Mean Girls brings its burn book to the Music Hall from March 15-20

(L-R): Danielle Wade (Cady Heron), Megan Masako Haley (Gretchen Wieners), Nadina Hassan (Regina George), and Jonalyn Saxer (Karen Smith). // Photo by Jenny Anderson

Mean Girls is coming to the Kansas City Music Hall March 15-20 for the first national tour of the production. The award-winning musical is based on the 2004 movie of the same name written by Tina Fey and debuted on Broadway in 2018.

After a  delay due to COVID-19, Adante Carter is thrilled to portray Aaron Samuels on stage.

“I never thought I would ever be in Mean Girls the musical—I grew up watching the film,” says Carter, who began performing at a young age. “I got the call that they wanted to see me again for the first national tour and about four or five callbacks later, each one more nerve-wracking after another, I ultimately got the job.”

Carter, who is Black, did not see himself represented in theatre growing up. Even still, he moved from his hometown in Rapid City, South Dakota to Los Angeles and eventually New York to pursue acting. Now, as he plays the love interest on stage, he hopes to inspire others to chase their dreams.

“I am so honored to play this role. I’m hoping that I can inspire all the other little Black boys in the audience that come to the show. I’ve never seen myself as a romantic lead and I want to show them that it’s possible,” says Carter. “Every night I look out for someone to connect with and say, ‘you are valid, your experiences are valid, let me help navigate you through whatever experience you’re going through, and that you’re also worthy to be on the stage as well.'”

Pictured (L-R): Danielle Wade (Cady Heron) and Adante Carter (Aaron Samuels) in the National Touring Company of Mean Girls.// Photo by Joan Marcus

In his role, Carter works to subvert the cliché version of a high school experience by allowing audiences to learn from someone else’s fictitious experience.

“Aaron Samuels is this quintessential cool guy the girl falls in love with and I was like, ‘this is a cool perception of high school that I get to play.’ It is a universal story of a high school experience—trying to fit in and navigate through high school—the best way to do that truly is to be your authentic self. Whether some people, a.k.a the plastics, like it or not. The story of authenticity, I think, is something that audience members will be able to connect with. I pinch myself every day that I get to redo High School, eight shows a week, all across America.”

The show is a comedy about high school cliques, but Carter believes it is Mean Girls’ emphasis on authenticity that makes it resonate with viewers. He hopes audiences will see how he is prioritizing his own authenticity even as he’s playing Aaron Samuels.

“Aaron is attracted to people who are their authentic selves. He is initially interested and falls in love with Katie because she is her authentic self,” Carter says. “I feel that I’m doing a disservice to the character Aaron Samuels if I’m not bringing my true artistic quality to it.”

Mary Kate Morrissey (Janis Sarkisian) and the National Touring Company of Mean Girls. // Photo by Jenny Anderson

The musical stays true to the movie but does include some updated changes. Social media is woven into the plot to modernize the show since it wasn’t widely available in 2004. Carter loves to see how the audience responds to the new form of movie enshrined in an entire generation’s memory.

“It’s really fun to see like those little tidbits of humor that people know so well in every city because everyone reacts differently and it’s so great to see,” he says.

Each stop in the national tour lasts about a week, so audiences only have five days to see Mean Girls at the Music Hall. 

Tickets start at $36 and are available through Ticketmaster or by calling (816) 421-7500.