20-year-old singer/songwriter and actress, Sabrina Carpenter, announced on Tuesday, Feb. 10 that she will be making her debut on Broadway in the hit musical Mean Girls this coming spring.
Her time as a cast member will begin on March 10 and run through to June 7, totaling up to a limited 14-week contract, at the August Wilson Theatre located in New York City, New York. Carpenter is set to play the role of Cady Heron, the musical’s main protagonist.
Sabrina Carpenter’s acting career began when she was quite young. She played a few smaller roles on TV shows such as Law and Order: SVU and The Goodwin Games, before landing a series spot on the hit Disney Channel show, Girl Meets World, as the rebellious Maya Hart. In addition to acting, Carpenter is also a successful singer/songwriter, boasting a growing discography of four albums. Her most recent release is the 2019 EP Singular Act: II, featuring the popular song, “In My Bed.”
In an exclusive interview with People magazine regarding her new role in the Broadway musical, Carpenter said, “I’m so excited. I’m such a big fan of the musical, the movie, the story in general… You only get these opportunities so many times in life. You get so lucky when you get to create something new that’s never been done before, and you fall in love with it as you’re making it. But coming into this already knowing that I’m such a fan? And saying every one of those iconic lines? I can’t put it into words; it’s just going to be so thrilling. It brings a whole new energy into it for me.”
Mean Girls is adapted from the classic pop-culture Hollywood film of its namesake, directed by Tina Fey in 2004. The movie struck a hilarious chord with teenage generations, resulting in the coining of dubbed “iconic” phrases from the film such as “That’s so fetch” and “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” Carpenter cites herself as being one of the many viewers who thoroughly loves the film. The Broadway rendition follows the same plot as the movie, with Carpenter’s character, Cady Heron, seen as she adapts to the clique-ridden culture, crowned by the beautiful trio of mean girls, captivating her new high school.
Carpenter’s addition comes as the musical launches into its third year on Broadway. New actors were needed as previous cast members approach the end of their contracts. Carpenter will be taking the place of 27-year-old Erika Henningsen, the original actor, whose final performance is on Saturday, Feb. 22. Henningsen’s retirement from the musical marks Sabrina Carpenter’s Mean Girls and Broadway debut.
“When I saw the show, I saw Erika in the role of Cady and I was just so blown away by the way that she was able to create that role for the Broadway stage,” said Carpenter to People. “I’m so inspired, I have so many ideas wanting to go into it. I hope I follow in her footsteps well.”
For those interested in seeing Mean Girls, tickets are available for purchase here.
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