Nominees include Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and University of Michigan graduate Ashley Park.
ANN ARBOR, MI – Tina Fey’s musical « Mean Girls » leads the way with a dozen Tony Award nominations, with a couple of those nominations going to members of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
One of those alums is Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School and UM graduate Ashley Park, who earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role on Tuesday, May 1, for her role as Gretchen Weiner.
Nabbing a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role was Taylor Louderman, who attended UM through her sophomore year before taking a sabbatical after earning a starring role in « Bring It On: The Musical. » Louderman plays the role of villain Regina George in « Mean Girls, » who was portrayed by Rachel McAdams on screen.
Louderman earned her first nomination for playing a high school queen bee who is laid low in « Mean Girls. »
UMich alums land leading roles in Tina Fey’s ‘Mean Girls’ on Broadway
« I really haven’t sat back and thought about the young version of me and how she would be freaking out right now, » Louderman told the Associated Press. « I’m from a small town where people don’t really get out and dream big. I just really thought I would never be here. »
Park and Louderman are joined on the cast of « Mean Girls » by UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance alum Erika Henningsen, who was cast to play the role of Cady Heron, the musical’s protagonist, which was portrayed by Lindsey Lohan in the popular 2004 film.
« Mean Girls, » which Fey adapted from her much-beloved and oft-quoted 2004 high school comedy movie, and the goofy undersea adaptation from the cartoon « SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical » lead the Tony Award nominations with a dozen nods each.
Along with Park and Louderman, UM Music Theater alum Alexander Gemignani earned a Tony nomination Tuesday for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical for « Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel. »
A complete list of Tony nominations can be found online.
