A new star is headed to Broadway, and the news is, like, so fetch. Renée Rapp will officially join the cast of Broadway's Mean Girls this fall as Regina George, replacing Tony Award-nominated actress Taylor Louderman, according to Playbill.
Mean Girls will mark 19-year-old Rapp's first Broadway performance, but she's in no way a stranger to the spotlight. Last year, Rapp won Best Actress at the 2018 National High School Musical Theater Awards (also knows as the Jimmy Awards) after singing a stunning rendition of "When It All Falls Down" from Chaplin. The prestigious award honors high school students for their exemplary work in the performing arts and has a history of launching young performers' careers. For instance, 2010 winner Kyle Selig now plays Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls on Broadway.
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Despite being only four years old when the film debuted, Rapp told 3rd Hour TODAY that she grew up watching Mean Girls and can hardly believe she'll get to portray one of the most beloved high school villains. "It's pretty surreal," she admitted Tuesday during a joint interview with Fey.
Her name is Reneé Rapp, and she is a massive deal. ??@reneemjrapp #ReginaReginaRegina #MeanGirlsBway pic.twitter.com/7XoLKYvKLJ
— Mean Girls Broadway (@MeanGirlsBway) May 28, 2019
While fans loved Louderman, you won't find Rap's name scribbled in anyone's burn books. So far, the Twitter reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.
"Last year, Reneé Rapp watched it all fall down. Now, she'll watch the world burn," Playbill's managing editor Ryan McPhee tweeted. Another fan wrote: "am i really going to see mean girls again bc reneé rapp is playing regina ??? the answer is yes."
Even Tina Fey, who wrote both the original film script and the Broadway book, sung Rapp's praises. "It's hard to image anyone can replace the great Taylor Louderman, but just like high school, when one Queen Bee graduates, a new one spreads her wings," Fey said, according to Playbill. "I think Reneé Rapp has everything it takes to thrill and terrify us all! I can't wait to see her do this."
In case you were wondering: yes, Rapp has earned every single compliment. Here's a sample of her talents for proof:
Rapp will permanently kick off her Mean Girls run on September 10, but she'll have a chance to don pink over the summer for a limited run from June 7-26. Louderman will end her nearly two-year Mean Girls run on September 8 to launch the pilot of The Emperor of Malibu on CBS.