On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) sponsored an event where students were able to see the Mean Girls musical at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis.
CAB co-Presidents Senior Emily Scroggins and Junior Aly Granholm planned and coordinated the event, which was attended by many Gusties.
CAB has had a tradition of taking students to musicals or plays in the fall semesters, offering students a chance to experience the arts in an off-campus setting.
“I think that these types of events are a great way for students to go to the cities and see a production that they’re interested in and have fun. It’s nice to get a break from classes and dress up. It’s also a great way to showcase the arts and all the opportunities to partici- pate in the arts,” Scroggins said.
Scroggins further commented on the popularity of these theater events and the importance of marketing these events to students.
“The musicals are typically very popular among students, but we shared lots on our social media, thanks to our Social Media Executive, [Junior] Katie Ashpole, which got people excited. Also, we picked this musical in the summer, so knowing what we were going to offer ahead of time is also important in getting students excited,” Scroggins said.
This specific production was beginning their national tour off of Broadway.
“One thing that made this event unique was that this was the first national tour of Mean Girls and Minneapolis was only the second stop on the tour. Students got to see this show right off of Broadway,” Scroggins said
Scroggins was also excited for the perspective that it offered students.
“[This event is] a great way to gain a different perspective on the arts outside of the Gustavus community. It is important to show that there are opportunities everywhere to see the arts,” Scroggins said.
The CAB members were equally as excited to attend this event, which involved a very popular show.
“I enjoyed it so much. Mean Girls has been a show that I have been wanting to see for a really long time. I waited to listen to the music until I saw the show in person, so I was so surprised by how there was such a variety of music in it. I also appreciated how the show had a modern vibe, and I just really liked it. It’s definitely in my top favorite shows for sure now,” Senior Taylor Kmiech said.
Kmiech was nervous about getting a ticket, but knew the performance and event would be worth the wait.
“Sign up was exciting but stressful. I had to wake up pretty early to make sure I got a spot in line, but after thathad a lot of fun talking to other excited people and then finally getting a ticket,” Kmiech said.
The theater is a place where Kmiech is always willing to go to and the location of this event was no exception.
“I just always love the atmosphere of seeing a show at the Orpheum. Just watching the crowd [become] silent as the first lights hit the stage and the overture starting always makes my heart happy,” Kmiech said.
The popularity of the movie version of Mean Girls did come into play while attending the performance for some students.
“The show was great, especially if you like the movie, but every time the cast made a quote from the movie the audience burst out and was a little disruptive. Overall, the show was a blast, but the crowd was not,” Weekly Opinion Editor Senior Patrick Meadows said.
However, this didn’t stop many students from loving the experience.
“Incredible, wonderful, loved it. The actress for Janis did a great job. I loved how they used LED screens for the set and could make everything look very well done,” Sophomore Emily Adamson said.