Hilariously dark and humorously tragic, Cedar Crest College Department of Performing Arts’ production of “Heathers The Musical” is tight, clever, tuneful and features great performances.
The cult classic musical is at Samuels Theater, Cedar Crest College, 100 College Drive, Allentown through Feb. 23.
Audiences should be aware the show deals with serious topics, including violence, suicide, assault and bullying, in a humorous tone.
That being said, the production is laugh-out-loud funny and most of the characters are extremely well cast.
Noel Cruz is outstanding as Veronica Sawyer, a high school outcast who gets in with the school queen bees due to her forgery skills.
Cruz believably gives Veronica all the conflicting teenage emotions: defiance, determination, righteousness, guilt.
Cruz’ Veronica is both charmingly smitten and drunkenly randy. Cruz has a strong voice that skillfully wraps around the run-heavy songs.
Crede Cooper is well cast as Jason “J.D.” Dean, the mysterious new kid in town and Veronica’s crush.
Cooper makes J.D. both appealingly vulnerable and increasingly psychotic. Cooper gives J.D. a certain charm undershot with a slowly increasing air of menance.
Cruz and Cooper make sparks together and are fun on “Fight for Me” which features a crazy slow motion fight. They also shine on the unsettling ballad “Our Love is God.”
The ruling clique is made up of three girls all named Heather.
Thanks to JoanEllyn Schubert’s clever choreography, every time the three Heather make an entrance it is a funny visual statement.
Gabreille Hondorp is impressive as clique queen Heather Chandler. She is perfectly icy and imperious as the bullying leader, but ever better (spoiler alert) as a ghost who haunts Veronica, when her humor adds another layer to the character. She is in great voice on her big song “Candy Store.”
Shy Torres is great as nasty second banana Heather Duke who gleefully takes over after Heather Chandler’s demise. Torres nails it in the defiant “Never Shut Up Again.”
Alyssa Weber is also good as weak-willed follower Heather McNamara, who reveals her insecurities. Weber is poignant in the revealing “Life Boat.”
Max Wetherhold and Asher Cooper add lots of comedy relief as school-ruling dumb jocks Ram and Kurt.
A highlight is Jarrod Yuskauskas as Ram’s dad on the hilarious, gospel-tinged “My Dead Gay Son,” with an uproarious assist by Nik Georgievski as Kurt’s dad.
JoAnn Wilchek Basist is memorable as teacher Ms. Fleming who raps during “Shine a Light” and humorously picks on an audience member during a suicide awareness assembly.
Direction by Will Morris is crisp and smart and music direction by Chad Miller in on point.
Roxanne Amico’s set design works very well with a two-story moveable scaffolding that cleverly features a line of colorful school lockers that double as doors.
Performances are 7 p.m. Feb. 21, 22; and 2 p.m. Feb. 23.
For information, call 610-740-3780, or go to www.cedarcrest.edu.