Clueless (musical)
 | This article needs a plot summary. (July 2020) |
| Clueless | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
 Poster for the 2025 West End production | |
| Music | Various (2018 version) KT Tunstall (2024 version) |
| Lyrics | Glenn Slater (2024 version) |
| Book | Amy Heckerling |
| Basis | Clueless by Amy Heckerling |
| Premiere | November 20, 2018: The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, New York City |
| Productions | 2018 Off-Broadway 2024 Bromley 2025 West End |
Clueless (also known as Clueless, The Musical) is a musical with a book by Amy Heckerling based on her 1995 film of the same name, itself loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma, updating the setting to modern-day Beverly Hills.[1][2]
The musical originally premiered as a jukebox musical Off-Broadway on November 20, 2018, with an official opening on December 11, in the Pershing Square Signature Center's Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre. Performances ran through January 12, 2019.
A new version of the musical with original music by KT Tunstall and with lyrics by Glenn Slater, had a work-in-progress engagement at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley from 12 to 24 February 2024, before being announced to begin performances in London's West End at the Trafalgar Theatre from February 2025. The West End production opened on March 13, 2025.
Synopsis
[edit]Cher Horowitz is a popular, wealthy teenager living a picture perfect life in Beverly Hills ("Perfect"). Her father, Mel, is a lawyer and the two live in a mansion, sometimes joined by Josh, Cher's ex-step-brother. Tai, a new girl from New York, arrives at in town and Cher decides to make her her new project, making her popular ("New Girl").
Productions
[edit]Off-Broadway (2018)
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The musical originally opened Off-Broadway at The Pershing Square Signature Center, produced by The New Group, on November 20, 2018, for a limited engagement until January 12, 2019.[3] The production was directed by Kristin Hanggi, choreographed by Kelly Devine and the show's music supervision, arrangements and orchestration was provided by Ethan Popp. The production's design team included scenery by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Amy Clark, lighting by Jason Lyons, sound by Gareth Owen, and projections by Darrel Maloney.[4] As a non-traditional jukebox musical, the show used '80s and '90s songs as the entire score, with lyric changes to fit the scene. It features classics such as "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia, "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child, "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde, and "Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base.
Bromley tryout (2024) and West End (2025)
[edit]A new version of the musical made its UK premiere in a work-in-progress run at the Churchill Theatre, in Bromley from 12 to 24 February 2024. The new version features an original score by KT Tunstall and Glenn Slater and was directed by Sarna Lapine.[5]
On 9 September 2024, it was announced that the musical will open in London's West End at the Trafalgar Theatre from February 2025, with Rachel Kavanaugh replacing Lapine as director and Lizzi Gee as choreographer.[6] Emma Flynn & Keelan McAuley, who played Cher Horowitz & Josh Lucas respectively, both reprised their roles for the West End production. Full casting and creative teams were announced in January 2025.[7] The show opened on March 13, 2025 [8] It was originally meant to close in June 2025 but due to popular demand, it has been extended to March 2026.[9]
Cast and characters
[edit]| Character | Off-Broadway [10] | Bromley[11] | West End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Cher Horowitz | Dove Cameron | Emma Flynn | |
| Dionne Davenport | Zurin Villanueva | Madison McBride | Chyna-Rose Frederick |
| Tai Frasier | Ephie Aardema | Annie Southall | Romona Lewis-Malley |
| Josh Lucas | Dave Thomas Brown | Keelan McAuley | |
| Mel Horowitz Alphonse Hall DMV Instructor Mugger |
Chris Hoch | Ian Kelsey | Ryan O'Donnell |
| Amber Mariens | Tessa Grady | ? | Emily Florence |
| Christian Stovitz | Justin Mortelliti | Solomon Davy | Isaac J Lewis |
| Miss Geist Millie Stoeger |
Megan Sikora | Julie Yammanee | Imelda Warren-Green |
| Heather | Sara Andreas | ? | |
| Lucy | Danielle Marie Gonzalez | Jacqueline Hughes | |
| Murray Duvall | Gilbert L. Bailey II | Simeon Wynne | Rabi Kondé |
| Travis Birkenstock | Will Connolly | Owen Lloyd | Blake Jordan |
| Elton Tiscia | Brett Thiele | Tom Liggins | Max Mirza |
| Summer | Talya Groves | ? | Aoife Kenny |
| Haley | Sophie Elmes | ||
| Tiffany | Grace Eleanor Thomas | ||
| Dylan | Jacob Fisher | ||
| Kyle | Ernest Stroud | ||
| Chad | Josh Latunji | ||
| Finn/Band Singer | James Lim | ||
| Swing | Lucy Rice
Rachel Seirian Dylan Gordon-Jones Lucas Lluna | ||
| Sean Holliday | Darius Jordan Lee | ? | |
| Max | L’ogan J’ones | ? | |
Musical numbers
[edit]Original Off-Broadway production (Jukebox musical)
[edit]- Act I
| Song | Original artist | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Beautiful Life" | Ace of Base | Cher and Ensemble |
| "Shoop" | Salt-N-Pepa | Murray and Male Ensemble |
| "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" | Spin Doctors | Cher, Josh, Teachers and Female Ensemble |
| "No Scrubs" | TLC | Cher and Ensemble |
| "You Gotta Be" | Des'ree | Cher, Dionne and Ensemble |
| "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Laura Branigan | Mr. Hall, Miss Geist, Cher, Dionne and Ensemble |
| "U Can't Touch This" | MC Hammer | Company |
| "Supermodel" | Jill Sobule | Cher, Dionne, Tai and Ensemble |
| "Barbie Girl" | Aqua | Cher, Dionne, Tai, Murray and Female Ensemble |
| "Groove Is in the Heart" | Deee-Lite | Tai, Murray and Company |
| "Torn" | Ednaswap | Cher and Josh |
- Act II
| Song | Original artist | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" | En Vogue | Tai, Cher, Dionne and Female Ensemble |
| "A Girl Like You" | Edwyn Collins | Christian, Cher, Dionne, Tai and Ensemble |
| "Dammit" | Blink-182 | Cher, Josh, The Band and Ensemble |
| "Dammit" (Reprise) | Blink-182 | Cher and Josh |
| "Bye Bye Bye" | NSYNC | Cher, Christian and Company |
| "Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm" | Crash Test Dummies | Travis |
| "What's Up?" | 4 Non Blondes | Cher |
| "She's So High" | Tal Bachman | Cher and Josh |
| "You Get What You Give" | New Radicals | Cher and Company |
| "Kids in America" | Kim Wilde | Full Company |
Original London production
[edit]
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Critical response
[edit]Clueless, The Musical Off Broadway received mixed reviews.[12] Frank Rizzo of Variety called the narrative "lightweight" but praised the overall look and tone of the show. Rizzo, describing Kelly Devine's choreography, said "its teen-energy moves are a constant pleasure". Rizzo also said that "Beowulf Boritt’s design essentials are rad and Amy Clark’s costumes recall the too-cool-to-care designs of the period and its stylish plaids and pleats". Rizzo also praised the music selection for show, calling Amy Heckerling's reworking of the lyrics "crafty".[13]
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter found the show "hit-or-miss". Rooney praised that the show stuck closely to the original's plot but criticized that there was no element of surprise. Rooney wrote that "in comparison to other teen classics retooled for the stage, like Mean Girls, Heathers: The Musical or Bring It On, the show rarely steps out from the shadow of its screen source with anything new to offer."[14]
Clueless, The Musical West End received good reviews.[15] Nick Curtis in The Standard said it is "powerfully sung, and actually, like, kinda fun".[16] Curits went on to say "in the ranks of musical adaptations of cult movies, this is almost as good as Legally Blonde, and it’s what Mean Girls should have been. If you don’t enjoy it, frankly you must be buggin’."
"Gals and gays, welcome to your new favorite musical" said Alun Hood in WhatsOnStage. Hood also praised lead Emma Flynn in the role of Cher Horowitz, saying "apart from the numbers, many of which are bona fide bangers... the principal distinguishing feature of Clueless is its leading lady. As Cher, who’s surely first cousin to Elle Woods and Wicked’s Glinda, American newcomer Emma Flynn is delivering the most entrancing West End musical debut since Eva Noblezada broke our hearts in Miss Saigon."[17]
The Stage called the show "bright, breezy satire" and a "vibrant adaptation of the 1995 teen movie bolstered by a catchy original score by KT Tunstall. This West End transfer, directed with verve by Rachel Kavanaugh, embraces the satirical spirit of the original, while allowing plenty of room for Tunstall and Slater’s musical numbers to shine."[18]
The Times said "there is plenty to enjoy in Rachel Kavanaugh’s production at the Trafalgar Theatre. While a jukebox version of the movie enjoyed a run off-Broadway in 2018, this is a more ambitious offering."[19]
The Independent said "it’s a bit light on the catchy songs and easy-to-imitate dance routines that can pull in younger fandoms. Still, it’s a welcome excuse to revisit a classic, sewn together with just enough originality to make it feel like a stylish homage, not a cynical knock-off."[20] "This is by no means a show for the ages, but it makes for a pleasant enough evening out," said The i Paper.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ Mazmanian, Melissa. "Reviving Emma in a Clueless World: The Current Attraction to a Classic Structure. Persuasions Online: Occasional Papers No. 3. Fall 1999. Jane Austen Society of North America website. Accessed November 12, 2013.
- ^ Stern, Lesley. "Emma in Los Angeles" Clueless as a remake of the book and the city. Archived October 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Australian Humanities Review website, 1997. Accessed November 12, 2013.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Clueless Musical, Starring Dove Cameron, Opens December 11". Playbill. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Franklin, Marc J. "A Look at Clueless, The Musical Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Darvill, Josh (November 2023). "New Clueless musical adaptation to make UK premiere". Stageberry. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Clueless musical heads to West End with music from KT Tunstall". Radio Times. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ "Full cast announced for West End premiere of CLUELESS THE MUSICAL". January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ "KT Tunstall, Amy Heckerling and more on bringing Clueless to London's West End". March 14, 2025.
- ^ "West End favourite Clueless extends run with new tickets on sale". Yahoo News. April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
- ^ Evans, Greg (October 9, 2018). "Clueless' Off Broadway Musical Announces Full Cast; Opening Date Set". Deadline. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Clueless The Musical casting revealed for London Bromley tryout | West End Theatre". www.westendtheatre.com. January 15, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Read Reviews for Off-Broadway's Clueless Musical, Starring Dove Cameron". Playbill. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ Rizzo, Frank (December 12, 2018). "Off Broadway Review: 'Clueless' the Musical". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ Rooney, David (December 11, 2018). "'Clueless, The Musical': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ News Team (March 14, 2025). "Clueless Reviews". WestEndTheatre.com. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Curtis, Nick (March 14, 2025). "Clueless the Musical Theatre review". The Standard. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Hood, Alun (March 14, 2025). "Clueless, The Musical review". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Vale, Paul (March 14, 2025). "Clueless the Musical review". The Stage. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Davis, Clive (March 13, 2025). "Clueless review- back to the Nineties for this exuberant musical revamp". The Times. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Saville, Alice (March 14, 2025). "Clueless the Musical- acynical knockoff? As if!". Indepdendent. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Mountford, Fiona (March 14, 2025). "Clueles' The Musical lacks punch". The I Paper. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
