Live singing, dancing and a great sound system dominate the Jackson Theatre stage as everyone comes together for a musical about the trials and tribulations of high school.
The Ohlone College Theatre and Dance Department presents Heathers: The Musical at the Smith Center inside the Jackson Theatre. The musical, songs and lyrics are written by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe. The musical is based on the 1989 movie Heathers, but is remade to fit modern times. The music is coming from the Jackson Theatre’s crisp sound system.
The director of the musical is Ohlone College theatre instructor Michael Navarra and Ohlone College dance instructor Lia David, with musical direction by local conductor and composer Camden Daly.
Aaliyah Onalfo plays Heather McNamara, Gracie Wagner plays Heather Duke and Lauren Berling plays Heather Chandler. The star of the show is Malia Salvación, who plays Veronica Sawyer, and Gabriel Lew plays the new kid J.D. The Heathers, Kurt, Ram and Ms. Fleming are double-cast, meaning another set of actors play these characters on certain nights.
The musical is about a teen named Veronica who navigates the angst and difficult trials of high school while trying to fit in with a popular clique called the Heathers. She then meets J.D., Westerburg High School’s mysterious new kid whom she falls in love with. The plot takes a dark turn after the murders of several students.
The musical does not stray from the movie that much, but there is a slight change in the beginning with a song about Veronica being a nerd and then becoming a Heather 10 minutes into the play. The songs were captivating and mesmerizing, especially “Big Fun,” “Candy Store” and “Seventeen.” Famous lines from the movie, like “Dear Diary, my teen angst bull**** now has a body count,” and another line that involves a chainsaw and Mother Teresa was delivered well.
“Big Fun” was high-energy and mesmerizing. All songs during the first half of the play were nonstop energy until intermission. Some audience members were so surprised they gasped when the lights went up, indicating a short break.
The actors that played Kurt and Ram worked well together, played by Charles Monk and Justin Cho on Nov. 8. Their humorous take on the characters was well received by an audience that was constantly laughing during their lines.
Salvación’s take on Veronica is compelling. She managed to have a sort of cool new girl energy after becoming a Heather but also had a dorky side to her character that remained consistent throughout the play, even while singing. Onalfo played an excellent Heather McNamara, with a convincing cheerleader captain vibe to her having a dramatic moment when she hits a low point during the second half of the play.
photos by Rudy Barrios
Photos by Rudy Barrios
The lighting throughout the play was great, from mimicking a lake across character Martha’s face during an anguished moment to Heather Chandler spiritually taking over Veronica.
The musical is filled with songs that get stuck in your head to charming dance moves and hilarious moments. The musical is definitely for people who are into dark comedy.
The show is generally for teens 14 years old and up, and it does have trigger warnings. Topics that may stir up emotions include murder, suicide, attempted date rape, sexual violence, homophobia, bullying and body-shaming. Some sensory warnings include gunshots, loud noises and flashing bright lights.
The musical just wrapped up opening weekend with upcoming performances on Nov. 13, 14 and 15. The Nov. 14 show will be American Sign Language interpreted. Tickets are $25 and $20 for Ohlone College students.
‘Heathers: The Musical’
Nov 7 – 8, 13 – 15; 8pm
Smith Center at Ohlone
43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont
ohlone.edu/theatredance/performances
