美国国家公共电台 NPR On Broadway, They Wear Pink: 'Mean Girls' Is Now A Musical

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Little pop quiz here. What movie comes to mind if I say, is butter a carb or she doesn't even go here? Or there's this classic.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MEAN GIRLS")

LACEY CHABERT: (As Gretchen Wieners) That is so fetch.

RACHEL MCADAMS: (As Regina George) Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen. It's not going to happen.

GREENE: If you guessed "Mean Girls," you'd be right. The movie was so influential¹ that screenwriter Tina Fey and producer Lorne Michaels figured, why not a musical? Fifteen years later, it is happening on Broadway. NPR's Elizabeth Blair wondered whether a story about backstabbing teen girls holds up in this age of female empowerment.

ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE²: Cliques³ in the cafeteria, eye rolls, betrayal and self-loathing. It's all in there in "Mean Girls." And beware the girl in pink.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #1: (As character, singing) Don't be fooled by the pink. She is not playing dolls. She is stalking the halls for the thrill of the kill.

BLAIR: If you're not familiar with "Mean Girls," quick backstory. In the early 2000s, Tina Fey read Rosalind Wiseman's nonfiction book "Queen Bees And Wannabes" about the drama of teenage girls and their often dysfunctional friendships. Fey was struck by the power some girls wield⁵ over others.

TINA FEY: The thing that I was so drawn⁶ to was they were insidious⁷ in their intent but also so fascinatingly clever in the invisible ways that people would do things to each other that you had to kind of admire the intelligence and power of it. At the same time, it has to stop (laughter) kind of thing. It was, like, a book full of Bond villains⁸.

BLAIR: Villain⁹ number one in "Mean Girls" is Regina George, played by Taylor Louderman. She's the hot blonde everyone wants to impress, despite her evil streak¹⁰.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

TAYLOR LOUDERMAN: (As Regina George, singing) This is performance. This is all self-defense. I thought you had the sense to see through that.

BLAIR: Queen Bee Regina and her wannabes are a clique⁴ known as the plastics. Every Wednesday, they wear pink. Cady, played by Erika Henningsen, is the new girl and she wants in. She's also got a huge crush.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

ERIKA HENNINGSEN: (As Cady Heron, singing) Could that image be more hot? Let me just enjoy that thought. School was tough but now it's not 'cause now there's him.

BLAIR: And then there's Janis, the revolutionary in the story, played by Barrett Wilbert Weed. She's an artist who's been hurt by her onetime friend Regina George, so she wants nothing to do with girls who wear pink.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

BARRETT WILBERT WEED: (As Janis Ian, singing) Say, no. Say, knock it off with your notes and your rules and your games and those sycophants¹¹ who follow you. I'll remember all your names.

BLAIR: Tina Fey says in high school, she was a little bit of each character.

FEY: I was a good student, active in, you know, choir¹² and editor of the newspaper and played, you know, one sport. You know, but at the same time, I was consumed with jealousy¹³ of people who I thought had a life better than what I had, you know. And I think that it is self-poisoning in that way. And I think I didn't really fully¹⁴ understand that and that my kind of poisonous sense of humor probably stressed out other people. I didn't understand that until I was about 30 years old.

BLAIR: And Fey thinks that's one reason "Mean Girls" still holds up. Older women and teens see themselves playing out their worst behavior.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #2: (As character, singing) She's the queen of beasts. She can smell your fear. In this biosphere¹⁵, she's the apex¹⁶ predator¹⁷.

BLAIR: The music for "Mean Girls" was composed by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond. He also had to get in touch with his inner teenage wannabe. He played sax in the marching band and still remembers a particular group of girls.

JEFF RICHMOND: They were the cheerleaders, and they were powerful and mean. And you just kind of wanted to, boy, if I could just make them laugh at something I do, I think that's going to get me in. That'll be great.

BLAIR: That is the fate times 10 of the character Gretchen, played by Ashley Park. She is desperate to please Regina George.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

ASHLEY PARK: (As Gretchen Wieners) Regina, let me in. I'm sorry about the car burp.

BLAIR: That fragility is what lyricist Nell Benjamin thought about a lot while writing songs for "Mean Girls."

NELL BENJAMIN: You are aware that things are not right with the relationship you're in, but you don't know how to fix it.

BLAIR: In "Mean Girls," Gretchen sings "What's Wrong With Me."

BENJAMIN: The song is just, you know, an exploration of, how do I make myself better? How do I make my friend like me? And the answer is, of course, if they don't like you, they're not your friend. But in high school, who knows that?

BLAIR: Tina Fey says the song captures the female experience. I interviewed Fey and Richmond together. She turned to him to give him credit.

FEY: And the thing that I loved about the way you guys did it is Nell - you and Nell talked about it being a love song, not unlike "It Had To Be You." You know, if you listen to "It Had To Be You," it's about a terrible relationship.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IT HAD TO BE YOU")

HARRY¹⁸ CONNICK JR.: (Singing) Or even be glad just to be sad thinking of you.

FEY: You know, I'm not happy with you but it had to be you. And so those early friendships, when they break up, are devastating¹⁹. Gretchen's verse is tell me what's wrong with me, my body, face, my hair.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

PARK: (As Gretchen Wieners, singing) My body, face, my hair.

FEY: Tell me all my many faults. Tell me like you care. (Singing) When we both know you're cruel and we both know you're right.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

PARK: (As Gretchen Wieners, singing) When we both know you're cruel and we both know you're right.

FEY: (Singing) I could listen to you like a fool all night.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

PARK: (As Gretchen Wieners, singing) I could listen to you like a fool all night. What's wrong with me? How I speak? How I dress? What's wrong with me?

FEY: It's Gretchen singing literally²⁰ outside a locked door to Regina, the person that she just wants approval from that she'll never get.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "MEAN GIRLS")

PARK: (As Gretchen Wieners, singing) Now I'm listening to you. What do I do that for? Please don't ignore me.

BLAIR: The world has changed so much since the movie "Mean Girls" was released 14 years ago. In the movie, only one girl had a device, and it was a flip²¹ phone. The musical has made adjustments. Tina Fey says social media does make a difference in girls' lives.

FEY: It's sort of like the difference between the Civil War and a modern-day war where the battle is still drawn but the weapons are just so much stronger and more devastating, right?

ROSALIND WISEMAN: Girls are still really focused on pleasing each other.

BLAIR: Rosalind Wiseman, who wrote "Queen Bees And Wannabes," says girls will forever struggle with their friendships.

WISEMAN: The legacy²² of those issues really follows girls into their adulthood²³, in their work, in their relationships. And I think a lot of women can relate to it. And that's why so many people related to "Mean Girls."

BLAIR: Tina Fey has been working on the musical version for the past five years, so before the Me Too movement really took off. But she still thinks women are too easily dismissed.

FEY: As great as things are going, you still have sometimes people going, like, I don't believe her or, like, I don't like the way she did it and she should have spoken up sooner. And, like, we're still finding a way to blame other women for the actions of men, right? So there's still a little work to be done.

BLAIR: Tina Fey definitely doesn't want to hit people over the head with these ideas in "Mean Girls" the musical. But she hopes mothers and daughters will see the show together. It'll give them plenty to talk about afterwards. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 cliques   

n.小集团，小圈子，派系( clique的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All traitorous persons and cliques came to no good end. 所有的叛徒及叛徒集团都没好下场。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They formed cliques and carried arms expansion and war preparations. 他们拉帮结派，扩军备战。 来自互联网

4 clique   

n.朋党派系，小集团

参考例句：

• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。
• If the renegade clique of that country were in power,it would have meant serious disaster for the people.如果那个国家的叛徒集团一得势，人民就要遭殃。

5 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

8 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

10 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

11 sycophants   

n.谄媚者，拍马屁者( sycophant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The office is a menagerie of egotists and sycophants. 该办公室乃是自私者与谄媚者汇集之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They even praise such a disappointing program, they really are sycophants. 这么差劲的节目也有人夸赞，真是捧臭脚！ 来自互联网

12 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

13 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

15 biosphere   

n.生命层，生物圈

参考例句：

• The entire biosphere was becoming more transparent.整个生物圈越来越透明。
• The impact of modern technology on the biosphere is evident worldwide.现代技术对生物圈的影响在全世界是明显的。

16 apex   

n.顶点，最高点

参考例句：

• He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。
• His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。

17 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

18 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

19 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

20 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

21 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

22 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

23 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。