Heathers the Musical brings dark high school drama to the stage
Gritty, shocking, vulgar, an emotional roller coaster — those are some of the words that come up when Director Dan Pelletier and cast members talk about Heathers the Musical, on stage Friday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Derry Opera House.
When Pelletier explains Heathers to younger generations, he describes it as “Mean Girls if Lindsay Lohan murdered Rachel McAdams.”
Heathers is based on the 1988 movie, about a girl in high school named Veronica who is trying to survive her senior year and sells out to the popular clique, all of whom are named Heather. Veronica also starts to pursue the mysterious new kid, JD, which upsets the lead Heather, Heather Chandler. When Veronica and JD accidentally kill Heather Chandler, they cover it up by making it look like a suicide.
“It’s a dark comedy,” Pelletier said. “It doesn’t cut corners. It’s very gritty. … There are moments in the show where … you laugh and then you’re upset with yourself for laughing. [But] you have to laugh at these awful things. It’s a coping mechanism.”
He said it would be the equivalent of an R-rated movie.
“There are explosives and drugs and very creative swearing,” Pelletier said. “We didn’t let anyone under 18 audition [because of] the sexual nature of some scenes, drugs, violence.”
Despite the over-the-top drama, Pelletier calls the show a “very human piece.”
“It’s about [transitioning] from adolescence to reality and learning that the world isn’t black and white and how complicated things can get,” he said. “You think every day of your life is the most important day of your life and you’re really unsure of who you are.”
Brooke Wolz, 21, of Bedford, plays Veronica.
“She has a good head [and] a big heart,” Wolz said. “When she gets thrown into this crazy world of … the popular girls, she just doesn’t know what to do.”
Wolz calls Veronica a “very naive lovesick teenager.”
“When JD comes around, she’s just very taken back by the fact that this guy is showing her attention,” she said. “She falls very quickly for him.”
JD is played by Joel Michael King, 23, of Tamworth.
“He’s definitely a very complex character with a lot of deep-rooted issues,” King said.
Both Wolz and King said these are their dream roles. Wolz said she throws a lot of herself into Veronica, and the experience has been emotionally draining but worth it.
“It’s such an emotional roller coaster that it’s difficult every time we do the run,” Wolz said. “She’s on stage the entire show and it just goes from this cute innocent naive [teen] to a murderer in a toxic relationship.”
The fact that the stage version of Heathers is a musical simplifies some things, Pelletier said — and gives it a very ’80s rock ’n’ roll vibe.
“Our pit is legitimately a rock band that plays musical theater,” he said.
The show has been a long time coming for Cue Zero Theatre Co. It was originally supposed to be the 2020 season-ender. The show had been cast and they were about to start working when the pandemic postponed it for a year. Only six of the 16 cast members were able to stay on — including Wolz and King — so they held auditions again in July.
“It’s been an adventure,” Pelletier said. “This is our first real production since February 2020.”
He said it’s been a bit of a challenge working around safety precautions, but the cast and crew are excited to be back.
“This is our big return to the main stage, to real theater,” he said. “The arts need support to come back, and we’re trying to come back with a vengeance.”
If that means bringing the unexpected to the stage, mission accomplished.
“It’s shocking, honestly,” King said. “You go to kind of have your views reexamined.”
Heathers the Musical
Where: Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry
When: Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.
Cost: Tickets must be purchased online. Every audience member must present either proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid test from the past 72 hours to enter the building. Masks are required. There’s also a virtual livestream option. All tickets, for in-person or livestream, are $15 plus a $1.25 fee. Visit cztheatre.com to buy tickets.
Featured photo: Photography by Paula T. Trout. Courtesy photo.