Off-B'way Reviews: Romy and Michele: The Musical; Endgame

Laura Bell Bundy, Kara Lindsay and the cast
of Romy and Michele: The Musical.
Credit: Valerie Terranova

Quirky, silly fun can be had at Romy & Michele: The Musical, based on the 1997 cult film comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. Yes, this is yet another tuner based on a popular movie from decades ago about outsiders getting their revenge on the cool, cruel kids. A revival of Heathers is still playing, and there’s also Mean Girls in recent memory, plus there have been originals with the same theme such as The Prom and Be More Chill. But Robin Schiff’s book based on her screenplay, which is in turn based on her play Ladies’ Room, is strongly constructed, takes several inventive twists and turns and has two hilariously original characters at its center. In addition, Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay’s score is bouncy, clever and funny.

Kara Lindsay and Laura Bell Bundy in
Romy and Michele: The Musical.
Credit: Valerie Terranova

Laura Bell Bundy and Kara Lindsay are brilliantly ditsy yet emotionally sympathetic in the title roles of two best friends drifting through life, originated by Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow in the film. The action beings in the year of the movie, or B.G. (Before Google) as a projected supertitle informs us at the opening (Caite Hevner created the splashy, colorful projections.) Romy and Michele spend their time watching TV, hitting the clubs, designing and making their own clothes (Tina McCartney created the kicky, frolicsome costumes), scrambling by either at a menial job (Romy) or on unemployment (Michele). An invitation to their 10-year high school reunion triggers flashbacks to their adolescence when they were each others’ only companions and the source of mockery from the A-group, led by evil cheerleader Christie (a zestfully nasty Lauren Zakrin).