Break out your Burn Book and mark these dates: Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is launching its 15th Broadway Series with the Chicago-area premiere of Mean Girls, August 26-October 11, 2026. Opening Night is Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m.
Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, Mean Girls is the Broadway sensation that’s so fetch, it rules the school.
Paramount Theatre’s 15th Broadway Series opener, Mean Girls, will be staged by Devon Hayakawa (top, right) in their Paramount solo directing debut. Principal cast members are (bottom, from left) Elizabeth Stenholt as Cady Heron, Dariana Mullen as Regina George, Angel Alzeidan as Gretchen Wieners, Julia Hope Budd as Karen Smith, Diego Vazquez Gomez as Aaron Samuels, Lucy Godinez as Janis Sarkisian, Steven Klenk as Damian Hubbard, Ben Mathew as Kevin G, Veronica Garza as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, and Austin Nelson Jr. as Principal Duvall
Based on Tina Fey’s iconic Paramount Pictures film, Mean Girls is the story of Cady Heron, a sweet and smart new girl who’s just moved from Africa to Chicago’s North Shore. When she enters the wild world of North Shore High, she quickly finds herself tangled up with The Plastics, the school’s most popular - and ruthless - clique led by queen bee Regina George. As Cady tries to fit in, she learns that popularity comes with a price. And revenge can get ugly fast.
With a book by Tina Fey, music by Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Neil Benjamin, Mean Girls gets an A+ for big laughs, bold, campy style, unforgettable pop-rock songs, and a message that is surprisingly honest. It’s a fresh, colorful must-see for anyone who’s ever tried to find their place in the crowd. So grab your friends, wear pink (on Wednesdays, of course), and experience the non-stop, fun-loving musical that proves even the fiercest frenemies can find redemption.
Devon Hayakawa, after serving on the directing teams of South Pacific, Come From Away, Cats, and Disney’s Frozen, makes their Paramount solo directing debut with Mean Girls. Their top-tier creative team includes choreographer Kasey Alfonso (Come From Away, Jeff Award-winner, Cats), veteran Paramount Broadway Series music director and conductor Kory Danielson, set designer Milo Bue (Come From Away) and costume designer Kotryna Hilko (Peter and the Starcatcher).
On stage, Cady Heron will be played by Elizabeth Stenholt, familiar to Paramount audiences as Olive in The 25th Anniversary Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jeff-nominated, Performer in a Supporting Role), Medium Alison in Fun Home (winner, Jeff Award, Performer in a Supporting Role), and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
Elizabeth Stenholt as Olive in Paramount’s The 25th Anniversary Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jeff-nominated, Performer in a Supporting Role, 2025), Medium Alison in Fun Home (Jeff Award winner, Performer in a Supporting Role, 2023, opposite Mean Girls director Devon Hayakawa), and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (2018). Photo left: credit Amy Nelson. Photos center and right: Liz Lauren
Dariana Mullen, coming off The Great Gatsby at New York’s Broadway Theatre, makes her Chicago debut as Cady’s arch nemesis, Regina George.
The cast also features Angel Alzeidan as Gretchen Wieners, Julia Hope Budd as Karen Smith, Diego Vazquez Gomez as Aaron Samuels, Lucy Godinez as Janis Sarkisian, Steven Klenk as Damian Hubbard, Ben Mathew as Kevin G, and Veronica Garza as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, and Austin Nelson Jr. as Principal Duvall.
The ensemble includes Tola Abitogun, Jeremiah Alsop, Matty Bettencourt, Anna Louise Bramlett, Nicole DiSandro, Ben Dow, Tiyanna Gentry, Joshua Messmore, Hannah Remian, Nataki Rennie, Morgan Schoenecker, Jacob Simon, Abby C. Smith, Amanda Walker and Elaine Watson.
Ticket information
Mean Girls begins previews Wednesday, August 26. Opening Night is Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m. Performances run through October 11: Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Exception: No matinee Wednesday, August 26.) Single tickets to Mean Girls are $34-$109 when purchased in-person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.
Any Mathlete knows it's smarter to save money with a Paramount Theatre 2026-27 Broadway Series subscription. Four-show packages start at just $73, including Mean Girls, a world premiere adaptation of The Christmas Carol (November 11, 2026–January 3, 2027), Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George (February 10–March 28, 2027) and an 80s-inspired Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (April 28-June 13, 2027).
That’s the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” offer Paramount has offered since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011, and has since grown to be the largest subscription theater in the U.S. Think of it as four Broadway-quality musicals for less than the price of one show downtown. Plus, Aurora boasts easy, affordable parking and a host of new restaurants all around.
Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets or subscriptions, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or (630) 723-2461.
Paramount: Making live theater accessible to all
Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can previews Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 29 at 2 p.m. See ParamountAurora.com/Pay-What-You-Can for details.
Paramount will offer open captioning Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. and American Sign Language interpretation Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m.
Paramount offers free assistive listening devices at all performances, including new Auracast technology that connects to blue tooth earphones. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a device. If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office in advance at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com.
Mean Girls: Behind the scenes
Mean Girls set rendering courtesy set designer Milo Bue.
Mean Girls – book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, music by Jeff Richmond – is based on the 2004 film by Mark Waters starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried. The film was also written by Fey, inspired by Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, and produced by Lorne Michaels, the original stage production of Mean Girls premiered on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre in 2018. The show was nominated for twelve awards at the 72nd Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Mean Girls closed after 833 performances on Broadway on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Paramount’s Chicago-area premiere this fall, director Devon Hayakawa said “I’m excited to kick off the 2026-2027 Broadway Series with a bang. It’s definitely bringing a nonstop, loud, fast, and funny energy to our stage - get ready for a lot of pink!”
In addition to co-directing South Pacific, Hayakawa also collaborated with Stork as associate director and dramaturg of Come From Away, associate director of Cats, and assistant director of Disney’s Frozen. On Paramont’s stage, Hayakawa has played Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Joan in Fun Home, and was in the Waitress ensemble. They also served as dramaturg for Million Dollar Quartet, Billy Elliot, and What the Constitution Means to Me, and have worked on stage and off at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman, Drury Lane and Remy Bumppo.
Paramount’s Mean Girls production team also includes Greg Hofmann, lights; Adam Rosenthal, sound; Erin Pleake, video designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; Aimee Plant, properties designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Bailey O’Neil, associate director; Andy Chen, associate music director and associate conductor; Chloe Hamilton, associate choreographer; Max Fabian, intimacy and fight director; Sean McNeely, orchestra contractor; Amber R. Dettmers, stage manager; and Bridget Kearbey and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage managers.
Paramount’s Mean Girls is sponsored by Hollywood Casino.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.
Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 40,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.
Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance, event and education destinations overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) in downtown Aurora. ACCA also programs and manages the 165-seat Copley Theatre, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, where its wildly acclaimed immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet will return October 7, 2026-January 3, 2027; the Paramount School of the Arts; and RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue and home to Christkindlmarket Aurora.
Paramount Theatre is overseen by Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.
For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.