CF to present ‘Mean Girls’
The ‘fiercely hilarious live musical production’ will be on stage in Ocala April 9-12.
Sydney Nye as Karen, Kate Hough as Regina George and Emma Komenda as Gretchen, left to right, rehearse a scene from “Mean Girls” at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The play runs from April 9-12, 2026 at the College of Central Florida. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
The College of Central Florida will stage the Tony Award-nominated musical “Mean Girls” from April 9-12, with performances on the College Road campus in Ocala.
The 2004 teen comedy film was written by Tina Fey, based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabees” by Rosalind Wiseman. The movie was directed by Mark Waters. The cast included Fey, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer and many others.
Lohan stars as Cady Heron, a new student who has to figure out the dynamics of the high social hierarchy, including the group known as The Plastics, led by Regina George, played by McAdams.
The IMDB webpage for the movie notes that, “Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.”
According to officials with the college, “Mean Girls” takes a deep dive into the popularity pecking order of suburban high school.”
The film was a box office success and received positive reviews from critics.
“It’s exciting for our students to take on a show this advanced,” said RJ Magee, CF associate professor of theatre and the musical’s director, in the news release.
“There’s tons of singing and dancing, set and scene changes. We’re really proud of this very professional effort and it’s truly an interdisciplinary project, with participants and faculty from the entire visual and performing arts department and students from all different academic pathways,” Magee noted.
The cast of 24 students on stage will be supported by many other students in technical and backstage roles. Jason Longtin, professor of music and department chair for visual and performing arts, is the show’s music director; dance instructor Justine McDaniel is the choreographer; Abigail Stallings, assistant professor of digital media, is the costume designer; and Allen Venezio, associate professor of music, directs the orchestra.
Performance times for this “fiercely hilarious live musical production” are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 9-11, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12. The Dassance Fine Arts Center is on the CF campus at 3001 SW College Road, Ocala.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for non-CF students and can be purchased at cf.universitytickets.com or by calling (352) 873-5810. Tickets are free for CF students, faculty and staff with valid I.D.
For more information about CF Visual and Performing Arts events, visit cf.edu/arts
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