'Mean Girls' won't reopen on Broadway due to pandemic

Producers of Broadway play 'Mean Girls' announced on Thursday (local time) that the musical, based on Tina Fey's modern cult classic, will not resume when theatres reopen.

According to Variety, the show will close, having played its final performance on March 11 -- the day before Broadway went dark. 'Mean Girls' ran 805 performances and 29 previews during its stint at the August Wilson Theatre.

Broadway is expected to remain dark through at least May 2021, having shut down last spring as coronavirus cases began to spread. Disney's musical 'Frozen,' Martin McDonagh's play 'Hangmen' and Edward Albee's revival of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' with Laurie Metcalf have previously announced they will not restart when Broadway resumes.

As reported by Variety, 'Mean Girls,' which counts Lorne Michaels among its producers, grossed USD 124 million on Broadway and was seen by over 1 million people. The musical recouped its full capitalization by early 2020, producers say.

Michaels said in a statement, "Thank you to the brilliant creative team, cast and crew that brought 'Mean Girls' to life from our first reading to final performance. We remain excited to bring this musical to the big screen, relaunch the tour and prepare for a London production. I look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when theatres can open their doors again."

As per Variety, the show scored nine Tony Award nominations, including nods for best musical and score. It opened on Broadway on April 8, 2018, following a five-week run at the National Theatre in Washington D.C., in late 2017.

However, audiences have not seen the last of the 'Plastics.' The North American tour, which launched in 2019, is expected to return as soon as performances can recommence. And the musical is being adapted to a major motion picture (not to be confused with the 2004 movie, which inspired the stage show).

Fey said in a statement, "The chance to bring this show to Broadway, with such a talented young ensemble and five astounding female leads, has been a dream come true. And to our fierce and dedicated fans - the limit of our gratitude does not exist."

( With inputs from ANI )