Photo by Jenny Anderson
The movie Mean Girls has become so engrained in our pop culture zeitgeist, it's likely anyone can recite their favorite quote without a second thought.
Such is the case for Taylor Louderman, a native of Bourbon, Missouri who fills the ridiculously high shoes of queen bee Regina George for the 2004 film's musical adaptation, set to debut April 8 on Broadway (previews begin March 12). When asked for her most beloved line, she's quick to answer with a Regina classic: "Boo, you whore!"
"I should think of a better one," she says with a laugh. "But it's so funny. And it didn't make the cut into the musical, so I'll have to keep it alive in my interviews."
The Mean Girls musical, written by 30 Rock creator Tina Fey (who also wrote the script for the hit film), follows the plot line of its source material: Cady and her family relocate to suburban Illinois from Africa, where she was homeschooled by her parents. She quickly befriends two outcasts who convince her to spy on their high school's clique of popular girls, dubbed The Plastics.
Louderman made her Broadway debut in 2012 as the lead in Bring It On: The Musical, and she's also performed numerous times for The Muny (including top roles in Grease and Hairspray), most recently in the 2016 production of Aida.
Now, Louderman takes on the role of The Plastics' manipulative leader, Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams in the film). We caught up with Louderman in late February to discuss her Missouri roots, performing in St. Louis, and working with Tina Fey.
Photo by Joan Marcus
How are rehearsals going? We just moved into the [August Wilson Theatre]. We’re in our tech process now. It’s really exciting. We’re trying on costumes and seeing the set come together.
What sparked your interest in theater? I grew up on the Shirley Temple movies, and I memorized Annie. My dad works in St. James, and he heard they were doing Annie at Rolla's Ozark Actors Theatre. My mom took me to audition, and I got a part in it. From that point on, I just loved it. My mom started driving me an hour into St. Louis to do shows. My high school didn’t have the best theater program, so I would go do shows at [Christian Brothers College High School] sometimes.
You've performed at The Muny a number of times. What were those experiences like? I adore The Muny so much. In college I booked The Muny as an ensemble member—like a paid equity performer, which was really cool. Since then, I’ve been back to do, most recently, Aida. I’ve done Grease there and Legally Blonde, Hairspray. I feel like The Muny is a place I would call home. [Muny artistic director and executive producer] Mike Isaacson produced my first Broadway show. He really taught me the ropes.
You also performed in NBC's Peter Pan Live! Was there added pressure to it being a live television broadcast? Absolutely. It’s one night only. At The Muny, it’s 11,000 seats, so when you speak on stage, you have to give a physical motion, so the people in the back know who’s talking. Whereas Peter Pan Live! on camera, it has to be really subtle because it’s close and intimate. So it was navigating that different storytelling aspect that was challenging.
But it was really cool. Growing up, I didn’t go to my first Broadway show until I was in high school. I had The Muny to look at and be inspired by. What I loved about doing Peter Pan Live! was kids from my hometown or across the country who didn't have opportunities to go see shows could sit at home with their parents and watch it. I think that was the most rewarding part.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Ashley Park (Gretchen Wieners), Taylor Louderman (Regina George), Kate Rockwell (Karen Smith), and Erika Henningsen (Cady Heron)
What was your audition like for Mean Girls? I remember thinking, "If Tina Fey is in this room, my only goal is to make her smile." As soon as I got a laugh out of her, I think I relaxed a little bit. Since I was going in for Regina, I was wearing high high heels and a skirt. And I remember my legs just wobbling as I walked in. But once I got a giggle out of [Tina], I was like, "Oh my goodness, I can die happy."
When I got the call that I got it, I think I was just jumping up and down and calling my mom and my girlfriends who are also in the show with me. The girl who plays Cady [Erika Henningsen] and the girl who plays Gretchen [Ashley Park], we all went to college together at the University of Michigan. So when we found out, we were all just ecstatic.
What's it like working with Tina Fey? She’s the best. She’s a great boss. She really is. She wrote a book called Bossypants, which is so genuine and real. Though she’s reserved and soft spoken, she carries a big stick. When she has something to say, it’s very thoughtful and important. She makes each one of us feel worthy. She’s a great collaborator.
Were you a fan of the movie before this? Yes, I haven't met anyone who isn’t. We can all relate to it. I guess I can’t speak for everyone, but it seems like we’ve all experienced the reality of the movie. If I haven’t seen it on TV a million times, I’ve heard it quoted or seen it in real life. I think it’s still so relevant; it’s still such an issue among young people—the malicious teasing, the cliques, navigating relationships in high school, and all that.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Kerry Butler (Mrs. George) and Erika Henningsen (Cady Heron)
What can people expect from the musical? Everybody’s going to come with expectations, because we all love the movie. I think those expectations are going to be exceeded. I really do. You’ve got your Glen Coco moment; you’ve got your “she doesn’t even go here” line. We just did an out-of-town tryout, and any time those lines would pop up, the crowd would just roar.
We also have new jokes. We follow the same plot line, but when you throw music into the mix, you have to raise the stakes a little bit to go into song all of the sudden. We have some new really funny moments that I’m so excited for people who are fans of the movie to come see. One of the things I really love about the stage production is we hit home the message a little bit harder, which is getting along and understanding that we’re safer and happier when we all look out for one another...I’m excited to deliver that message every night.
How did you prepare to take on the role of Regina? It’s kind of like that Peter Pan Live! thing I was talking about…I really wanted to nail that aspect of malicious teasing, where it affects you personally, but it doesn’t seem mean to everyone else. Any mean girl is not just outright mean all the time. She wouldn’t be popular. People wouldn’t support it. That’s the trick with Regina. She is nice enough and supportive and provides a really exciting social status friendship, so the trick is figuring out those manipulative moments, where it seems nice to everyone else but is actually really mean to the target.
In the movie, that is so subtly portrayed, and I think Rachel McAdams is brilliant at it...I love all of Rachel's intentions, and I'm taking those and making them a little bit bigger for the stage. But I also know I’m not her; it’s not smart to just replicate what she does, because I think I would just fail at it [laughs]. I'm making it my own.
How did growing up in Missouri influence your career? I think that St. Louis has a huge theater community. They really appreciate the arts, and I’m so grateful for that, because I know not every city does. Feeling that made me more excited to go into a career in the arts. Having The Muny, where I got to be a part of these shows, even if it was just for 30 seconds on stage, I got to watch Broadway stars. Definitely their performances, but also how they interacted with others, their working relationships, and their reputations. I got to see the business side of things.
I have four younger sisters, so I love to go home and see them. And being in St. Louis and being home in the Midwest is something that really grounds me. I love and I’m very proud of where I’m from. I am so grateful and know I have a responsibility to pave the way for young girls from Bourbon, or any small town, where it might feel like achieving a big dream is impossible...I really want to get the message across that it’s possible. It takes a lot of work and all that, but you can do it.
