“I believe there’s good in everyone”
This is the line main character, Veronica Sawyer, sings in the opening number and still believes after the events that unfold throughout “Heathers The Musical.,” produced by Snap! Productions at the Ghost Light Theatre through June 23. Whether or not this is true, there’s plenty of good in this stage version of the 1988 cult movie classic.
The dark adult comedy follows the teenager as she battles through a more dangerous than usual high school experience. Snap! Productions, known as Omaha’s diversity theatre, put on an energetic and beautiful production that brought the audience straight into the late 80s.
McKenna Cottone, who played the lead, stunned as Veronica with an award-worthy performance and voice. She exhibited raw emotion and embodied Sawyer’s superficially blasé character.
The show’s comedic highlight was the hilarious performance from duo Shemar Toussaint and Kaden Weis as Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly, the douchey antagonist jocks, respectively. The two worked together to land all their bits and took advantage of moments to incorporate exaggerated physical comedy.
The infamous Heathers of the show, portrayed the perfect clique-controlling mean girls with sass. Each Heather had their own style and showed their uniqueness while also being a united front as they sang hits such as “Candy Store.”
From scene to scene and song to song, not a single actor in the performance gave less than their all. Other highlights included the scarily accurate performance from Nick Knipe as JD, BriAnna Davis’s stunning ballad, and the adult character’s show-stopping solo songs and witty lines.
The ensemble was incredibly invested in all aspects of the production and clearly had a great deal fun with their interactions. The musical included plenty of choreography, which the cast used to frame the show’s memorable moments and peaks.
The Ghost Light Theatre stage provided the audience with an interactive experience, especially with the cast members occasionally speaking or directing actions directly to audience members. The audience felt part of the show given the intimacy of the performance space.
As The Heathers say in their song, “Candy Store,” “Honey, whatchu waitin’ for?” Visit www.snapproductions.com for more information about the company and to get tickets for the remaining weekend of Heathers.
