Casting News: “Mean Girls” Announces Full Casting for the First National Tour
"Mean Girls" Announces Full Casting for the First National Tour for 2019/2020 season
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Tours To You
Mean Girls, the record-breaking new musical comedy produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures based on the hit film, has announced the full casting for the First National Tour. The Mean Girls National Tour launches on September 21 in Buffalo, NY. Click here for the full tour route.

Mean Girls features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film, music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond; and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin. Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs.

The tour cast will feature Danielle Wade as Cady Heron, Eric Huffman as Damian Hubbard, Gaelen Gilliland as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, Adante Carter as Aaron Samuels, Kabir Bery as Kevin Gnapoor and Lawrence E. Street as Mr. Duvall. They join previously announced cast members Mariah Rose Faith as Regina George, Megan Masako Haley as Gretchen Wieners, Jonalyn Saxer as Karen Smith and Mary Kate Morrissey as Janis Sarkisian.

The cast also includes English Bernhardt, DeShawn Bowens, Will Branner, Morgan Bryant, Sarah Crane, Ixchel Cuellar, Mary Beth Donahoe, Niani Feelings, Sky Flaherty, Samuel Gerber, Fernell Hogan, Asia Marie Kreitz, Olivia Renteria, Grace Romanello, Sydney Mei Ruf-Wong, Marcus Shane, Kaitlyn LouiseSmith, David Wright Jr. and Blake Zelesnikar.

Mean Girls opened on Broadway in April 2018 to rave reviews at the August Wilson Theatre, where it continues playing to packed houses. The show had its world premiere at the National Theatre in Washington D.C., in the fall of 2017. 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.

Cast Biographies

DANIELLE WADE (Cady Heron). Proud Canadian. Winner of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Over The Rainbow.’ Broadway: Mean Girls (Standby Cady/Janis). Tour: The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy). Select Regional Credits: Stratford Festival’s The Music Man (Marian Paroo), From Here to Eternity(Lorene). @daniewade

MARIAH ROSE FAITH (Regina George) is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and you may recognize her from Team Starkid or Youtube (which is how she got her initial audition!). https://youtu.be/6jRGSnGdxWo?t=26. @mrahstagram

MEGAN MASAKO HALEY (Gretchen Wieners). NYC: Pacific Overtures (Tamate, Classic Stage Company), Big River (Joe Harper/Joanna Wilkes City Center Encores!). Tour: Wicked (Nessarose). Workshops: Almost Famous (Estrella), Alice by Heart (Canary). TV: “Instinct,” “Madam Secretary,” “Younger,” “Blue Bloods,” “Broad City.”. BFA, BYU. CGF Talent. @meganmasako

JONALYN SAXER (Karen Smith). Broadway: Mean Girls (Original Broadway Cast), Cats, Holiday Inn, Honeymoon In Vegas, Bullets Over Broadway. Film: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story(December 2020). Syracuse Graduate. @jksaxer

MARY KATE MORRISSEY (Janis Sarkisian). National Tour: Wicked (Elphaba). Off Broadway: David Byrne’s Joan of Arc: Into the Fire (The Public Theater), Tamar of the River (Prospect Theater Company). International Tour: HAIR (Sheila). Favorite Regional: Signature Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Sundance Lab, Vineyard Arts Project, The O’Neill, Theatreworks Palo Alto, and Denver Center for the Performing Arts. @maryspacekate

ERIC HUFFMAN (Damian Hubbard). National Tours: The Book of Mormon (original Jumamosi company). CCM graduate.

GAELEN GILLILAND (Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George). Broadway: Wicked (u/s Mdm. Morrible), Legally Blonde (Elle’s Mom – MTV Recording, Cast Album), 9 to 5 (cover Judy/Doralee – Cast Album), Honeymoon In Vegas (Airport Attendant/ensemble – Cast Album), Kinky Boots (swing), Spongebob Squarepants (The Mayor – Cast Album). Tours: Seussical (Mayzie), The Addams Family (Alice).

ADANTE CARTER (Aaron Samuels). Favorite credits include: HAIR (Serenbe) Xanadu (Hangar)Newsies (Maltz) Forum (Gulfshore) Carrie (La Mirada) BFA Music Theatre: AMDA LA.@adantecarter

KABIR BERY (Kevin Gnapoor). Recent credits: In The Heights (Usnavi), Urinetown (Bobby),Parade (Britt Craig). Graduate of The Lee Strasberg School. @kabirbery

LAWRENCE E. STREET (Mr. Duvall). Broadway: OBC Urinetown. Off- Broadway: Carmen Jones (Classic Stage Company, John Doyle dir,). National Tours: Flashdance. Opera: (Mingo) inPorgy and Bess at London’s Royal Festival Hall. @streetlifenstuff

ENGLISH BERNHARDT (Standby for Cady Heron, Regina George). First National Tour: If/Then. Favorite regional credits include: Next to Normal (Natalie), Les Misérables (Eponine) and Evita(Mistress). @ebernhardt

DESHAWN BOWENS (Ensemble). National tour debut! Regional: Chicago (Fulton) Guys and Dolls(Asolo Repertory Theatre) Newsies (Marriott). Elon BFA MT alumni! @deshawnbowens

WILL BRANNER (Ensemble). National Tour: Bat Out of Hell (New York City Center, Toronto, Original American Cast) Regional: The Old Globe, 5th Avenue, Barrington Stage, PCLO.@lordbranner

MORGAN BRYANT(Ensemble). Recent credits include the inaugural cast of ¡Havana! (Directed by Warren Carlyle). @mo_dances

SARAH CRANE (Ensemble). Regional: Barrington Stage Co., Walnut Street, Fulton Theatre. Sarah choreographs for stage and film). BFA Boston Conservatory. @saritacrane

IXCHEL CUELLAR (Swing, Dance Captain). Credits: Mean Girls (Broadway), Finding Neverland(Broadway & National Tour). BFA, Penn State University. @itsixchel

MARY BETH DONAHOE (Ensemble). Regional: Sacramento Music Circus, Paper Mill, Fulton, MSMT. Tour: Beauty and the Beast. BFA: Ohio Northern. www.MaryBethDonahoe.com@mbdonahoe

NIANI FEELINGS (Ensemble). National Tour debut! Regional: The MUNY, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Proud Boston Conservatory graduate! @niani_

SKY FLAHERTY(Ensemble). Broadway: The Grinch. Tour and movie: Newsies (Albert). European Tour: Rock the Ballet (Dancer). Love to my mom, dad and family. Special thanks to Clinton Sherwood, Julianna and Chase (Clear Talent Group).SAMUEL GERBER(Ensemble). National tour debut! Regional: Newsies and West Side Story (The LEX). @samuelgerber_

FERNELL HOGAN(Ensemble) is thrilled to be touring for the first time. Most recently he made his Broadway debut in The Prom. A graduate of Houston’s HSPVA. Love to Mom and Dad!

ASIA MARIE KREITZ (Ensemble). Regional: All Shook Up (TUTS), Guys and Dolls (TUTS), The Christians (Alley Theatre). @asiamk9

OLIVIA RENTERIA (Ensemble). Previous credits: Ship at Sea Grease! (RCCL) Favorite Regional Theatre: Beaches A New Musical (Drury Lane), Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre), Cats (Paramount Theatre) Film: Isn’t it Romantic

GRACE ROMANELLO (Swing). National tour debut! Regional credits include RCCL (Grease), NCL, Theatre by the Sea, and Ocean State Theatre. @gracerom

SYDNEY MEI RUF-WONG (Ensemble). Favorite Credits: OSF, NSMT, TBTS, The Wick, RCCL. Proud graduate of Peck School of the Arts. @sydneymei

MARCUS SHANE (Swing). Broadway/ National Tours: Mamma Mia!; The King and I; Anything Goes. @marcus.shane

KAITLYN LOUSIE SMITH (Ensemble). Regional: MUNY. Tracy in RCCL’s inaugural Hairspray. BFA: Indiana University. @kaitlynlsmitty

DAVID WRIGHT JR. (Ensemble). National Tour: Cruel Intentions and R+H’s Cinderella. LABS:Becoming Nancy. Regional: Beauty & the Beast (NSMT), Newsies (Marriott). @Davidjr_Wright1