Heathers: The Musical

Heathers
The Musical
Off-Broadway promotional poster
Music	Laurence O'Keefe Kevin Murphy
Lyrics	Laurence O'Keefe Kevin Murphy
Book	Laurence O'Keefe Kevin Murphy
Basis	Heathers by Daniel Waters
Productions	2009 Workshop 2010 New York Concert 2013 Los Angeles 2014 Off-Broadway 2014 St. Louis 2018 Off-West End 2018 West End 2018 Germany 2019 São Paulo, Brazil 2021 West End 2021 UK & Ireland tour 2021 Off-West End 2021 São Paulo, Brazil 2023 UK & Ireland tour 2023 Buenos Aires 2024 UK & Ireland tour 2024 West End Revival 2024 UK Tour 2024 Warsaw, Poland

Heathers the Musical is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy, based on the 1989 film of the same name written by Daniel Waters. After a sold-out Los Angeles try-out, the show moved Off-Broadway in 2014, with US producers including J. Todd Harris, Amy Powers, RJ Hendricks, and Andy Cohen.

In the United Kingdom, a workshop of the musical at The Other Palace, London, held 5 sold-out presentations in the Studio from 30 May to 3 June 2017. The workshop featured Charlotte Wakefield as Veronica Sawyer and Jamie Muscato as J.D..

The show had its official London premiere in the Theatre at The Other Palace from June 9 to August 4, 2018, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica Sawyer and Jamie Muscato as J.D. Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, directed again by Andy Fickman and with choreographer/associate director Gary Lloyd, the London production transferred to the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, running from September 3, 2018, to November 24, 2018. A new song for Veronica, "I Say No", as well as a few script changes to Act 2 were added for the transfer. A West End cast recording was released on Ghostlight Records on March 1. The album debuted at No. 24 on the Official Albums Chart., and the production won the 2019 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical. Carrie Hope Fletcher also won for Best Actress in a Musical.

The musical returned to the West End with performances beginning on June 21, 2021, and ran at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until September 11, 2021. Heathers the Musical re-opened for a record-breaking season at The Other Palace in November 2021 after Bill Kenwright Ltd acquired the venue, where it ran until September 2023. The production has toured across the UK and Ireland in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and returned to the West End in 2024 for a strictly limited season at @sohoplace. BK Studios (the film and television company of Bill Kenwright Ltd) and Roku released the pro-shoot stage capture of the show, shot at The Other Palace in 2022, on their streaming service in the US in 2022, and it was released under Village Roadshow Pictures and Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment in the UK in 2023.

On September 1 2024, producers Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills announced the production would return to New York City in 2025, with further details to be announced.

The show is a high-energy black comedy and involves dark subject matter, including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault, and school violence.

Synopsis

Act One

In 1989, seventeen-year-old Veronica Sawyer despairs at Westerberg High School's hellish social hierarchy, where students like the heavyset Martha Dunnstock, Veronica's best friend, are tormented by jocks Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly, and the school is ruled by a clique called the Heathers: weak-willed Heather McNamara, bulimic and petty but repressed Heather Duke, and "mythic bitch" Heather Chandler. When Veronica's talent for forgery gets the Heathers out of detention, they give her a makeover and elevate her to their inner circle ("Beautiful").

Heather C. orders Veronica to forge a love letter from Ram to Martha, tempting Veronica with the promise of popularity ("Candy Store"). The mysterious, poetry-quoting new kid, Jason "J.D." Dean, criticizes Veronica for betraying her friend. After J.D. wins a fight against Ram and Kurt, Veronica finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("Fight for Me"). Veronica's parents confess to their daughter that they are not sure they like her new friends and would prefer if she hung out with Martha again ("Candy Store (Playoff)").

Veronica flirts with J.D. at a 7-Eleven, where he extols the virtues of the Slurpee for numbing his grief ("Freeze Your Brain"). At Ram's homecoming party, Veronica gets increasingly drunk ("Big Fun"). When the Heathers cruelly prank Martha, Veronica angrily resigns from the group and vomits on Heather C., who in turn vows to destroy her reputation. With nothing left to live for, Veronica breaks into J.D.'s bedroom and has sex with him ("Dead Girl Walking").

After suffering tormenting dreams ("Veronica's Chandler Nightmare"), Veronica, with J.D. in tow, apologizes to Heather C. and mixes hangover cures for her. J.D. adds toxic drain cleaner to his mug and convinces Veronica into serving it to Heather C., who drops dead. Veronica panics, but J.D. convinces her to forge a suicide note, which paints Heather C. as more complex and misunderstood. This fictionalized version of her wins everyone's sympathy and becomes even more revered in death than she was in life ("The Me Inside of Me").

Veronica tries to get on with her normal life, but she is berated and mocked by Heather C.'s ghost, who warns that she had kept the other two Heathers in check and with her gone, things would only get worse. She tries to rescue the remaining Heathers from a drunk Kurt and Ram, who unsuccessfully try to rape her ("Blue" or "You're Welcome"). With Heather C. dead, Heather D. assumes her status and symbolic red scrunchie, becoming even more of a tyrant than Heather C. was, while Ram and Kurt tell everyone they had sex with Veronica ("Blue (Reprise)" or "Never Shut Up Again"). Veronica is branded as a slut ("Blue" (Playoff)—not included in West End and future productions), and when J.D. attacks the jocks to defend her, they savagely beat him.

J.D. and Veronica comfort each other and plan a vengeful prank: she will lure the jocks to the cemetery with the promise of making their fictional threesome real, then together they will shoot them with tranquilizer "Ich lüge" bullets to knock them out before leaving another forged suicide note confessing they were gay lovers. When they arrive, J.D. shoots Ram but Veronica misses Kurt. As she realizes that Ram is dead and the bullets are real, J.D. then shoots Kurt dead and proclaims his undying love to a horrified Veronica ("Our Love Is God").

Act Two

At Ram and Kurt's funerals, a distraught Veronica reflects that they could have outgrown their immaturity ("Prom or Hell?"). Grief-stricken, Ram's Dad chastises Kurt's Dad for remaining homophobic, until the latter suddenly kisses the former, revealing their own secret love affair and Ram and Kurt are turned into martyrs to homophobia ("My Dead Gay Son"). Convinced the murders are for the greater good, J.D. urges Veronica to target Heather D. next. She refuses, so he complains about doing nothing in the face of injustice, revealing he witnessed his mother's own suicide as a young boy, straining his relationship with his father and causing their constant moving around. Veronica gives him an ultimatum: give up violence and live a normal life with her or lose her forever ("Seventeen"). J.D. agrees and they reconcile. Martha tells Veronica she suspects J.D. of murdering the jocks, believing Ram's "love note" to her is proof. Veronica, urged by Heather C.'s ghost, confesses that she was actually the one who wrote it. Martha is heartbroken and runs off in tears.

Guidance counselor (Teacher in the West End production) Ms. Fleming holds a televised therapy assembly ("Shine a Light"). She urges everyone to reveal their fears and insecurities, but only Heather M. admits to suicidal thoughts ("Lifeboat"). Heather D. mocks her and whips the students into a frenzy. Veronica lashes out and blurts out a confession—"They didn't kill themselves! I killed them!"—but everyone laughs mockingly, believing she is only desperate for attention. Shortly after, Heather M. tries to kill herself by overdosing in the bathroom, while Heather D. taunts her in her subconscious ("Shine a Light (Reprise)"), but Veronica stops her. J.D., carrying a gun, tries to persuade Veronica to kill Heather D. once more. Realizing how unstable he is, Veronica breaks up with him ("I Say No" in the West End version).

J.D. blackmails Heather D. into making the student body sign a petition. Martha, mourning Ram, tries to commit suicide as well by jumping off a bridge ("Kindergarten Boyfriend"), but survives. Veronica rushes to the hospital, taunted by the ghosts of Kurt, Ram, and Heather C., while her parents try to assure her that they have been through everything she is going through ("Yo Girl"). She returns home, where J.D. breaks in. As she barricades herself in her closet, he reveals the petition, signed by every student, is actually a mass suicide note—along with his plans to blow up the pep rally and make it look like a mass suicide, using his father's demolition expertise to devise the plan ("Meant to Be Yours"). He breaks open the closet to find Veronica dangling from a noose. Grief-stricken, J.D leaves to complete his plan.

Veronica, having faked her death, races to stop him ("Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)"). She confronts J.D in the boiler room, but in their struggle, he is shot. Unable to disarm the detonator, Veronica takes it to the empty football field, out of range to detonate the bombs. J.D. convinces her to let him take the detonator instead ("I Am Damaged"). It explodes, killing him alone.

Returning to school, Veronica takes Heather C.'s scrunchie away from Heather D. and kisses her on the cheek, ending the era of social ridicule. Veronica then invites Martha and Heather M. to hang out (depending on blocking, Heather D. is also included in some productions), rent a movie, and be kids before childhood is over ("Seventeen (Reprise)").

Musical numbers

Act I

• "Beautiful" – Veronica, H. Chandler, H. McNamara, H. Duke, Kurt, Ram, Martha, Ms. Fleming and Company
• "Candy Store" – H. Chandler, H. McNamara and H. Duke
• "Fight for Me" – Veronica and Students
• "Candy Store" (Playoff) † – H. Chandler, H. McNamara and H. Duke
• "Freeze Your Brain" – J.D.
• "Big Fun" – Ram, Kurt, Veronica, H. Chandler, H. McNamara, H. Duke, Martha, and Students
• "Dead Girl Walking" – Veronica and J.D.
• "Veronica's Chandler Nightmare" † – H. Chandler and Company
• "The Me Inside of Me" – H. Chandler, Veronica, J.D., Ms. Fleming, Principal, Coach, Cops and Company
• "Blue" (2010–2018) – Ram, Kurt, H. Duke and H. McNamara, Veronica
• "You're Welcome" (2018–present West end ver.) †† – Ram, Kurt, Veronica,
• "Blue (Reprise)" (2010–2018) † – Ram, Kurt, H. Duke, H. McNamara and Students
• "Never Shut Up Again" (2018–present and West end ver.) †† – H. Duke, Ram, Kurt and Ensemble (Replaces "Blue" (Reprise) from the high school version)
• "Our Love Is God" – J.D., Veronica, Ram, Kurt and Company

Act II

• "Prom or Hell?" † – Veronica
• "My Dead Gay Son" – Ram's Dad, Kurt's Dad and Mourners
• "Seventeen" – Veronica and J.D.
• "Shine a Light" – Ms. Fleming and Students
• "Lifeboat" – H. McNamara
• "Shine a Light" (Reprise) – H. Duke and Students
• "I Say No" (2018–present) †† – Veronica and Ensemble
• "Hey Yo, Westerberg" † – H. McNamara and Students
• "Kindergarten Boyfriend" – Martha
• "Yo Girl" – H. Duke, H. Chandler, Ram, Kurt, Veronica and Veronica's Mom
• "Meant to Be Yours" – J.D. and Students
• "Dead Girl Walking" (Reprise) – Veronica, J.D., Ms. Fleming, H. McNamara, and Students
• "I Am Damaged" – J.D. and Veronica
• "Seventeen" (Reprise) – Veronica, Martha, H. McNamara, H. Duke and Company

† Not featured on any of the cast recordings.
†† Songs added to the West End version and all future productions.

"You're Welcome" replaces "Blue", a song on the original cast recording. "You're Welcome" was originally written by O'Keefe and Murphy for the High School edition but was added to the official show beginning with the 2018 London production. O'Keefe and Murphy preferred "You're Welcome" as "Blue" had been perceived by audiences as “treating date rape as a laughing matter” and trivializing the issue by presenting it as comical, “boyish antics”. When asked to comment on the choice to replace the track, O'Keefe and Murphy stated that "'You're Welcome' doesn't shy away from showing that Veronica is in real danger from these two drunk football assholes."

A new song for Heather Duke, "Never Shut Up Again", was also added for the London run, replacing "Blue (Reprise)". For the 2017 workshop, there was a different song to replace "Blue (Reprise)", which became "Big Fun (Reprise)", part of which is now included in "Never Shut Up Again". In the last week at The Other Palace, the authors added a new song after "Shine a Light (Reprise)" called "I Say No", in which Veronica finally dumps J.D. when he proposes a return to murdering, telling him "You need help I can't provide" and walking out on him. The song remained in the show for the Haymarket run and was released on February 15, 2019, as the first single on the West End cast album.

Background

Andy Cohen and J. Todd Harris secured the rights from Daniel Waters (the screenwriter of the film) and immediately thought of Andy Fickman to direct. After seeing Laurence O'Keefe's work with Legally Blonde and how he transitioned film to theatre, he decided to pair him with Reefer Madness collaborator Kevin Murphy. Originally, lyricist Amy Powers was on the creative team, but she transitioned to joining producers Cohen and Harris. Fickman, Murphy and O'Keefe were also producers on the original productions in Los Angeles and New York. Fickman said of the experience, "we found that Heathers gave a great deal of opportunity for '80s commentary and a great chance for music and storytelling."

Development (2009–10)

Three private readings of the work in progress were held in Los Angeles in 2009, each starring Kristen Bell as Veronica. The first was in March at the Beverly Hills offices of Endeavor Agency (starring Christian Campbell as J.D.); the second in June at the Hudson Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard (starring Scott Porter as J.D.); and the third in December at the Coast Theatre in West Hollywood, starring James Snyder as J.D. In each reading, Jenna Leigh Green, Corri English, and Christine Lakin played Heather Chandler, Heather McNamara and Heather Duke, respectively.

On September 13–14, 2010, Heathers was presented as a concert at Joe's Pub. The show was directed by Andy Fickman, and it starred Annaleigh Ashford as Veronica Sawyer, Jeremy Jordan as Jason Dean, Jenna Leigh Green as Heather Chandler, Corri English as Heather McNamara, and Christine Lakin as Heather Duke, James Snyder as Kurt Kelly, PJ Griffith as Ram Sweeney, and Julie Garnyé as Martha "Dumptruck" Dunnstock.

Productions

Los Angeles (2013)

Heathers: The Musical played at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles for a limited engagement on the weekends from September 21, 2013, to October 6, 2013. The cast included Barrett Wilbert Weed as Veronica, Ryan McCartan as J.D., Sarah Halford as Heather Chandler, Kristolyn Lloyd as Heather Duke, and Elle McLemore as Heather McNamara. The production was music directed by Ryan Shore.

Off-Broadway (2014)

The musical next played off-Broadway, with previews beginning in March at New World Stages, directed by Andy Fickman. Coincidentally, New World is also the name of the original film's distributor. The cast included Barrett Wilbert Weed, Ryan McCartan, and Elle McLemore reprising their roles as Veronica, J.D., and Heather McNamara, respectively, with new additions being Jessica Keenan Wynn as Heather Chandler, Alice Lee as Heather Duke and Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello as Bill Sweeney/'Big Bud' Dean. The show began previews on March 15, 2014, and opened on March 31, 2014.

The original cast album was recorded on April 15–16, 2014, with an in-store and digital release of June 17, 2014. It was released a week early on June 10, 2014.

The production played its final performance on August 4, 2014. According to star Ryan McCartan, the original goal of the Heathers production team was to eventually create a film adaptation of the musical, with McCartan signing on to the L.A. and New York productions with the promise of reprising his role in the film. For numerous reasons, a film adaptation never emerged.

London/West End productions and UK tours (2018 to present)

A workshop of the musical at The Other Palace, London, held 5 presentations in the Studio from 30 May to 3 June 2017. The workshop featured Charlotte Wakefield as Veronica Sawyer and Jamie Muscato as J.D..

The show had its official London premiere in the Theatre at The Other Palace from June 9 to August 4, 2018, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica Sawyer and Jamie Muscato as J.D. The production is produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, directed again by Andy Fickman and with choreographer/associate director Gary Lloyd. For the London production "Blue" has been changed to the new song "You're Welcome" and Heather Duke has received her own song "Never Shut Up Again" as well as a few script changes.

Heathers transferred to the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, running from September 3, 2018, to November 24, 2018. A new song for Veronica, "I Say No", as well as a few script changes to Act 2 were added for the transfer. A West End cast recording was released on Ghostlight Records on March 1. The album debuted at No. 24 on the Official Albums Chart.

The production won the 2019 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical. Carrie Hope Fletcher also won for Best Actress in a Musical.

A UK & Ireland tour expected in 2020 was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The musical returned to the West End with performances beginning on June 21, 2021, and ran at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until September 11, 2021. The cast included Jodie Steele reprising her role as Heather Chandler. The tour opened in Leeds on 5 August 2021 and finished in Edinburgh.

The production then opened at The Other Palace in London in November 2021, following Bill Kenwright Ltd's acquisition of the venue. After several extensions to the run, its final performance was on September 3, 2023, at The Other Palace. The revival was filmed in May 2022 at The Other Palace and was released on The Roku Channel in the US September 16, 2022. The cast featured Ailsa Davidson as Veronica, Simon Gordon as J.D., Maddison Firth as Heather Chandler, Vivian Panka as Heather Duke, Teleri Hughes as Heather McNamara, Vicki Lee Taylor as Ms. Fleming/Veronica's Mom, Mhairi Angus as Martha, Liam Doyle as Kurt, Rory Phelan as Ram, Oliver Brooks as Kurt's Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper, and Andy Brady as Ram's Dad/Principle Gowan/Veronica's Dad.

The show toured the UK & Ireland in 2023. It opened in Windsor on 14 February 2023 before finishing in Wimbledon on October 28, 2023.

The show returned to the West End from 22 May to 6 July 2024 at @sohoplace, before embarking on a UK tour starting at Theatre Royal Windsor on 24 July and ending at Cambridge Arts Theatre in November of 2024.

New York City 2025

On September 1 2024, producers Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills announced the production would return to New York City in 2025, with further details to be announced.

Australia

An Australian production of Heathers: The Musical at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney was staged in July–August 2015. Directed by Trevor Ashley, the cast included Stephen Madsen as J.D. and Lucy Maunder as Heather Chandler. The production transferred the following year, with mostly the same cast, for seasons in Brisbane (Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre) in January 2016, Melbourne (Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne) in May 2016, and the Sydney Opera House's Playhouse in June 2016.

Germany

There was a German production back in 2018 based on the off-Broadway version but including "I Say No"

Brazil

A Brazilian production was staged at the Viradalata Theatre in São Paulo in October–November 2019. The production expected to return in May–June 2020 but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Argentina

An Argentinian production opened at the Teatro Opera in Buenos Aires on July 1, 2023, and closed on July 30, 2023.

Poland

A Polish non-replica production based on the West End production opened on September 7, 2024 in Teatr Syrena in Warsaw, directed by Agnieszka Płoszajska.

Cast List

Character	Joe's Pub	Los Angeles	Off-Broadway	Australia	Off-West End	West End	Germany	West End Revival	UK Tour	Off-West End Revival	2022 Proshot	UK & Ireland Tour	West End Revival	UK Tour	Poland
	2010	2013	2014	2016	2018			2021		2022		2023	2024
Veronica Sawyer	Annaleigh Ashford	Barrett Wilbert Weed		Hilary Cole	Carrie Hope Fletcher		Michelle Hoffmann	Christina Bennington	Rebecca Wickes	Ailsa Davidson		Jenna Innes			Natalia Kujawa
Jason "J.D." Dean	Jeremy Jordan	Ryan McCartan		Stephen Madsen	Jamie Muscato		Kevin Kolodziej	Jordan Luke Gage	Simon Gordon	Freddie King	Simon Gordon	Jacob Fowler	Keelan McAuley		Maciej M. Tomaszewski
Heather Chandler	Jenna Leigh Green	Sarah Halford	Jessica Keenan Wynn	Lucy Maunder	Jodie Steele		Franziska Wiethan	Jodie Steele	Maddison Firth	Emma Kingston	Maddison Firth	Verity Thompson	Esme Bowdler		Aleksandra Gotowicka
Heather McNamara	Corri English	Elle McLemore		Hannah Fredericksen	Sophie Isaacs		Irina Deuble	Frances Mayli McCann	Lizzy Parker	Teleri Hughes		Billie Bowman	Daisy Twells		Karolina Gwóźdź
Heather Duke	Christine Lakin	Kristolyn Lloyd	Alice Lee	Rebecca Hetherington	T'Shan Williams		Nina Knoll	Bobbie Little	Merryl Ansah	Inez Budd	Vivian Panka	Elise Zavou	Sedona Sky		Joanna Gorzała
Martha Dunnstock	Julie Garnyé	Katie Ladner		Erin Clare	Jenny O’Leary		Julia Spang	Madison Swan	Mhairi Angus	Lizzie Bea	Mhairi Angus	Kingsley Morton	Amy Miles		Marta Burdynowicz
Ram Sweeney	PJ Griffith	Jon Eidson		Vincent Hooper	Dominic Andersen		Matthias Busch	Joaquin Pedro Valdes	Rory Phelan	Tom Scanlon	Rory Phelan	Morgan Jackson	Jason Battersby		Jędrzej Czerwonogrodzki
Kurt Kelly	James Snyder	Evan Todd		Jakob Ambrose	Chris Chung		Sven Edthofer	Ross Harmon	Liam Doyle	George Maddison	Liam Doyle	Alex Woodward	Iván Fernández González		Karol Ledwosiński
Bill Sweeney* / Big Bud Dean / Coach Ripper	Eric Leviton	Rex Smith	Anthony Crivello	Vincent Hooper	Edward Baruwa	Nathan Amzi	Matthias Busch	Simon Bailey	Kurt Kansley	Kieran Brown	Oliver Brooks	Conor McFarlane			Michał Konarski
Paul Kelly* / Mr. Sawyer / Principal Gowan	Kevin Pariseau	Zachary Ford	Daniel Cooney	Jakob Ambrose	Jon Boydon		Sven Edthofer	Steven Serlin	Andy Brady	Sam Ferriday	Andy Brady	Jay Bryce	Alexander Service		Albert Osik
Mrs. Sawyer / Pauline Fleming	Jill Abramovitz	Rena Strober	Michelle Duffy	Michelle Barrr	Rebecca Lock		Lauren Ward	Christine Milo	Georgina Hagen	Vicki Lee Taylor		Katie Paine	Lucy Sinclair		Agnieszka Rose

*Can be interchangeable between playing Paul Kelly and Bill Sweeney

Critical reception

Off-Broadway

Heathers: The Musical's 2014 Off-Broadway production was generally received well by critics and audiences alike. The musical was praised for staying true to the film while still having its own original additions to the storyline. The score and choreography of the musical were also given praise.

The musical, however, was criticized for the length and its characters not living up to the cast of the original movie. It has also been criticized for taking the dark themes of the source material and sanitizing them with bubbly music and cartoon-like characters.

Marilyn Stasio, writing for Variety, wrote, "[S]easoned industry pros could pick up a few tips on the Do's and Don'ts of adapting material from this smartly executed musical treatment of 'Heathers.'" She praised the lyrics but was not a fan of the music, writing: "Even at their giddiest, the lyrics never dumb down the characters singing them. Wish we could say the same for the music, which is brassy and blah and sounds nothing like the music that made the 80s."

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney stated: "Does the acidic comedy gain anything from being turned into a cartoonish pop musical? Hell, no. But as an extension of the movie's wicked pleasures, this version has its silly charms, as demonstrated by the rowdy response of the predominantly young audience. It's not exactly very — to borrow from Heather-speak — but for insatiable fans it might almost be enough, and the tacky high school-style staging seems somehow appropriate."

The musical got two out of five stars from The Guardian's Alexis Soloski, who wrote: "The off-Broadway adaptation of the 1988 Winona Ryder/Christian Slater teen movie is sunny and snarky, but the dark subject matter calls for something more wicked." Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post gave it four out of five stars, writing "The first act moves briskly as director Andy Fickman and his cast wring every last comic drop out of the script and songs... The production nearly derails in Act II, having killed off its antagonists. The film had the same problem, but here the sweetened worldview saps the grand finale of its effectiveness. Still, seeing “Heathers” onstage is a joy."

Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly was harsher, giving the musical a C− rating: "Heathers: The Musical misses just about everything that made the film great, making it not only a colossally disappointing adaptation of a beloved property but also a generally unpleasant theater experience."

West End

The London production received mixed reception and was flagged by some critics because they felt complex issues such as homosexuality, bulimia and suicide were made light of for comedic effect, making parts of the show feel "dated and uncomfortable for a 2018 audience."

Awards and nominations

Original Off-Broadway production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
2014	Drama Desk Awards	Outstanding Music	Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy	Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in a Musical	Barrett Wilbert Weed	Nominated
	Lucille Lortel Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical		Nominated
		Outstanding Choreographer	Marguerite Derricks	Nominated

Original West End production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
2019	WhatsOnStage Awards	Best New Musical		Won
		Best Actor in a Musical	Jamie Muscato	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Musical	Carrie Hope Fletcher	Won
		Best Supporting Actress in a Musical	Jodie Steele	Nominated
		Best Direction	Andy Fickman	Nominated
		Best Lighting Design	Ben Cracknell	Nominated

Heathers: The Musical (High School Edition)

Following its 2014 Off-Broadway run, the musical gained a cult following, and high schools requested licensing rights; accordingly, an abridged "PG-13" version was prepared, revised by writers Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, iTheatrics, and licensing company Samuel French for student productions. Most of the profanity in the show was deleted, "Big Fun", "Dead Girl Walking", and the majority of the songs received rewritten lyrics and one new song, "You're Welcome" was written for the show to replace "Blue". O'Keefe and Murphy have stated that they prefer "You're Welcome" to "Blue", and the change was officially made for the London production of Heathers in June 2018 and all further licensed productions.

The first performance of Heathers: The Musical (High School Edition) took place on September 15, 2016, at Pearce Theatre, J.J. Pearce High School, Richardson, Texas. A Brazilian version, "Heathers – A Teen Musical" was set to open in 2020 at the Stunt Burger, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it made some changes.

In popular culture

In 2019, a high school production of the musical is the focus of the "Chapter Fifty-One: Big Fun" episode of Riverdale. The Riverdale cast album of the musical was produced via WaterTower Music. The lyrics from the songs in the episode are from the High School Edition of the musical with most of the profanity deleted.

External links

• Heathers – The Musical on Facebook