Generation X nostalgia alert!
A local theatre company is bringing a live version of the movie Heathers to the stage.
Originally performed in Los Angeles and then Off-Broadway in New York in 2013, Heathers: The Musical delivers the characters, situations and lines we know and love from the 1988 film, then adds musical numbers. The show stars a multi-racial cast of local talent and will run at the York Theatre on Commercial Drive Jan. 6-17.
Heathers, the 1988 movie starring Winona Ryder, has become a cult classic since its release, so much so that perhaps a musical version was inevitable.
The music, lyrics, and a book by Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde) and Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness). The musical version, which includes songs like “Dead Girl Walking,” “My Dead Gay Son” and “I Am Damaged,” originally ran in 2013 in Los Angeles and then Off-Broadway in New York.
Local company Gently With a Chainsaw Artists’ Collective is bringing the production to the Vancouver stage, with a cast that includes Christine Quintana in the Ryder role (Veronica Sawyer) and Synthia Yusuf, Devon Busswood and Nhi Do as the trio of manipulative and snobby Heathers. David C. Jones directs the dark comedy for the Vancouver stage.
Original director, Andy Flickman, said of the production: “We found that Heathers gave a great deal of opportunity for ’80s commentary and a great chance for music and storytelling.”
Jones, quoted at Vancouverpresents.com, said that “The big difference between turning movies like Dirty Dancing and The Wedding Singer into musicals is that those are trying to capitalize on recognition. Heathers was never really a popular film; in fact it pretty much bombed at the box office. It did find a resurgence on video, but it really only had a cult following, as opposed to a built-in fan base.”
Heathers: The Musical runs Jan. 6-17 at the York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr.
Tickets are $15-$40 at tickets.thecultch.com.
Gently With a Chainsaw’s Heathers: The Musical Facebook page
