Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – For musicals, coming-of-age stories is the topic du jour this summer: The return of HEATHERS and BEAU capture theatergoers’ imagination

• By drediman
• July 11, 2025
• No Comments

This summer, you’ll find a pair of traumatic coming-of-age musicals gracing the boards of Off-Broadway’s theaters — namely, the return of the musical adaptation of the cult film Heathers at New World Stages and the arrival of Out of the Box Theatrics’ production of the new musical Beau The Musical. As per usual, read on for my further thoughts on these shows, both of which have been capturing the imagination of theatergoers.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL
New World Stages
Open run

Like Kander and Ebb’s Chicago, Heathers The Musical (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) seems to have been ahead of its time when it premiered Off-Broadway in 2014. Adapted from the 1989 film of the same name, Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s musical has since achieved the same cult status as the film on which it’s based. Indeed, more than a decade after its first appearance, the musical has returned to New York — also at New World Stages — on a wave of adulation from its passionate fanbase (at the performance I attended, each number was met with wild enthusiasm). The current, slightly revised production comes by way of London, where it has proven to be an admittedly surprising hit with audiences across the pond. Once again directed by Andy Fickman, this iteration feels tighter, more specific, and has a clearer idea of the tone it wants to convey as it presents the cautionary tale of one Veronica, a teenager whose attempts at navigating the tenuous social obstacles of high school go murderously awry (no spoilers here for those unfamiliar with the plot). More confidently than ever, the piece rides the line between parody, musical theater, and dark comedy — in terms of musical comparisons, Heathers in my mind is a cross between Mean Girls, Urinetown, and Sweeney Todd. The success of the production is in no small part due to the efforts of an absolutely stellar young but highly accomplished cast, led by the attractive pairing of Lorna Courtney (& Juliet) as Veronica and Casey Likes (Back to the Future, Almost Famous) as her alluring extremist boyfriend J.D.; both are pitch perfect in their respective roles and gloriously sing the heck out of their songs. There’s real star power whenever they’re onstage. In fact, the rest of the excellent cast — it would be a bit much to list them all individually here — emphatically hit every dramatic and musical beat of O’Keefe and Murphy’s deliciously tuneful yet uncomfortably unsettling satire.

BEAU THE MUSICAL
Out of the Box Theatrics
Through August 3

Similar to Heathers The Musical, a good chunk of the new musical Beau The Musical (RECOMMENDED) by Douglas Lyons (perhaps best known for penning the amusing family comedy Chicken & Biscuits, which was seen on Broadway a few seasons ago) takes place in high school, in this instance depicting the coming out story of fictitious country music star Ace Baker. Smartly doubling as both present day concert and memory play, the musical uses Ace’s hit songs as portals into the past, taking us back to a time when he was a closeted high schooler struggling to — very much like Veronica in the aforementioned musical — learn to navigate social isolation, intense bullying, and an unhealthy romantic/sexual relationship (once again, no spoilers here). Ace’s transition into his true identity is paved by his newfound relationship with his estranged grandfather — the titular Beau — a man with his own past demons that we come to learn about. Despite the serious subject matter, Lyons manages to tell the story through the lens of sweet interactions and empathetic characters. The show also features a legit collection of country western songs by Lyons and Ethan D. Pakchar that wouldn’t feel amiss if you heard them on the radio. Director/choreographer Josh Rhodes has provided an immersive staging that simultaneously functions as a convincing concert and an ingenious playground for Ace’s sprawling memories. All around, the multi-tasking cast is fantastic, particularly the wonderful Matt Rodin in the central role of Ace (Rodin was equally good in a somewhat tangential role as a semi-closeted high school teacher in another new musical, Adam Gwon’s All the World’s a Stage). Suffice to say, Rodin gives an introspective, sensitive performance that grounds the production. He also sings like a dream. Much like Heathers, Beau has also found an audiences and has been deservedly extended due to popular demand — for a final time — through early August.