HEATHERS: The Musical

7/10

Gainesville Community Playhouse is taking chances this summer and catering to a younger theater crowd (not to be confused with youth theater) with its production of Heathers: the Musical, based on the 1988 dark comedy starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The musical and the movie dabble in the absurd to effectively satirize and comment on the extreme effects of peer pressure, bullying, and the social hierarchies found in every school. As might be expected with these themes, Heathers skews more towards mature audiences in a way that makes it feel novel and almost risky at GCP. However, the energy between the cast and the audience makes it clear that the gamble to try something different is worth it.

Entering the theater, the audience finds a deceptively unremarkable, generic high school, which would be easy to write-off and ignore. As the story progresses, the cleverness of the design becomes apparent and it is utilized well to let the audience know the scene has changed. The openness of the space is the perfect complement for the engaging and impressive choreography that follows. The movements of each number feel fresh and stylistic, while the actors do a wonderful job executing the choreography to make it feel authentic and keep the audience enthralled.

The vocal talent of the Gainesville area is on full display for this show. Each individual actor brings a belting power to their performances, using that rawness to ramp up the drama, particularly during their solos. During group numbers, however, the talent of each individual singer seems to compete for the spotlight, trying to rise above the others instead of harmonizing. As a result, those moments can distract from the story and feel less cohesive. This issue also arises at times with the ensemble's background actions feeling so pronounced that they draw focus from everything else happening on stage.

The most emotional moments of the show come from the solitary, stationary spotlight on the second level of the stage as Megan Clark , playing the unpopular and bullied Martha Dunstock, sings a tragic song of losing friends and finding hope in suicide. Clark's shift from the optimistic and sweet Martha to one who has been broken by the toxic nature of the other characters drives home the central themes of Heathers and leaves the audience in tears as the lights go black. Clark's ability to command the stage and control the emotion of the show, while largely motionless, speaks volumes to their talent as an actor and singer.

Overall, GCP’s production of Heathers is a success, but the darker themes and events of the story feel relatively unexplored outside of Martha's song, having given way to the comedic elements of the musical. This choice naturally leads to an arguably more fun experience, but limits the emotional payoff for many of the characters. Audiences should go into this  show expecting to be entertained with intense vocal solos, hilariously offensive antics, and great dancing. This is a fun night of theater and sets a great precedent for GCP taking more risks in the future. Heathers: The Musical is showing at Gainesville Community Playhouse until August 9th. Tickets can be purchased at gcplayhouse.org.