday, September 10th. She will have a chance to explore the role of Broadway’s favorite queen bee this summer from June 7 to June 26 during Ms. Louderman’s brief leave of absence. Louderman officially plays her final performance on Sunday, September 8.

Producer Lorne Michaels said in a statement, “We are so thankful to Taylor for bringing this role to life and though we are sad to see her go, we are also very excited to welcome Reneé to the cast. We believe she will be a force to be reckoned with as our new Regina George.”

Tina Fey, the show’s book writersaid in a statement, “It’s hard to imagine anyone can replace the great Taylor Louderman, but just like high school, when one Queen Bee graduates, a new one spreads her wings. I think Reneé Rapp has everything it takes to thrill and terrify us all! I can’t wait to see her do this.”

Reneé Rapp joins the cast led by Erika Henningsen as Cady Heron, Krystina Alabado as Gretchen Wieners,Kate Rockwell as Karen Smith, Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian, Grey Henson as Damian Hubbard,Jennifer Simard as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels, Cheech Manoharas Kevin Gnapoor and Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall. The cast also includes Stephanie Lynn Bissonnette,Maria Briggs, Collins Conley, DeMarius R. Copes, Kevin Cosculluela, Ashley De La Rosa, Devon Hadsell, Curtis Holland, Myles McHale, Chris Medlin, Brittany Nicholas, Becca Petersen, Brendon Stimson, Christine Shepard, Jake Swain, Riza Takahashi, Daryl Tofa, Danielle Wade, Bria Jené Williams, Gianna Yanelli and Iain Young.

“Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.”

Mean Girls features a score by Jeff Richmond and Neil Benjamin, with a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, with direction by Casey Nicholaw. The musical opened on Broadway on April 8, 2018 and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals, The Disney Song Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. He maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.

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