Lea Michele as a Plastic? Sutton Foster Channeling Tina Fey? Broadway.com Casts Mean Girls: The Musical

As students head back to school, Broadway.com asked readers what classic school-themed movie they’d like to see made into a Broadway musical. Fans ranked the 2004 comedy Mean Girls as their top choice, and Broadway.com completely agrees that adding music to the acidic words of the Burn Book would be amazing. Lines from the hilarious film are quoted so often in our editorial office that we decided to cast a fictional Mean Girls musical. Take a look below at which hot young Broadway stars we think should take on the stage version of the “Plastics” and their cohorts.


Teal Wicks as Cady Heron (played onscreen by Lindsay Lohan)
As Wicked’s Elphaba, redhead Wicks finds herself an outcast at Shiz University, where she’s at odds with (but ultimately befriends) popular blond Glinda. Sound familiar? Mean Girls’ Cady Heron spent her youth homeschooled in Africa, but when she’s thrown into the world of American teenage girls, she despises the elite members of the “Plastics” (lead by the devious Regina George), only to later become one herself. If Wicks wears army pants and flip flops, we totally will too.


Lea Michele as Regina George (played onscreen by Rachel McAdams)
Rachel Berry, Michele’s character on TV’s Glee, is usually on the receiving end of high school tormenting, but Rachel’s been known to throw a temper-fueled fit or two when she doesn’t get her way. We’re sure Michele could easily perfect the “I’m smiling-at-you-when-I-tell-you-I-love-your-vintage-80s-skirt-but-really-it’s-the-ugliest-effing-skirt-I’ve-ever-seen” look permanently plastered on Regina’s face.


Annaleigh Ashford as Karen Smith (played onscreen by Amanda Seyfried)
Ashford may be heating up the stage as Rent’s powerhouse performance artist Maureen, but her ditzy days as Legally Blonde’s Margot and Hair’s Jeanie would definitely help her tackle the zoned-out passivity of cousin-loving “Plastic” Karen. Time to brush up on your weather predicting skills, Annaleigh!


Laura Osnes as Gretchen Weiners (played onscreen by Lacey Chabert)
Get ready to toss your hair up, Laura: It’s going to be full of secrets. Regina’s right-hand girl Gretchen is forced to bottle up her own emotions in favor of whatever Regina says…a sentiment Osnes should be familiar with right now thanks to her overbearing mother Evangeline Harcourt (Kelly Bishop) in the Tony-winning revival of Anything Goes. We have full confidence that Osnes could indeed make “Fetch” happen.


Sutton Foster as Ms. Norbury (played onscreen by Tina Fey)
Mean Girls tries to pass Tina Fey (who penned the film’s screenplay) off as a frazzled, nerdy, middle-aged woman with man troubles—much like Liz Lemon, the character she created for herself on 30 Rock. Behind those glasses, however, Fey is a beautiful, funny and smart woman, much like two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster. Throw a pair of specs on Sutton, and we’d let her serve us drinks at P.J. Calamity’s any school night.


Krysta Rodriguez as Janis Ian (played onscreen by Lizzie Caplan)
Rodriguez already perfected playing a gloomy teenager as the original Wednesday in Broadway’s The Addams Family. With credits that also include In the Heights, Spring Awakening and A Chorus Line, she should have no problem dishing out Janis’ observant commentary on the ridiculous habits of popular girls. Say "crack" again, Krysta? Don’t mind if we do.


Wesley Taylor as Damian (played onscreen by Daniel Franzese)
Taylor may be a far cry from the stature of original Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese, but after playing Rodriguez’s onstage beau in The Addams Family, the duo became instant besties. We think their chemistry as BFFs would work perfectly for outcasts Janis and Damian. Plus Taylor, also a Rock of Ages veteran, just finished a summer run as gay best friend Michael “Mouse” Tolliver in San Franciscio’s Tales of the City. Four for you, Wes Taylor, you go Wes Taylor!


Kristin Chenoweth as Mrs. George (played onscreen by Amy Poehler)
She’s not a regular mom, she’s a cool mom—and Chenoweth definitely has the comedic chops to channel her former Emmy competitor Amy Poehler (Chenoweth won in 2009 for Pushing Daisies over Poehler in Saturday Night Live). Last year, Broadway.com voters even named Kristin the funniest person on Broadway… give her a Hump day cocktail and slip her into floozy Mrs. George’s Juicy sweats, and Cheno’ll be good to go.


Aaron Tveit as Aaron Samuels (played onscreen by Jonathan Bennett)
Well, Tveit already has the same first name! The gorgeous Catch Me If You Can star is no stranger to playing high school heartthrobs, thanks to Hairspray—and much like Link Larkin, Samuels finds himself in a love triangle with his current snobby girlfriend and a likeable new girl in town. We bet plenty of Broadway fans would love to have Tveit as their after-school peer tutor…even if he is kind of bad at math.


Lin Manuel-Miranda as Principal Duvall (played onscreen by Tim Meadows)
Tony-winning In the Heights scribe Miranda should be well-versed in the ways of high school bitchery after co-writing the soon-to-tour stage adaptation of Bring It On! When it's time to break up the junior girls' riot, Principal Duvall makes cracks about his rough South Side Chicago roots, and Miranda’s Washington Heights background might help out.

Think we did a good job of casting the North Shore high crew? Have your own ideas? Let us know!