[17], In 2016 White Plains Performing Arts Center (WPPAC) presented the NY Regional Premiere of the production to sold-out audiences. But as an extension of the movie's wicked pleasures, this version has its silly charms, as demonstrated by the rowdy response of the predominantly young audience. Heathers: The Musical soundtrack from 2010, composed by Kevin Murphy, Laurence O'Keefe. ); the second in June at the Hudson Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard (starring Scott Porter as J.D. Veronica tries to get on with her normal life, but she is berated and mocked by Chandler's ghost. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, both absurdly beautiful and cool, played teenage misfits Veronica and JD, who – at his instigation – kill off the popular bullies at school, embodied by a trio of girls each called Heather. For the 2017 workshop, there was a different song to replace "Blue (Reprise)", which became "Big Fun (Reprise)", part of which is now included in "Never Shut Up Again". when he proposes a return to murdering, telling him "you need help I can't provide" and walking out on him. / Suck on that straw, get lost in the pain / Happiness comes when everything numbs / Who needs cocaine?”). Heathers Musical Will Receive New York Concert", "Barrett Wilbert Weed, Ryan McCartan, Jessica Keenan Wynn & More to Star in HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL Off-Broadway; Full Cast Announced", "HEATHERS Sets Early August Closing Date Off-Broadway", "School's Out: Heathers: The Musical to Close Off-Broadway", "HEY YO WESTERBURG! is shot. At Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count. As well as providing a more empowering alternative for Veronica, the new song remedies the way that "Blue" was often considered as “treating date rape as a laughing matter” and presenting sexual assault or harassment as “boyish antics”, due to the comical nature of the song.[2]. Heathers surprisingly, and thankfully, plays down the 80s setting, opting for a more universal sense of teenage life, with all its bullying and neuroses. RAM You'll hurt their feelings. Heathers: the Musical is a rock musical adaptation of the 80s cult classic Heathers.. Veronica Sawyer is a wry, clever outsider at her school Westerberg High, which is ruled by the Girl Posse the Heathers. The production nearly derails in Act II, having killed off its antagonists. The album premiered at No. Off-Broadway 2014 Heathers the Musical - SYNOPSIS. Heathers the Musical’s Best Songs As picked by the jam community, 2011–2015 Fickman said of the experience, "we found that Heathers gave a great deal of opportunity for '80s commentary and a great chance for music and storytelling. Heathers transferred to the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, running from September 3, 2018 to November 24, 2018. 'Be More Chill' at the Lyceum Theatre is Broadway's new musical for teens that offers commentary about depression in the internet age. A new song for Heather Duke, "Never Shut Up Again", was also added for the London run, replacing "Blue (Reprise)". On March 3, 2019, Heathers The Musical won the Best New Musical award at London's Whatsonstage.com Awards. Veronica, having faked her suicide, races to stop J.D. Below, we break it down into two simple steps: convinces her to forge a suicide note; which paints a more complex, misunderstood Chandler. 24 on the Official Albums Chart. You got a left hand? The musical was praised for staying true to the film while still having its own original additions to the storyline. ("Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)"). It's become a classic of the teenage macabre genre, and with good reason. She praised the lyrics but was not a fan of the music, writing: "Even at their giddiest, the lyrics never dumb down the characters singing them. Teenage life … Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica, centre, in Heathers the Musical. This fictionalized version of her wins the school's sympathy and she becomes even more worshipped in death than she was in life ("The Me Inside Of Me"). Heathers: The Musical Overview - The BEST Broadway source for Heathers: The Musical tickets and Heathers: The Musical information, photos and videos. Carrie Hope Fletcher also won for Best Actress In A Musical. Veronica's parents confess to their daughter that they are not sure they like her new friends and would prefer if she was friends with Martha again. [38] Most of the profanity in the show was deleted, "Big Fun," "Dead Girl Walking," and the majority of the songs received rewritten lyrics and one new song, "You're Welcome" was written for the show to replace "Blue". Grief-stricken, Ram's Dad chastises Kurt's Dad for remaining homophobic, until the latter suddenly kisses the former, revealing their own secret love affair. 1 on the iTunes UK Soundtracks Charts and at #2 on the iTunes UK Album charts. Heathers The Musical is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. I do NOT own 'Heathers' or 'Heathers the Musical' all rights go to the creators. notices this, but says nothing to Veronica. For all of these reasons, Heathers is an unlikely movie to turn into a stage musical. — but everyone laughs mockingly, believing she is only desperate for attention. in tow, apologizes to Chandler and mixes hangover cures for them. The first was in March at the Beverly Hills offices of Endeavor Agency (starring Christian Campbell as J.D. A cast album was recorded on April 15–16, 2014 with an in-store and digital release of June 17, 2014. [42][43], Rock musical based on the 1988 film Heathers, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Heathers Writers Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy Break Down the Musical's Full Album Track by Track", "What Rhymes With Corn Nuts? A show should not be hamstrung by its origins; the only thing that matters is whether it works on its own terms, and the answer here is: kind of. [31], The musical, however, was criticized for the length and its characters not living up to the cast of the original movie. [30] The score and choreography of the musical were also given praise. ", The London production was flagged by critics because they felt complex issues such as homosexuality, bulimia and suicide were made light of for comedic effect, making parts of the show feel “dated and uncomfortable for a 2018 audience.”[37]. Dean, criticizes Veronica for betraying her friend. J.D. O'Keefe and Murphy preferred "You're Welcome" as they had come to feel that "Blue" was a bit lazy, and had inadvertently trivialized the lead character's fears (given that Veronica is cornered by two drunk, entitled high school football stars who refused to hear the word "no"). Grief-stricken, he leaves to complete his plan ("Meant to Be Yours"). "You're Welcome" replaces "Blue," a song on the World Premiere Cast Recording. Act 1 It is the first day of school, 1989, and seventeen-year-old Veronica Sawyer is frustrated with the hellish competitive social hierarchy at Westerburg High School, where nerds and underclassmen are pushed around by brutish, idiot jocks like Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly. shoots Ram but Veronica misses Kurt. Duke mocks her and whips the students into a frenzy. After suffering tormenting dreams ("Veronica's Chandler Nightmare"), Veronica, with J.D. In February 2014, the cast was announced, including Barrett Wilbert Weed, Ryan McCartan, and Elle McLemore reprising their roles as Veronica, J.D., and Heather McNamara, respectively, with new additions to the cast being Jessica Keenan Wynn as Heather Chandler, Alice Lee as Heather Duke and Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello as Bill Sweeney/'Big Bud' Dean. An alternate universe in which The Heathers are a popular group of mean lesbians who have adopted Veronica. Martha, mourning Ram, jumps off a bridge ("Kindergarten Boyfriend"), but survives. To get around this, O’Keefe and co-writer Kevin Murphy largely defang their source material. Chandler discovers Martha's crush on Ram, and orders Veronica to forge a love letter from him to Martha; tempting Veronica with the promise of popularity ("Candy Store"). RAM Heyyyyy, 'Ronica. The well-received production soon was announced that it would return in May–June 2020[26] but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3], On September 13–14, 2010, Heathers was presented as a concert at Joe's Pub. urges Veronica to target Duke next. agrees and they reconcile. When the jocks arrive, J.D. Following the workshop, the musical had its official London premiere in the Theatre at The Other Palace, London from June 9 to August 4, 2018, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica Sawyer, Jamie Muscato as J.D., Dominic Andersen as Ram Sweeney, Edward Baruwa as Ram's Dad, and Jon Boydon as Kurt's Dad. †† Songs added to the West End version and all future productions. Released by Yellow Sound Label in 2014 containing music from Heathers: The Musical (2010). "Heathers" is rated R for language and subject matter. Her reputation in ruins, Veronica breaks into J.D. Veronica, urged on by Chandler's ghost, confesses that she forged the note to humiliate Martha, who runs off in tears. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72/100 based on 20 reviews by mainstream critics. Confession brings catharsis and all vow to make the world a more tolerant place ("My Dead Gay Son"). and Veronica comfort each other and plan a vengeful prank: she will lure the jocks to the cemetery with the promise of making their fictional threesome real, then together they will shoot them with tranquilizer "Ich Lüge" bullets to knock them out before leaving a forged suicide note confessing they were gay lovers. "[34], The musical got two out of five stars from The Guardian's Alexis Soloski, who wrote: "The off-Broadway adaptation of the 1988 Winona Ryder/Christian Slater teen movie is sunny and snarky, but the dark subject matter calls for something more wicked. He breaks open the closet to find Veronica dangling from a noose. She urges everyone to reveal their fears and insecurities, but only McNamara admits to suicidal thoughts ("Lifeboat"). The musical was praised for staying true to the film while still having its own original additions to the storyline. Veronica gives him an ultimatum: give up violence and live a normal life with her or lose her forever ("Seventeen"). The song remained in the show for the Haymarket run and was released on February 15, 2019, as the first single on the West End cast album. Veronica longs to be cool like the clique of it-girls that runs Westerberg: the unaffected, unattainable Heathers. [23][24][25], The Brazilian premiere of Heathers: The Musical at the Viradalata Theatre in São Paulo was staged in October–November 2019. In 2013, it was announced that Heathers: The Musical would be brought to Off-Broadway, previews beginning in March at New World Stages, directed by Andy Fickman. [22] The well-received production transferred the following year, with mostly the same cast, for seasons in Brisbane (Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre) in January 2016, Melbourne (Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne) in May 2016, and the Sydney Opera House's Playhouse in June 2016. [18][19][20][21], The Australian premiere of Heathers: The Musical at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney was staged in July–August 2015. The film had the same problem, but here the sweetened worldview saps the grand finale of its effectiveness. (If jukebox musicals are for baby boomers, musicals inspired by films are emphatically for their children and grandchildren.). In 1989, 17-year-old Veronica Sawyer despairs at Westerburg High School's hellish social hierarchy, where students like the obese Martha Dunnstock (Veronica’s best friend) are tormented by jocks Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly, and the school is ruled by the Heathers: weak-willed Heather McNamara, bulimic and petty Heather Duke, and "mythic bitch" Heather Chandler. Wish we could say the same for the music, which is brassy and blah and sounds nothing like the music that made the 80s the 80s. As she barricades herself in the closet, he reveals the petition, signed by every student, is actually a mass suicide note - along with his plans to blow up the pep rally and make it look like a mass suicide. "[33], The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney stated: "Does the acidic comedy gain anything from being turned into a cartoonish pop musical? Heathers: The Musical is based on the 1988 R-rated film of the same name, in which 17-year-old Veronica Sawyer, desperate to fit in, gets involved with the serial killing Westerburg newbie, Jason “J.D.” Dean. 9. McLemore was the only Heather to remain with the cast when the show transferred to Off-Broadway, but after Alice Lee left the production, Kristolyn Lloyd reprised her role as Heather Duke.[5]. [13][12] A new song for Veronica, "I Say No," as well as a few script changes to Act 2 were added for the transfer. After J.D. [14], On October 3, 2019 it was announced via the Bill Kenwright LTD Twitter account that Heathers would be embarking on a UK Tour in 2020 starting in June. ("Candy Store (Playoff)"). As she realizes Ram is dead and the bullets are real, J.D. Book tickets for the West End Transfer of Heathers the Musical at Theatre Royal Haymarket from 3 September. I will update as often as possible (at least once or twice a week). Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The world premiere of Heathers: The Musical (High School Edition) took place on September 15, 2016, at Pearce Theatre, J.J. Pearce High School, Richardson, Texas. [27][28][29], Heathers: The Musical's 2014 Off-Broadway run was generally received well by critics and audiences alike. The music is so generic it falls out of your memory as soon as you leave the theatre, with the exception of two lovely ballads: Seventeen, in which Veronica pleads to be a normal, non-murdering teenager, and Freeze Your Brain, JD’s paean to the frozen slushies that help him numb his feelings (“Freeze your brain! The producers include J. Todd Harris, Amy Powers, RJ Hendricks, and Andy Cohen. Over 150 tickets for £25 at every performance. Hell, no. The album premiered at No. Heathers the Musical - Blue Lyrics "Blue" is a song from Heathers performed by Jon Eidson (Ram), Evan Todd (Kurt), Elle McLemore (H. McNamara) and Alice Lee (H. Duke). It explodes, killing him alone. In such moments, Heathers nails what made the movie so great, and goes even deeper. A/N: I thought I'd add my own two cents to the fan fiction about Heathers. ‘Have you had a brain tumour for breakfast?” “What’s your damage, Heather?” and, most of all, “Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw!”. This show is rated R for adult language and content, but we keep it as clean as possible. Who's ready to make 2020 BEAUTIFUL with a HEATHERS UK TOUR!? In this way, is Heathers the Musical rated R? 5. The movie is a morbid comedy about peer pressure in high school, about teenage suicide and about the deadliness of cliques that not only exclude but also maim and kill. I approach "Heathers" as a traveler in an unknown country, one who does not speak the language or know the customs and can judge the natives only by taking them at their word. The site's critical consensus reads: "Dark, cynical, and subversive, Heathers gently applies a chainsaw to the conventions of the high school movie – changing the game for teen comedies to follow." "You're Welcome" was originally written by O'Keefe and Murphy for the High School edition but was added to the official show beginning with the 2018 London production. Veronica rushes to the hospital, taunted by the ghosts of Kurt, Ram, and Chandler; with her parents attempting to assure her that they have been through everything she is going through ("Yo Girl"). Title: Heathers (2018) 5.6 /10. Martha tells Veronica she suspects J.D. [6] The show began previews on March 15, 2014, and opened on March 31, 2014. Films adapted for the West End are the new jukebox musicals, stories seeking out songs as opposed to songs in need of a storyline. ... Heathers, the feared-and-revered school alpha bitches and the bullying jocks become emblems of a society of … She refuses, so he complains about doing nothing in the face of injustice, revealing he witnessed his mother's suicide as a young boy, straining his relationship with his father and causing their constant moving around. While the show is a high-energy black comedy, it opens conversations about dark issues, including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault, and school violence.[1]. At Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, until 24 November. Veronica is branded a slut ("Blue" (Playoff) - not included in West End and future productions), and when J.D. The score and choreography of the musical were also given praise. At Ram's homecoming party, Veronica gets increasingly drunk and high ("Big Fun"). wins a fight against Ram and Kurt, Veronica finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("Fight for Me"). © Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company. J.D. [12] For the London production "Blue" has been changed to the new song "You're Welcome" and Heather Duke has received her own song "Never Shut Up Again" as well as a few script changes. The mysterious, poetry-quoting new kid, Jason "J.D." ‘Have you had a brain tumour for breakfast?” “What’s your damage, Heather?” and, most of all, “Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw!” The 1980s produced plenty of catchphrase-heavy movies, but none were quite as kitschy as the 1988 cult film Heathers. "[36], Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly was harsher, giving the musical a C- rating: "Heathers: The Musical misses just about everything that made the film great, making it not only a colossally disappointing adaptation of a beloved property but also a generally unpleasant theater experience. Following its 2014 Off-Broadway run, the musical gained cult status from audiences that mirrored the characters at the fictional Westerburg High, and multiple high schools were putting in requests for the licensing rights; accordingly, an abridged "PG-13" version was prepared, newly revised by writers Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, iTheatrics, and licensing company Samuel French specifically for student productions. [32], Marilyn Stasio, writing for Variety, wrote "...Seasoned industry pros could pick up a few tips on the Do’s and Don’ts of adapting material from this smartly executed musical treatment of "Heathers"." 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