Erika Henningsen Is the 2018 Broadway.com Star of the Year! Here's Why We Love the Mean Girls Star

Fans have voted Erika Henningsen the 2018 Broadway.com Star of the Year! The Broadway.com vlogger and Mean Girls lead is in great company—her new title was held in previous years by Christy Altomare, Josh Groban, Kelli O'Hara, Ramin Karimloo, Patina Miller, Daniel Radcliffe, Kristin Chenoweth and more.

Henningsen has had quite a year. She opened in Mean Girls on Broadway in April, bringing Tina Fey's 2004 comedy classic and the character of Cady Heron to life onstage. Her strong performance in the role, sunny outlook and can-do attitude earned her a nomination from Broadway.com for Star of the Year, and now fans have voted her the winner. Between originating a role on Broadway in a hit musical and performing at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the Tony Awards, leading a thrice-extended Broadway.com vlog and so much more in her jam-packed year, the limit does not exist on reasons to love this performer. But here are a few:

She doesn't mince words.

Henningsen and her Mean Girls co-stars Grey Henson and Barrett Wilbert Weed were featured in our Spring Preview all the way back in February. "The movie's message is that when females undermine one another, it gives others permission to do the same," Henningsen told Broadway.com. "Tina's built upon that in this show. If you're being nice at the risk of diminishing yourself, then what are you really accomplishing? Kind and strong don't have to be mutually exclusive." That's a message we can get behind. 

She originated a role on the Great White Way.

After originating the lead role of Cady during Mean Girls' Washington, D.C. run, she returned to Broadway for the first time since her 2015 turn as Fantine in Les Misérables. For the musical's Broadway opening night, Henningsen sat for Broadway.com's portrait booth in an "On Wednesdays, we wear pink" power suit inspired by creator Fey.

She was a favorite at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards.

Clearly, Mean Girls charmed theatergoers this year, with 12 Tony nominations and eight Broadway.com Audience Choice Award wins. Henningsen snagged the Female Breakthrough Performance Award this year alongside fellow winners Hailey Kilgore, Uma Thurman and co-star Taylor Louderman. 

Being "Fearless" in the face of frostbite

Performing on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade can be stressful, but leading a number during record-low temperatures while wearing a miniskirt? Henningsen and her castmates danced their hearts out in the freezing cold during this year's broadcast and made it look easy. 

THIS. 

At the Broadway opening of The Cher Show, Henningsen showed off her fashion sense and posing skills—and there might also have been a Cher impression at some point. 

Her killer Bernadette impression.

On a recent episode of Side by Side by Susan Blackwell, we traveled to the bottom of the special-skills section of Henningsen's résumé and found a gem of a Bernadette Peters impression, which you can listen to above. Turns out, she also gives Lin-Manuel Miranda a run for his money with a freestyle rap.

And, who could forget all of the vlogs...

Henningsen has brought us behind the scenes of Mean Girls with nine episodes (plus, three bonus holiday episodes) of her vlog, Too Grool for School. Thanks to her, theater fans got an inside look on Broadway life at the August Wilson Theatre every week. Let's take a walk down memory lane with highlights from her backstage shenanigans...

She took us to a Today Show performance rehearsal.

Her quick-change goals.

And her ability to scare co-star Ashley Park.

Congratulations from your fans, Erika Henningsen!