By Andrea Fernandes
Contributing Writer
After hours of practice, a few minor injuries and a lot of hard work, the St. Bonaventure Hip Hop team is just about ready for their upcoming show.
Maybe you’ve seen one of the many flyers posted around campus. For those who have not, the show is based on the 2004 movie “Mean Girls,” staring Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron.
In the movie, Cady moves from Africa to America and attends public school for the first time. Cady learns of all the mishaps and tragedies that occur in high school. She quickly learns about cliques, and after falling into one herself, everything goes downhill.
The team does not plan on simply redoing the movie with hip hop dances. Instead, they have managed to add their own twist to create a St. Bonaventure version of “Mean Girls,” called “Bona’s is Full of Mean Girls.”
“The entire script was written around the lifestyle people lead here at school, so there are jokes put into the show only people who know St. Bonaventure will be able to fully appreciate,” Meghan Meehan, a senior psychology major and manager of the team said.
Although the show will have a Bonaventure twist, Jacqueline Gertner, a junior history major and captain of the team, said the script would include fan-favorite lines from the original film.
“If anyone has seen the movie ‘Mean Girls,’ they know exactly what to expect,” Gertner said. “All of their favorite characters and lines are included, as well as exciting dance performances of different genres.”
In order to make the show a success, the team has been practicing for several hours a week since January.
“The team has put in countless hours of preparation for the show,” Meehan said. “The coach, Justine Haskell, wrote the script over Christmas break, and practices began as soon as the break was over.”
The team is divided into several groups. Each group has a specific day and time when they meet to practice their parts.
“There is a lot of dedication and hard work that has to be put into it,” Denise Muyibi, a sophomore education major and member of the team, said. “A lot of people are going so hard that they’re getting slightly injured. We put so much time and effort into it to make sure it’s a good show.”
Muyibi revealed that she has a solo dance part in the show and has been practicing for it four days a week. She refused to reveal more about the show, but she said we can expect to see a lot.
“There are some more surprises, but you’ll have to watch the show to find out what they are” Muyibi said.
With the show right around the corner, the team has been spending time perfecting everything. Excitement is building up among the team members as their opening night approaches.
“Luckily the team has been working hard and maintained focus throughout the months of preparation, so we aren’t very concerned at this point,” Meehan said.
Members of the team urge everyone to buy their tickets as soon as possible, as they are selling out quickly. The show will be on April 1 and 2 in the Regina A. Quick Arts Center and will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Quick Center now. Student tickets cost $3 and adult tickets cost $5.
For those who have not seen “Mean Girls” but plan on attending the show, the team members agreed that it would be helpful to read the plot and get a general idea of what the movie is about. Even better, just watch the movie.
Nothing beats hearing Gretchen Wieners say “That is so fetch!”
fernanal13@bonaventure.edu
