HEATHERS Is Back In New York, And Thank Goodness For That — Review

Spare for Hamilton, Heathers is one of the most listened to cast recordings in musical theatre history. No one knew back in 2014, when the musical premiered Off-Broadway, what a cultural phenomenon it would be. I can only assume if you are reading this review, Heathers has been somewhat formative in your theatre-loving life, and now Heathers is back, and dare I say, better than ever.

When director Andy Fickman acquired the rights to Daniel Waters’ 1988 cult classic film to adapt it back in the early aughts, he knew it would be a success but he never could have imagined what it could have turned into. The math is simple: take a devious high school girl clique, pair it with some murder, and add in a score by Lawrence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy. Sounds like a home run to me. 

The musical has gone through multiple iterations over the last decade or so, with substantial rewrites to the book and new songs, especially for its UK premiere back in 2018. This new Heathers, back at New World Stages - the exact room where it premiered, brightens up the plot a bit, and makes it a bit more digestible for those younger audience members. 

O’Keefe and Murphy’s score is no easy feat - just ask any young actress today who has screlted out a song or two at an audition. Thankfully this superstar cast is up to the challenge. Lorna Courtney truly shines as Veronica. A 2023 Tony nominee for & Juliet, Courtney is back on stage with some mindboggling vocals that truly must be witnessed to be believed - just wait till her new anthem “I Say No” late in Act II, I say YES! Her counterpart Casey Likes as the mischievous JD conquers the role with ease and brought out an even darker side to the character which I appreciated. 

I’ve contemplated over the past few days who would be a more perfect Heather Chandler than McKenzie Kurtz, and I’ve got nothing. Her comedic snark matched with a killer voice is as near to musical theatre perfection as you can get. Elizabeth Teeter and Olivia Hardy as Heather McNamara and Heather Duke, respectively, each get their glorious moments to shine and all three Heathers make a devilish trio that is beyond satisfying. 

We all know Kerry Butler is a shining star in our musical theatre universe, but Butler is inextricably fantastic as her duo Ms. Fleming and Veronica’s Mom. Back at New World following her fantastic run in Mama I’m A Big Girl Now last year, Butler eats up every crumb on that stage and makes us ever so thankful to be in her presence. 

Erin Morton, who was literally found on TikTok mere days before the first rehearsal, is an endearing Martha who pulls on our heartstrings with her angelic voice - I look forward to much more from Morton in the coming years. And Cade Ostermeyer and Xavier McKinnon truly steal the show as Kurt and Ram. 

The ensemble works well together, even if some look painfully much older than high schoolers, and tie the show together neatly.

David Shields’ scenic work (what the show has been using since its London inception) works well in the space, and when paired with Ben Cracknell’s glorious lighting, everything works. 

At the end of the day, Heathers is Big Fun and boy, are folks loving it. Having now gone twice since their return last month, both audiences were so rabid with screams and cheers for both iconic lines and even more iconic riffs, sometimes it was hard to hear the music. It knows what it is, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. So grab a cocktail, grab a srunchie, and let yourself loose at Westerberg High, you won’t regret it.