For those who need a refresher, the film Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion came out in 1997 (cue the millennial nostalgia) and starred Mira Sorvino as Romy and Lisa Kudrow as Michele. It also featured a slew of other famous faces including Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Elaine Hendrix, Camryn Manheim and Justin Theroux. Was the movie a hit? Hardly, but it did gain a cult following over the years. In fact, I’d personally rank it up there with other iconic cult classic films led by fabulous female stars including Drop Dead Gorgeous, Death Becomes Her and Jawbreaker (though it includes none of the death prominently featured in these three examples). So, it really was just a matter of time before the movie was turned into a musical a la Legally Blonde and Death Becomes Her.
This New Must-See Musical Delivers All the ‘80s and ‘90s Fun—with a Side of Post-Its
Businesswoman lunch special included
This screen-to-stage adaptation, Romy & Michele: The Musical, stars Laura Bell Bundy (Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical) as Romy and Kara Lindsay (Disney’s Newsies on Broadway) as Michele. And fans of the film will not be disappointed.
The new musical is a lot of fun, with Bundy and Lindsay delivering laugh after laugh. Their chemistry as the long-time besties is palpable. In particular, Bundy steals the show as she replicates Sorvino’s famous lower voice and accent, while still making the character her own. Laura Bell Bundy is truly impressive as she brings comedy one minute and tears the next. Her physicality (see: her “businesswoman walk”) is especially entertaining.
Other standouts include the fabulous Jordan Kai Burnett as the pining Heather and Lauren Zakrin as the conniving Christie—in both cases, the vocals and acting chops are on point.
From minute one, the “colorful” (that’s an understatement) set delivers Saved by the Bell vibes and sets the tone for the show—that’s over-the-top silliness and nostalgic fun. Many of the tunes are catchy, particularly the upbeat, dance-filled grand finale.
The show does get off to a slightly slow start, but once the pace picks up, it’s a truly entertaining ride from there. Lovers of the cult classic will especially enjoy how true to the movie it is, incorporating nearly every plot point and iconic line (unlike Broadway’s Smash! which disappointed fans of the show by deviating heavily from the source material).
So, write yourself a Post-It: ‘Go see Romy & Michele: The Musical—four stars!’ It’s cute, campy and crammed with all the ‘80s and ‘90s references (and Madonna wigs) you could ever want.
Romy & Michele: The Musical is now playing at Stage 42.
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