Written by orange• April 14, 2025• 2:39 am• Mission Viejo, Musical, Uncategorized, Z Playhouse

Heathers The Musical @ Z Playhouse in Mission Viejo – Review

Photo credit: Gaily Garcia

Written by Daniella Litvak

Who hasn’t said, or wanted to say, “What’s your damage, Heather?” Not only is this line applicable to many situations, but it’s also the line from the 1980s cult classic film Heathers. Like many cult classics, Heathers has found new life on the stage as a musical.

Story:

Heathers The Musical essentially follows the film’s plotline. Westerburg High is your typical suburban high school. It has dweebs, hipsters and jocks. At the top of the social pyramid are the Heathers: Heather Chandler (Sammy Spiegle), Heather Duke (Emma Gottlieb), and Heather McNamara (Olivia Oakley). They rule Westerburg High with all the benevolence of an iron-fisted dictator. Veronica Sawyer (Nadia Salina Salvia) is also part of the clique, but she sees the Heathers’ true colors and recognizes their toxic influence.

When Veronica falls the new guy – brooding, outsider Jason “JD” Dean (Jeremy Vance)- it sparks an explosion of chaos and carnage throughout the halls of Westerburg. The musical differs from the film because it trades in some of the satire to focus more on the characters’ psychology, but without becoming a buzz kill. Heathers The Musical maintains the fun in a way similar to the vibe of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Sound Design/Digital Effects:

Unfortunately, the night I went, the sound system had jitters. Salvia’s microphone wasn’t working, and the show had to pause mid-first act to fix it. Even after that was resolved, the sound remained an issue throughout the show.

Visually, this production relies on digital backdrops, and they work for the show. One of the backdrops had some nice personalization. When the backdrop was used as a PSA, it brought welcome movement and interactivity to the set design. Plus, Gottlieb’s mugging for the camera was priceless. However, where you are seated does affect how much you can see. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see the actors when they were grappling on the ground or lying down, which occurred quite a bit, so I missed out on a lot of action.

Acting:

The cast was energetic and enthusiastic. They definitely brought big fun to musical numbers like “Big Fun” and “Never Shut Up Again.” The Heathers and JD are such outsized characters, and their portrayers gave them the huge presence they needed. Veronica and JD’s various duets were powerful. Erik Perez and Steve Phan as jocks Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney were hilarious and were only upstaged by their characters dads, who Jeff Tierney and Alden Stoneman played. Tierney and Stoneman brought down the house with their spotlight musical number.

Costumes:

Jana Russik’s costumes captured the feel of the 1980s and the specific look of the Heathers the film established. Heather Duke’s transformation when she took center stage during “Never Shut Up Again” was deliciously dramatic.