Review: HEATHERS at Florida Repertory Theatre is 'Big Fun!'

Florida Rep Education's production of HEATHERS, directed by Kody C. Jones, brought to life the very funny, dramatic, iconic show--and it was "Beautiful." HEATHERS is a fun show, absolutely, but it is also very real. It tackles a lot of issues that are prevalent in today's world, such as bullying, teen suicide, gun violence, and much more. Florida Rep's Education program more than did justice to the story of this production, and I would absolutely recommend stepping into the "Candy Store" and seeing it as it plays through this weekend.

Nayda Baez played Veronica Sawyer, and she was truly fantastic in the role. Veronica grows a lot as a person in HEATHERS, and her character development isn't always easy to portray, but Baez did so perfectly. She showed how Veronica learns about the world while still giving her the desire she has to stay seventeen. I appreciated her version of Veronica's cynical humor very much, and her voice was extraordinary. From "Beautiful," to "Dead Girl Walking," "Seventeen," and beyond, she was thoroughly captivating.

Brice Kingsley played JD, and I was impressed with the emotion he showed through this unstable, yet alluring character. The audience could really see the struggles JD goes through, both mentally and physically, and how scary his behavior becomes. Though JD's ending may be terribly bittersweet, I believe Kingsley portrayed his journey very, very well, particularly in "Freeze Your Brain," "Meant to Be Yours," and "I Am Damaged." His character is especially important to recognize in the social climate we live in today.

Heather Chandler was played by Athena Kelley, Heather Duke by Chloe Tsai, and Heather McNamara by Cat Westley. All three of them absolutely captured the essence of HEATHERS through their acting, singing, and dancing; they were incredibly impressive in portraying the "demon queens" of high school.

Martha Dunnstock was portrayed by Jesse Massari, and she was wonderful. She showed beautiful emotion through Martha, especially near the end of the show, and though her story is very sad at a lot of points, it is also very authentic. Massari did an extraordinary job at showing the audience who Martha is, and I really enjoyed her portrayal.

The rest of the cast and ensemble did a fantastic job at making this production excellent. This version of HEATHERS was definitely toned down from the original productions, but it didn't lack any of the struggles, serious issues, fun musical numbers, or humor that HEATHERS holds. Florida Rep did a fabulous job at adapting it to their Education program to have as a teen conservatory production on their stage.

If you haven't seen HEATHERS before, or if you've only seen the film version of it, I absolutely suggest seeing this production at Florida Rep this weekend; I promise you will have "Big Fun." It is only playing through May 27, so get your tickets quickly! Tickets are $10 for students with a valid ID and $20 for adults. General admission tickets are available at www.FloridaRepEducation.org and through the box office at 239-332-4488. HEATHERS is performed in Florida Rep's Historic Arcade Theatre at 2268 Bay Street, Fort Myers, FL, 33901.