Two local stars have 'full circle' moments starring in 'Mean Girls'

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The cult classic "Mean Girls" is headed back to Broad Street, straight from Broadway.

"Mean Girls" opens Tuesday at the Kimmel Cultural Campus' Miller Theater. It features two homegrown stars in the musical adapted from Tina Fey's hit film.

"I was put in the Philadelphia Boys Choir at a young age," says Ethan Jih-Cook from Center City. "I think there was something about performing and singing, especially, that really clicked with me."

And now, the recent Friends Central graduate is in the touring production of "Mean Girls."

Ethan is also an alumnus of the Kimmel's ShowStoppers program for young aspiring performers.

"My love for theater started watching national tours come into the Kimmel Center," says Jih-Cook. "Now, finally getting to be able to do those shows is super crazy. I feel so grateful because it's such a full circle moment for me."

This is also a homecoming for Mikaela Rada. She graduated from the University of the Arts with a degree in dance in 2020.

"It's so cool that I get to come back and be doing this show," Rada says. "Mean Girls is so iconic. It's a way of saying, 'Thank you for all the years of training that I got, and now look at what I am doing.'"

Rada graduated during the height of the pandemic, so this moment is extra special.

"I get to be back on the stage that I did all of my college performances on," she says. "I didn't get to do my senior show, so this is the first time I get to be back on that stage. It's kind of full circle. With COVID, there wasn't a lot of closure for things. This is kind of my closure. I get emotional about it."

Both Jih-Cook and Rada say if you love Tina Fey's movie, you might love it even more set to song.

"I like actually laugh out loud sometimes, it's just insane," says Jih-Cook. "All of the iconic lines are still in the musical, so it's a really good show."

"Mean Girls" runs Oct. 3 to Oct. 8 at the Kimmel Cultural Campus' Miller Theater.