Heathers: The Musical

I love this new take on Heathers. I believe that Ailsa Davidson plays a fantastic Veronica, she may be different to the original but that's to be expected as different actors are bound to have different takes on actors. Her Veronica is someone who just so badly wants to fit in and strays from the path to do so and she gets involved with the wrong group of people. I feel like this is something so important to represent in film as it is something so many can relate to. The singing, acting and dancing throughout the movie is incredible and it would make a really worth while watch for any musical theatre fan. I think though that whilst it definitely does link in with the original movie it is important to note that times have changed since 1989 so it is understandable and expected that there would also be changes in a more modern release of the story. I genuinely do love this movie and it is a lot of fun to watch.

Bring Broadway to the small screen with Heathers: The Musical! Sit in the front row and witness the musical that took the world by storm. The witty and creative production continues to revolutionize theater and lives.

Heathers: The Musical is a musical theater adaptation of the 1988 film Heathers. When Veronica (Ailsa Davidson) wants to fit in with the cool crew at her new school, the most popular girls, the Heathers, (Madison Firth, Vanka Panka, Teleri Hughes) take her under their wing. As Veronica realizes that being popular isn't all it's cracked up to be, she tries to escape the clique she's become a part of, and soon finds that it'll be much more difficult than she thought.

Heathers: The Musical brings the off-Broadway production to audience's homes. The recording of the musical makes it easy for theater fans of all ages to re-watch their favorite play. The film really captures the magic of the theater and hits every mark. The live audience reaction adds to the feeling that viewers are in an opera house, watching the production live. The acting is colorful and easily defines the characters' personalities. Veronica dangles in the morally gray character. She's awkward and funny, but will cross the line between innocence and murder. Meanwhile J. D. (Simon Gordon) is someone who may not be the best boyfriend, but he's a character we can't help but love. All of the actors' performances are outstanding; they emphasize character development, belt out high notes and dance to difficult choreography. It's clear that every actor is a triple threat and enjoys performing for live audiences. The standout performance is Ailsa Davidson, as Veronica. She is a star and captures every scene she is in. Each musical number is fantastic and gives insight to each character and their life. The most recognizable song is "Candy Store." This performance upholds its reputation and proves why it is the most famous song of the soundtrack.

The message of the film is a reminder to be yourself. Veronica craved to be popular and, once she thought she had good friends and changes her entire personality, she realizes that what she really wants is to be herself. This film is inappropriate for younger audiences due to crude language, partial nudity, heavy sexual innuendo, murder and suicide.

I give Heathers: The Musical 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It launches on the Roku Channel September 16, 2022. By Heather S., KIDS FIRST!

I saw this off-broadway so long ago and it sort of just disappeared until my daughter suddenly heard about it through tik-tok and it gained popularity even beyond its original run. The show had been fun but unmemorable at the time. Revisiting it reminded me why I liked it so much to begin with. Do I love that the dead teens become ghosts (or figments of Veronica's guilt) to keep the actors on stage? No. But everything else about it works. It's fun and fast-paced, although I gotta admit, the commercials ruin it. Roku should advertise this more. Based on the number of reviews and ratings, no one is watching.

The Heathers: The Musical pro-shot recording of the Off West End revival of said show is one of the more flushed away productions of musicals.

To start off, their voices are significantly weakened due to the American accent they have to put on. Maddison Firth, who plays Heather Chandler's voice is very nasally when it comes to singing. Jason Dean's actor; Simon Gordon is also a victim of said American accent let-down.

On positive notes, the set design is very flexible when it comes to moving sets. The stage is small, but they still managed to do what they could with a smaller budget. Another pro about this is the tech involved. The lighting is spectacular and it needs a standing ovation just for that! Following, the catchy songs and stunning choreography bring a dim spotlight to this small stage.

Sadly, another negative note is the comedy. It feels much more dry than the comedy in the original West End production and the Off Broadway production. You would expect that the pure hilarity of Off Broadway mixed with the awkwardness of West End surely means hilarious scenes, but the delivery of certain lines seems like they were held at gunpoint to do this show.

All in all, a good movie to listen to just like background music.

I really enjoyed it! I know a lot of people wanted it to be the off-Broadway production, but I actually think the design and direction of the West End version is much stronger.

Ailsa is a very good Veronica. Love her acting and vocal choices, and she's very endearing. Simon Gordon leans much more into the sad/ sympathetic side of JD, which I think might turn off fans of the original film, but he grew on me pretty quickly. I think the changes made to the West End version (ie. Replacing "Blue" with "You're Welcome" and adding "Never Shut Up Again") actually lend themselves to playing JD more sympathetically. The accents are predictably wonky, but I didn't find it too distracting, and I think it actually kind of adds to the campy charm.

Overall: this may not please fans of the original movie, but it's campy fun and a well-produced proshot.