{"id":30474,"date":"2019-11-18T08:44:16","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T13:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=30474"},"modified":"2019-11-18T08:44:18","modified_gmt":"2019-11-18T13:44:18","slug":"on-stage-downingtowns-morrissey-hitting-it-big-in-national-tour-of-mean-girls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=30474","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Downingtown’s Morrissey hitting it big in national tour of ‘Mean Girls’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mary Kate Morrissey
(Photo: Emilio Madrid-Kuser for Broadway.com)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Just as every young basketball player has dreams of playing in the NBA or WNBA or every young musician envisions a career as a rock star, almost every young girl or boy who acts in local theater \u2013 or even in school productions \u2013 dreams of someday being in a Broadway musical.<\/span><\/p>\n

The odds are stacked against it really happening \u2013 but it can happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coatesville\u2019s Richard “Rip” Hamilton went from playing street ball on the city\u2019s playgrounds to being a three-time NBA All Star with the Detroit Pistons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bishop Shanahan\u2019s Fred Mascherino went from playing in local bands to international acclaim with bands such as Taking Back Sunday and Terrible Things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Shanahan grad has reached the top tier in the theater world \u2014 Mary Kate Morrissey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Morrissey was in local and school theater productions as well as choruses and jazz choirs ever since she was a young girl growing up in Downingtown.<\/span><\/p>\n

After receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University, Morrissey moved to New York. In 2013, she was a cast member in the National Tour of \u201cHair.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, it was onward to bigger and better things \u2013 playing the key role of Elphaba in the National Tour of \u201cWicked\u201d from 2015-2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Morrissey is playing another pivotal role in a National Tour of a hit Broadway musical \u2013 Janis Sarkisian in \u201cMean Girls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This week, Morrissey will get to make her Academy of Music debut when \u201cMean Girls\u201d visits Philly for a run from November 19-December 1 <\/span>at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333,<\/span>www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a><\/span>) as part of the Kimmel Center\u2019s Broadway Philadelphia series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did high school plays at Bishop Shanahan,\u201d said Morrissey, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Cincinnati, Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did \u2018Barnum,\u2019 when I was a sophomore and then I played Fantine in \u2018Les Miserables\u2019 when I was a junior. In my senior year, sister gave me the lead role for \u2018Evita.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSinging has always been a big part of my life. I come from a big Irish Catholic family and my grandfather used to sing on Irish radio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI played volleyball when I was in grade school. But I couldn\u2019t do sports in high school because I was involved in the jazz band, the concert band, the chorus and a lot of plays. I also sang in The All State Choir.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 10, my mom took me to see my first Broadway music. The show was \u2018The Lion King.\u2019 That was a major event in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, \u201cMean Girls\u2019 is the major event in her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMean Girls\u201d is a musical with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Tina Fey. It is based on the 2004 film of the same name written by Fey, which, in turn, was inspired by the book \u201cQueen Bees and Wannabes\u201d by Rosalind Wiseman. <\/span><\/p>\n

The musical premiered at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C., in October 2017 and opened on Broadway in April 2018 at the August Wilson Theatre. The National Tour of \u201cMean Girls\u201d opened in Buffalo, New York at Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center, on September 21, 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started rehearsals back in August,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cI play Janis Sarkisian. She\u2019s the Goth girl \u2013 the scorned one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the movie when it first came out. Everybody did. It was geared to my generation. The play has the same story as the movie, but it\u2019s been updated. You can see the same characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSocial media wasn\u2019t as big back when the movie came out in 2004. Tina (Fey) has put in how social media can make or break you \u2013 and about talking with emojis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard introduce us to Cady Heron, breaking the fourth wall and inviting the audience on their journey. Heron and her parents have moved to a Chicago suburb from Kenya, but she soon realizes that her high school classmates do not readily accept others who differ from them, yet she is ready to accept the challenge of friendship at the school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heron is excited by the prospect of making new friends, but no one seems to like her or even acknowledge her. The show traces Heron\u2019s challenge to deal with this different culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love the part I\u2019m playing,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cIt\u2019s very empowering to the viewer. I was familiar with it because I had been exposed to all the class distinctions in high school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like Janis because she\u2019s fiery. I think she\u2019s really smart. When she does something wrong, she knows it. She doesn\u2019t care what other people think about her. I felt this way in high school because I was that total nerd \u2013 the band geek. I was an ugly duckling. I was a bottom feeder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Morrisey is a stunningly beautiful Broadway actress who is sitting on top of the world and starring in an ultra-popular hit musical.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences like \u2018Mean Girls\u2019 because it is a really fun night out,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cIt is pop-rock music mixed with classical music theater. It\u2019s very modern and it brings a lot of young people to the theater.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Morrissey also has a bit of jock left in her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been running a lot lately,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cOur cast as a running club. On November 23, we\u2019re all running the Philadelphia Half Marathon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The show\u2019s Philadelphia run will be a special one for Morrissey. It will lark the first time for her to appear onstage at Philadelphia\u2019s venerable Academy of Music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to cry the first night at the Academy,\u201d said Morrissey.<\/span><\/p>\n

It might be tears of pain for Morrissey on November 23 after racing 13.1 miles but on November 18, it will be only tears of joy for the young actress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cMean Girls\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/WMPtawcpIVk<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Academy of Music is running from November 19 through December 1. Ticket prices start at $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kim Petras<\/p><\/div>\n

Kim Petras, who is headlining a show on November 19 at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>), began recording music as a teenager and released her debut extended play \u201cOne Piece of Tape\u201d in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

She independently released her debut single in 2017 under her own imprint, BunHead Records. The Dr. Luke<\/a>-produced \u201cI Don\u2019t Want It at All\u201d went on to top several viral music charts on Spotify.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her popularity has been increasing steadily ever since and her career now has the momentum of a runaway train.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI Don\u2019t Want It All\u201d was followed by Billboard-charting singles \u201cFeeling of Falling\u201d (with Cheat Codes<\/a>), \u201cHeart to Break,\u201d and \u201c1, 2, 3 Dayz Up\u201d (featuring Sophie). <\/span><\/p>\n

Following her early success, Petras released a slew of digital singles which would later comprise her unofficial body of work known as \u201cEra 1.\u201d In October 2018, Petras released the Halloween-themed, novelty mix tape\/EP \u201cTurn Off the Light, Vol. 1.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started working on the mix tape last year,\u201d said Petras, during a recent phone interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was working on it at the same time I was writing the songs for \u2018Clarity.\u2019 Then, I did a headline tour after the first few singles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Petras\u2019 first studio album \u201cClarity\u201d was released June 28, 2019. The record was preceded with a nine-week-long promotional campaign, during which Petras released one single a week with an accompanying visual video. \u201cClarity\u201d reached number seven on the Heatseekers Chart and number 26 on the Independent Albums chart. <\/span><\/p>\n

On October 1, 2019, Petras\u2019 second studio album \u201cTurn Off the Light\u201d was released. The album features songs from \u201cVol. 1\u201d in addition to nine new tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Petras hit the road with \u201cThe Clarity Tour\u201d this fall. The tour started on October 21 in Vancouver and will conclude on December 8 in San Diego.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m writing all the time,\u201d said Petras. \u201cI have my phone, my laptop and a MIDI keyboard so I can easily write when I\u2019m on the road. I\u2019ve written a lot of songs on \u2018The Clarity Tour.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve toured a lot since I started, In the last five years, I\u2019ve continued to gain fans by playing shows. I\u2019ve tripled my fanbase.\u201d
\n\u201cClarity\u201d launched into the Top 4 of the iTunes Pop Chart and featured the hit single \u201cIcy<\/a>\u201d alongside a string of lauded singles which dominated Spotify\u2019s \u201cNew Music Friday\u201d and\u00a0Apple Music\u2019s \u201cBest of The Week\u201d for\u00a010\u00a0consecutive weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe video for \u2018Icy\u2019 came out about three weeks ago after the European \u2018Broken Tour,\u2019\u201d said Petras. \u201cI had the whole concept done with Alexander Moore. I\u2019m obsessed with Hollywood \u2013 Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Madonna. I love the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite videos ever is \u2018Vogue\u2019 by Madonna. The whole \u2018Icy\u2019 video is about becoming bionic in a way and, if I\u2019m really glamorized, I become a stronger version of myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Petras, who writes and sings good pop songs that have the potential to be earworms, was born in Germany 25 years ago and lived with her mother in K\u00f6ln, Germany until a few years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was 19 when I moved to the United States,\u201d said Petras. \u201cIt was a little bit of a culture shock when I first got here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it was kind of necessary. I couldn\u2019t find the right producers to work with in Germany. And, learning the business was easier over here. Ever since the beginning, it\u2019s been about writing good pop songs \u2013 learning the essence of writing a good pop song. It was really not that easy. I was writing a song every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, Fergie got one of my songs and that led to a publishing deal. One of the songwriters I worked with on the song sent it to Interscope Records and Fergie<\/a> recorded it. That\u2019s when I really started buzzing as a songwriter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The song that Petras wrote for Fergie wasn\u2019t released. But it generated enough buzz in the industry to land her a publishing deal with BMG.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I concentrated on working on my own records,\u201d said Petras. \u201cThat was my master plan. I\u2019ve always wanted to write great songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember being a kid watching MTV \u2013 singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera doing interviews. I became obsessed with the language. In fifth grade, I started taking English classes in school and learned the grammar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLearning the language as spoken just naturally happened. I\u2019ve never had any interest in writing songs in German. I\u2019ve learned English through listening to music \u2013 listening to Madonna and the Spice Girls. It\u2019s also cool that English isn\u2019t my native language because I say things in a different way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Petras\u2019 command of the English language and her ability to write songs with good hooks has proven to be a successful combination.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI put so much work into the music and being a good songwriter,\u201d said Petras. \u201cI\u2019m just really proud of what I\u2019m doing. I have so many songs written. The more I work; the more people will know me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Kim Petras — https:\/\/youtu.be\/D8UNJDjygk0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Fillmore, which has Alex Chapman as the opening act, will start at 8:30 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets are $33.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another music act that places an emphasis on its writing \u2013 especially lyric writing \u2013 is Hyborian, which is headlining a show on November 18 at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hyborian<\/p><\/div>\n

Hyborian \u2013 Martin Bush – Guitar, Vocals; Ryan Bates – Guitar, Vocals; Justin Rippeto \u2013 Drums; Anthony Diale \u2013 Bass \u2013 is a hard-hitting metal band with a thunderous sound that rolls over audiences like a steamroller.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Hyborian is also a band that wants its listeners to be more than headbangers \u2013 to be listeners who pay attention to and grasp the band\u2019s lyrical narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hyborian released its debut album, \u201cHyborian: Vol. 1,\u201d via Season of Mist in 2017. The powerful music characterized by massive riffs is complemented by a fitting lyrical concept.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur stuff is so conceptual,\u201d said Bush, during a phone interview Friday. \u201cIt\u2019s based on a novel with a concept and story line. The novel came out earlier this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hyborian has previously released the first edition of the original new book, \u201cThe Traveller — A Hyborian Tale,\u201d which was written and illustrated by Bush. The 224-page sci-fi tale has been written as a companion piece for the band\u2019s upcoming conceptual full-length, \u201cVolume II,\u201d which is due in early 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHyborian Vol. 1\u201d tells the story of an extraterrestrial being called The Traveller.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Bush, \u201cBasically, The Traveller is a being that exists outside of humanity\u2019s understanding of space and time. He wanders the cosmos, visiting and recording times of great strife or hardship, great suffering or great triumph.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are his chosen mouthpiece on Earth, so we relate those stories, whether from far in the past or far in the future. We are also heavily into cryptography, which resulted in several hidden messages on the album from The Traveller, posing a challenge to those listeners, who are curious enough to put in enough effort to find them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While the book was written by Bush, Hyborian\u2019s music is made via a collaborative effort featuring all four members.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI write the book and the band translates the lyrics,\u201d said Bush. \u201cIt\u2019s all done collaboratively. A lot of the lyrics get written in the studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all write together It\u2019s not a process with guys in the band bringing song ideas to practice. It\u2019s just us all together working on the music. It\u2019s organic and real.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hyborian came into existence in Kansas City, Missouri in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Justin and Ryan have known each other forever,\u201d said Bush. \u201cWe were in the same music scene in Kansas City but in different projects. All of us had been playing in other people\u2019s projects \u2013 projects that were less heavy. That phase was just about getting a paycheck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to play the music we wanted to play \u2013 not someone else\u2019s music. Four years ago, both projects ended. We started jamming together and here we are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hyborian and The Traveller are moving forward together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe next album \u2013 \u2018Vol. 2\u2019 \u2013 is based around a father and son,\u201d said Bush, \u201cBoth of them end up becoming cosmic beings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is done, and the release date is in the first quarter of 2020. This tour is just to get the songs road-tested a bit \u2013 getting our legs underneath it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Hyborian \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2Y0bI24OZhU<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy Philly, which has Migrator, Moons, and Green Meteor as opening acts, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $13.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Just as every young basketball player has dreams of playing in the NBA or WNBA or every young musician envisions a career as a rock star, almost every young girl or boy who acts in local theater \u2013 or even in school productions \u2013 dreams of someday being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7441],"tags":[240,6269,11966,10947,11965,11967],"class_list":["post-30474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-downingtown","tag-featured","tag-hyborian","tag-kim-petras","tag-mary-kate-morrissey","tag-mean-girls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30474"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30475,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30474\/revisions\/30475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}