The complex social interactions of teenagers in American high schools have been at the forefront of film and television for decades. There have been countless comedies and dramas filled with the tropes and stereotypes of what goes on in youth culture – the popular kids, the loners, the jocks, the geeks, the haves and the have nots.
From Glee to Mean Girls we see time after time the same kinds of stories played out. Sure they can be fun, sad, or challenging, but often they are saccharine.
Thankfully Heathers the Musical is like a shot of much needed insulin to the corn-syrup overdose of American teen culture.
The show is based on the 1989 movie Heathers that outlived its dismal box office to become a cult hit over ensuing decades.
Set in the fictional Westerberg High School in Ohio, the show centres on Veronica Sawyer (Emma Caporaso), a bright but kind of geeky teen who gets caught up in the malevolent vortex of need of Heather Chandler (Calista Nelmes) and her two minions who just also happen to be called Heather.
So Chandler is the typical rich mean girl but on steroids. She is nasty, controlling and vindictive and has absolutely no fear or boundaries when it comes to getting what she wants and putting people in their place.
Initially accepted into the triple Heather clique, Veronica fucks up and gets abandoned because, among other things, she vomited on Heather C, started dating a non approved guy, and for having a moral compass.
Seeking revenge against the three H’s Veronica conspires with boyfriend Jason (Connor Beaumont) to bring them down, but she has monumentally misunderstood the dude and the show heads down a much darker and deadlier road.
I don’t wish to provide too many spoilers, so let’s just say this is not your typical teenage drama. Depictions of sex, attempted rape, suicide, and murder are all mixed in with jokes and some rocking songs.
What works really well is that the characters are so earnest yet also into the premise of satire. So they play their parts but they also make asides, gestures and facial expressions which tells the audience they are in on the joke. It works so well.
The cast of this particular season is also top notch. Caporaso is a shining star with superb vocal range who can deliver a song perfectly and also create a character who is multi faceted – sassy and sarcastic one moment, vulnerable and worried the next. Beaumont as her boyfriend is sublime vocally and is able to convincingly portray a guy with complexity. Home girl Nelmes is a delight as the manic narcissist Heather C. A great voice and powerful presence means she is impossible to ignore.
I hate to lump everyone else together, but hey, this is one hell of an amazing cast and every singe one of them was just fantastic. The singing, the dancing, and the comedic elements were all delivered so well.
Heathers the Musical is not for the prudish or the easily triggered. Its wildly dystopian take on American teenage culture is masterful. It drips with satire, it is wickedly funny, and superbly produced. It’s only on in Auckland for five days, so don’t miss it!
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HEATHERS THE MUSICAL
10-15 June 2026
Civic Theatre, Auckland