Kiwi actors land lead roles in Heathers the Musical tour

Amelia Rojas as Heather Duke, Calista Nelmes as Heather Chandler and Abigail Sharp as Heather McNamara in Heathers The Musical. Photo / Cameron Grant

Two New Zealand performers have beaten hundreds of other young hopefuls to claim lead roles in the forthcoming hit musical Heathers, which will be touring New Zealand and Australia from April.

Auckland’s Amelia Rojas (who starred in Chicago last year) will be playing Heather Duke alongside Tauranga’s Calista Nelmes (who has performed in RENT, Jesus Christ Superstar and Jersey Boys) as Heather Chandler and Australian performer Abigail Sharp as Heather McNamara.

Together, the trio rule the fictional Westerberg High with an unhinged grip, striking terror among other students with acerbic, legendary one-liners and take-downs that could wither a sunflower.

From an initial 1500 submitted tapes and 200 in-person auditions involving gruelling singing and dancing tests, held over five days in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, the final lineup was chosen by panels in New York and London.

“It takes thousands of hours to get to 19 cast members,” said producer Paul Mansfield. “It’s a really demanding show with some really big numbers.”

Rojas said the process of making her videos, acting lines and singing songs from the show was a lot of fun.

“[It] didn’t feel real as I was just filming them at home,” she said. “I was so nervous but the callback was a lot of fun .... everyone on the team was so encouraging and welcoming in both the dance call and my individual audition.”

Choreographer and director Gary Lloyd described Heathers as a triple-threat show, requiring everybody in the show to be a great actor and to have a fantastic voice. “The music is very challenging and there’s a lot of choreography and physicality in the show,” he said.

Rojas is excited to explore and develop her character as rehearsals start in earnest over the coming weeks.

“I want to create a unique and interesting portrayal of my character … while also honouring Shannen Doherty’s performance from the movie,” Rojas said, adding that she loved the powerful message in Heathers, which tackles tricky subjects in a fun and entertaining way.

“As a young adult, I know there are a lot of topics raised that are very poignant to teenagers today,” she said. “Even though the story is absolutely crazy, it leaves audiences with an uplifting and unified experience.”

The show tackles serious issues around teenage angst, identity and bullying, but with its tongue firmly in its cheek, said Lloyd.

“On the surface it’s super poptastic, it’s colourful, the songs are great, it really lends itself to a young audience,” he said.

“Then you get to speaking with some of our teenage ‘Corn Nuts’ (fans of the show after the final words uttered by Heather Chandler) who are living the high school life, and they recognise themselves as a Martha or as a Veronica or maybe even as a Heather.”

Set in the 1980s but with a contemporary feel, the issues faced by Veronica – the story’s main protagonist, played by acclaimed powerhouse vocalist Emma Caporas (Legally Blonde, Footloose and The Voice Australia) – are the same as kids of today, despite the lack of cell phones and internet in the show.

Based on the 1989 cult film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, but updated for today’s TikTok generation, the show is packed full of explosive songs and dance routines.

Acclaimed United States director Andy Fickman is thrilled to be steering the Australasian tour.

“We can’t wait to share this twistedly heartfelt story with audiences downunder,” Fickman said.

“It’s a show about love, heartache, defying expectations and being true to yourself. Ever since its premiere, Heathers has been a labour of love – but what’s truly thrilling is how deeply audiences take it to their hearts.”

Mansfield is equally effusive. “The power of the music, the writing is incredible, it’s very clever, it’s very comedy – it’s two hours of absolute high electric energy.”

And the audience will be amazed by the costumes, crazy hair and iconic phrases, Rojas said.

“Expect to feel like you have been transported into the 1980s,” she said. “However, don’t expect this to be your typical high school musical: this show will blow your mind and have your jaw on the floor with its show-stopping performances and wild story.”