Regina George and Cady Heron will face off on a Salem stage this summer in a musical adaption of one of pop culture’s most iconic high school rivalries. “Mean Girls the Musical” is Chemeketa Community College’s third annual Chemeketa Theatre Under The Stars performance, following producti ons of “Mary Poppins” and “Oliver!” It premieres Tuesday, July 7, at the Gerry Frank Amphitheater, 200 Water St. N.E., with evening showings through July 12, along with a special matinee July 11.  Based on Tina Fey’s hit 2004 comedy, the Broadway musical follows Cady Heron, a teenager who transfers to a new public high school and becomes entangled with the school’s reigning clique, the “Plastics,” headed by queen bee Regina George.  “We decided to do a show that was going to be fun and funny and lighthearted,” Director Stephen Munshaw said. “We’re surrounded by a lot of heaviness right now in our world, and the show really deals with some difficult issues, but at the same time does it in such a lighthearted way that people are really going to have a good time through the show.” The cast is made up of 25 performers, many of them in their teens and early-20s, with experience in theatre at Willamette University and regional productions. They have been rehearsing since the start of April, spending several hours together most days of the week. Audience members can enjoy the show from low-back lawn chairs or blankets on the grass.  The show will run about two-and-a-half hours, with a 15 minute intermission. During the break, people can grab a bite to eat from Chekemeta’s catering group or a glass of wine. Outside food is also welcome. “Mean Girls the Musical” will have 7:30 p.m. showings Tuesday, July 7, Wednesday, July 8, Thursday, July 9, Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12. There will be a special matinee showing at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 11.  Tickets are about $17 for children 12 and under, $28 for students and seniors 65 and up, $33 for general admission and $54 for VIP spots closer to the stage. In that time, the cast has “become this little family,” said Munshaw. “I know a lot of theaters, that’s just part of the process … but I think in this kind of production, because the level of musicianship is so strong, there is a common ground that a lot of these kids are finding with each other,” Munshaw said.  But bringing this year’s production to the stage hasn’t been without challenges for Munshaw and the cast.  In about the last month of rehearsals, the production had to switch choreographers unexpectedly.  “It was one of the most challenging things that I’ve ever experienced because a choreographer is such an integral part of a show, and you take the choreographer out of a musical, that’s really tough,” Munshaw said. A cast member stepped into the role, and “has gone just above and beyond,” Munshaw said. Until now, rehearsals have been held in a smaller space at Chemeketa, where performers have learned complex dance steps, music and staging. Moving those to the amphitheater this week will require the cast to rework blocking and adjust to the larger, rounded stage.  They will also be sharing that stage with an orchestra of over a dozen musicians accompanying the production live. While largely faithful to the film, the musical will emphasize the relentless social hierarchy of high school using a jungle metaphor, Munshaw said, with actors donning elaborate elephant, lion, zebra and rhino masks.  “One of the things that the musical does, it’s different than the movie, is it really identifies this high school experience as kind of a jungle experience where animals can be pretty vicious to each other and can be dog-eat-dog,” Munshaw said. “Who’s the predator and who’s the prey? … What do you have to do to get to the top of the heap?” It will also bring the story into the modern social media era, exploring how online spaces can breed cyberbullying. While confronting these, it ultimately offers a message of hope. “That’s a pretty big deal, is identifying cyberbullying and just nastiness, that we can perhaps all lend to, but (the musical) identifies some of the challenges in our society, but it also identifies people coming together and saying: ‘We can be better, we can do better than this,’” Munshaw said. Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] . SIGN UP: Salem Reporter is dedicated to covering the people, issues, and stories that shape our community. Stay connected to Salem. Subscribe today. The post Mean Girls musical brings humor and high school drama to Salem stage appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less