Beck Center's 'Mean Girls' Musical Serves Up High School Drama and Campy Fun in Lakewood

Get your dose of Lakewood plastic: Beck Center’s splashy ‘Mean Girls’ musical offers high-energy performances and cheeky nostalgia through Aug. 9.

Clevelanders, it’s time to don your best pink and relive the glory (and the horror) of high school politics. Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood has gone full-tilt camp with its crowd-pleasing production of Mean Girls, unleashing all the drama, wit, and bedazzled cafeteria trays you crave. This musical adaptation of the iconic 2004 film is guaranteed to spark a little teen spirit—minus, thankfully, the homework.

Where It's Happening: Beck Center's Senney Theater Goes Big

Tucked right on Detroit Ave, Beck Center for the Arts is staging Mean Girls in the spacious Senney Theater—fitting for a show that’s all about outsize personalities. With plenty of seating and a splashy set, the Senney’s a far cry from Beck’s more intimate Studio Theater, and this is a show made for a full house (and plenty of teen angst giggles).

Location: 17801 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH
Show runs: Through August 9, 2026
Tickets: $18-46 at beckcenter.org or (216) 521-2540

Meet the Cast: Oberlin Talent Onstage

If you notice a youthful energy—no shock! Most of the vibrant cast are current students from Oberlin College, keeping things convincingly high school (well, mostly).

Cady Heron: Lindsey Ross brings impressive vocals and an all-American charm
Regina George: Samyah Henry totally stuns as the Plastics’ queen bee, serving delicious attitude and velvet vocals
Janis: Blithe Pluger has edge and bite, while Tyler J. Sanderlin (Damian) supplies plenty of flair
Karen & Gretchen: Cassie Woodward and Abigail Sanford round out Regina’s plastic squad—adorable, magnetic, and hilarious

What's on the Stage: Sets, Costumes, Choreo

For a show that flips from the wide-open Kenyan plains to the chaos of high school hallways, Beck Center keeps it fluid. Laura Carlson Tarantowski’s geometric set pulls quick changes, while Val Kozlenko’s projection design layers in those little Easter eggs (maybe a few too many crowns for Regina, but hey, she is basically royalty).

Expect:

Button-bright costumes from Inda Blatch-Geib: The Plastics rock skin-tight skirt sets, everyone else gets their best suburban teen looks
Dynamic choreography by Lauren Marousek, with cafeteria trays turned into dance props for “Where Do You Belong?”

Why This Show is a Lakewood Must-See

Let’s be real: Beck Center knows how to fill seats, and “Mean Girls” is catnip for anyone who’s ever survived a lunchroom. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but you’ll get:

Campy, high-energy performances that embrace the show’s legacy
A live orchestra led by Bryan Bird keeping it lively
Plenty of quotable moments—yes, it’s STILL so “fetch”

Sure, the story’s not deep, but the fun factor is high and the pop culture nostalgia is off-the-charts. Whether you’re Team Janis or team Regina, you’ll leave with a smile (and maybe a sudden urge to wear pink on Wednesdays).

How to Get Tickets and Plan Your Night Out

Snagging seats is easy:

Visit beckcenter.org or call (216) 521-2540
Prices range from $18 to $46
The show runs through August 9, 2026

Bonus: Detroit Ave in Lakewood has plenty of pre- and post-show eats, from pizza to craft beer. Make it a full night out—because you deserve a break from adulting.

Ready to relive your high school ups and downs with a side of campy theatrical magic? Beck Center’s “Mean Girls” is the ticket. Just watch your back in the cafeteria.