School’s three-day run of popular musical’s high school version astounds rapt audience

By Barbara Burke 

Special to the Malibu Times

“I had a blast at Mean Girls!” Doug DeLuca, a Malibu High School parent who came to support the school’s production, exclaimed. “The talent blew me away — it felt like watching an off-Broadway hit instead of a high school musical.” 

For three days in Malibu, proud parents, family and friends, and members of the community thoroughly enjoyed MHS’s production of “Mean Girls,” the Broadway musical high school version, a rendition of the iconic 2004 film and its Broadway musical counterpart. 

“Mean Girls” tells the story of Cady Heron, who starts high school at 16, being home-schooled by her scientist parents in Kenya for the first 15 years of her life. The play is a brutal, but accurate, take on high school cliques, gossiping, and peer pressure.  Cady quickly encounters “The Plastics,” a group of popular girls who rule the school through intimidation, back-stabbing and bullying. Although Cady originally joined the Plastics as a joke — and to spy on them for her new friends Janis and Damian, she becomes immersed in the Plastics’ world, desperately trying to be accepted, and in the process, she discovers the dark side of high school friendships.

Although Slashfilm’s Ethan Anderton once opined that “Mean Girls” was “the generation-defining high school movie” capturing the teenage culture of the early 2000s, the Malibu High performance audience, most of whom are teens, related to the updated high school version.

The roles of Regina (Windy Wildman), Cady (Sophie Regan), Janis (Alex Murphy), Damian (Nick Ortiz), Gretchen (Shannon Rosen), Karen (Kylie Morra), and Aaron (Noah Baron) were all superbly performed, and the vocal numbers were nothing short of tremendous, with the MHS pit band, coached by Vince Juardo, accompanying the performers.

From the moment the curtain rises to Regan preparing to leave Kenya for the U.S. (which she and her mother comedically comment is “currently politically unstable,” and where “almost everybody is on opioids”) to the ending when — after intervening trauma, drama, and yes, a lot of karma — there is a genuine Kumbaya among the key characters. MHS’s actors, musicians, and the stage crew, ably managed by senior Kate Baker, who has served in that role for four years, performed professionally and entertained the delighted audience.

The Malibu Times caught up with Wildman and Regan and asked them how they prepared for their roles and what, in their mind, the central messages of the play are.

“I have worked to find the balance in my Cady Heron’s truth in each decision she makes,” Regan said. “Pulling from the real feeling of wanting to be accepted and feeling like you need to change yourself to fit others, but in the end realizing you can only find your people when you’re truly yourself.” 

For her part, Wildman commented, “In our production of ‘Mean Girls,’ I play Regina George, the antagonist of the show. Throughout the show, the story follows the idea of social norms and what it is like to be a teenager in modern society, and figure out who you are and how to stay true to that in the midst of a society pressed by said social norms.” 

Wildman elaborated, “Strangely enough, I contribute to these central ideas by being the catalyst of them, as the main ‘mean girl.’ Yet, having my character brought to her downfall and hit by a bus, I simultaneously symbolize the breaking down of societal stereotypes.”

Seniors Regan and Wildman are best friends, have been involved in dramatic arts since early childhood, and — no small feat — have both been accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for Dramatic Arts, all facts that add complexity to their on-stage performances in “Mean Girls.” 

“The relationship between Regina and Cady in the play is one of my favorites in the whole show because they each have such a deep character turnaround that they truly get to experience together,” Regan said. “The scene when Regina and Cady both choose to forgive and reconnect highlights how both of them changed the other.”  

When asked whether, in her mind, the central theme of the play focuses on loyalty or girl power, a hotly debated issue amongst critics since the original play debuted, Wildman responded, “I personally believe that it is in some ways about both! I would definitely say that female empowerment, and just the empowerment of all those around you in general, is a huge takeaway from the show and essentially, is what I believe to be the central message. However, there is definitely an underlying theme of loyalty — not necessarily to others, but loyalty to your true self, and to not changing yourself for anyone or anything, and we hope that both of those ideas are something people are able to feel and take away from our show!”

“Mean Girls” was also the senior showcase for Baker, who has served as the stage manager for four years. 

“A production like ‘Mean Girls’ truly takes a village,” Regan said. “We had our MHS Vocal Director Dr. Krysta Sorensen teaching us vocals and giving us every tool to make sure we can sing at our peak in the most healthy way for such a demanding show, Ms. Brigette Leonard was our amazing director making the show look its best and feel as natural as possible and they, together with the MHS Band, led by Conductor Mr. John Kibbler and Musical Director Joellen “Cha Cha” McNaughton — they are the reason the show comes alive every night.”

As attendees left the opening performance of “Mean Girls,” many commented that the performers’ futures are bright and, to use the language of the last vocal number in Mean Girls, a few of them commented metaphorically, “I see stars!”

Families enjoyed a Saturday afternoon with games, treats, and a photo booth bus

Over the weekend, Trancas Country Market celebrated moms in Malibu with an evening of complimentary treats, a fun photo booth bus, and games with their little ones.

“Mother’s Day is literally a reflection of the best day of my life — becoming a mom,” Hayley Carling said. “You think about the day you gave birth.”

Carling said she loves going to the beach, going to the playground, shopping, and “doing all the girly things” with her three-year-old daughter Lily. 

“And eating cupcakes!” she added. 

Carling and her daughter enjoyed the playground at Trancas Country Market, blowing bubbles and checking out the table full of sweet treats. 

“It’s very special, it’s very cool to have things like this for the little ones to enjoy and adults walk around and see how much fun the little ones are having. It’s making everyone smile, so we love that,” she said. “We’re a small community, so it’s really fun to have events like this.” 

Founder and CEO of Global Branding Central Marc Appelbaum has been organizing all the events at Trancas Country Market and was excited to have visitors enjoy the MaliBus photo booth.

“It’s moms day, so we want to celebrate the moms and all the mothers out there, so we have some treats, we have some pictures with the MaliBus photo booth that they’re going to be giving away for free, and a ton of games and just letting people have fun,” Appelbaum said. 

After playtime and complimentary treats, families enjoyed picking out fun props for the photo booth bus provided by Brian Schofield. 

Schofield said visitors also enjoyed the photo booth bus on March 9 for the 10th anniversary of Vintage Grocers.

Appelbaum said despite the difficulties with permits, he hopes to bring people to the shopping center.

“That’s what we’re trying to do, keep people coming around, keep building it out,” he said. “Unfortunately with these weathers, we haven’t had consistent sunny days, but everyone that does come around, there’s always something for them. Everyone does enjoy it. We just want people to come out more often and see all the different changes — there’s new stores coming and going so it’s always a fun place.”

Appelbaum said the next event he has planned is “Dad’s Day on the Green” on June 15 and “Summer Dream on the Green” on July 13. To see upcoming events, follow the shopping center on Instagram @trancascountrymarket. 

“Malibu is such a small community so everyone does support,” he said. “We do get a lot of foot traction, so it’s great to have the families that come out of town here and having something to do, but the more that people follow us on social media and see these events, it’s great.”

MHS band members take inspiring field trip to Bandrika Studios in Tarzana

It was a field trip that will be remembered for a lifetime. Twenty-four high school musicians from the Malibu High School band spent a day at a professional recording studio, not just for a tour of the beautiful facility, but to actually have a recording session where LA’s top musicians and award-winning composers record scores for movies and television. 

The MHS musicians, led by Band Director John Kibler, were hosted in March at Bandrika Studios in Tarzana. 

After just a few months of rehearsal, amid school assignments and playing for the MHS production of “Mean Girls,” the teens pulled off an unbelievable performance of the jazz fusion classic “Spain” by Chick Corea in what Kibler called “a totally professional style recording session.” 

Kibler, a professional musician and band teacher at MHS since 2018, said this was one of the best learning experiences for the young musicians. “This is something you’ll find yourself in if you become a musician if you’re interested,” he said.

The MHS recording session was set up just like a professional booking. Every musician had their own microphone and headphones. The band’s drummer was isolated in another room as is standard practice. 

“The equipment and everything was totally top-notch, super-pro,” Kibler noted. “I think having each kid with a mic in front of them ups their concentration, focus, and level of playing. It really turned out well, and they got to see it all come together. We put in the work rehearsing the song, but then we did a few takes, took a break, did some over-dubbing where we layered some other sounds on top of what we previously recorded, and it was really fun to see the whole process come together.”

The students then were allowed into the control room to see first-hand computers and recording equipment that the engineers used to record their piece. The kids were able to see and hear their work edited and the process of music production. 

“The beginning is from take one, the ending from take four,” Kibler explained. “Music production is not just performance. It (a studio experience) exposes them to all these different career paths in music. You don’t just have to play an instrument. You can be a recording engineer or an editor.”

Amar Taha a 17-year-old trumpet player raved about the experience. The MHS senior said, “Recording in a professional studio was an amazing experience. I felt like a professional musician. For example, noticing all the high-tech equipment, observing the professionalism of the producers, and doing multiple takes of our song Spain by Chick Corea (arranged by Paul Murtha). 

Bandrika is certainly an experience I won’t forget.”

Lulu Goode, 16, a sophomore flutist, said, “The band trip to Bandrika was an amazing experience. Actually recording the song was so cool, recording and re-recording different pieces of the song was a new and super great experience. We also got to learn about and see super cool instruments, and that is something that I will never forget.” 

One of the most unusual instruments the group heard was the studio’s undoubted gem, a 1928 Wurlitzer organ. The nearly 100-year-old instrument is not only rare, it has 1,366 pipes and a host of percussion instruments, all triggered from its console. The organ, that was commissioned by Fox Studios, can be heard in hundreds of movies from the silent era through its residence at Fox until 1997. The Bandrika Studios was built around the massive instrument. 

Parent and trip sponsor Evyen Klean, whose son plays keyboards in the band, called Bandrika a “musical museum of super cool instruments.” He called the trip “fantastic.” Kibler described the studio and experience with the students as “super cool and amazing.”

But the real amazing part was the talented young musicians. Kibler applauded his musicians, saying, “This year we have one of the best bands we’ve had since I’ve been here. It’s so supportive and positive this year with everything we do. We’ve been doing a lot more projects, and everybody’s so enthusiastic. They keep each other in check. It operates like a community and democracy when deciding what to play. We talk about it. I’m super excited with this high school group and their level of playing the,ir ability to meet challenges, and their enthusiasm for new things. It’s really great.”

To see and hear the kids’ amazing performance, visit drive.google.com/file/d/1lef-dAP95dQnI9q14nyvbnRCRH3qJOsc/view?usp=drivesdk

Mayor Steve Uhring was disappointed that Planning Director Richard Mollica was absent from the meeting   

The Malibu City Council received a large turnout at Monday night’s meeting. Nearly 40 speakers took the stand to oppose the construction of the Malibu Inn Motel project, a development that was approved by the Planning Commission in June 2023. 

Mayor Steve Uhring said the city received nearly 88 letters before the meeting.  

“I tried to read all of those and most of those were in opposition,” he said. 

Uhring expressed displeasure to not see Planning Director Richard Mollica at the meeting to answer questions.

“I thought this was going to be a complicated issue, a lot of decisions have been made, and I thought that having him here to sort of defend those decisions would’ve been a good move. That didn’t happen,” he said. 

Before the item was addressed, the council presented Public Safety Director Susan Dueñas with a city tile for seven years of service to the City of Malibu. 

“Public safety and fire, when I have conversations with the resident’s those are the two issues that come up the most, and you have done an excellent job at addressing both of those, so I thank you,” Uhring said to Dueñas.

Dueñas thanked her staff for the support and various public safety organizations who volunteer. 

“I’m proud to be a part of the community working to make Malibu safe,” she said.

Knowing that Item 4.a was going to take a while to address, the council moved the Zuma Foundation Inc. Road Race Agreement to the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 28.

Assistant Planning Director Adrian Fernandez presented the report. 

Councilmember Bruce Silverstein presented his findings and asked Fernandez questions about the development, such as the slopes, the bluffs and who helped write the report. 

“I also learned that it’s important to protect the bluffs not only because they can damage property when they collapse but also because they need to be able to deteriorate naturally over time in order to replenish the beaches,” Silverstein said. 

After a brief break, the council moved on to speakers and Uhring said he received nearly 40 speaker slips on this item. 

One parent has children who attend Gan Malibu Preschool, which is located above the proposed development, and said the construction would impact the kids during school hours. 

“To me, this is a hotel,” Mayor Pro Tem Doug Stewart said. “You’ve gone to great lengths to put ‘motel’ on every document in here, but when you look at the uses of it, a motel is basically 20 rooms, 20 cars, and that’s it. You may have some vending machines, but this is a hotel.”

Councilmember Marianne Riggins was in support of the project. 

“A motel is something that we need in our community; we don’t need any more restaurants, we don’t need another office building, we don’t need unnecessary retail space,” Riggins said. “What we should be doing as a community is coming up with ways to have projects that are designed [to] not only meet the private property owners’ right to develop their property as it is zoned with what is necessary for the community.” 

Environmental Sustainability Director Yolanda Bundy said the project has not been reviewed.

“We haven’t done a grading review, we haven’t done a structural review,” she said. “The graphics that you see and the renderings that you see, were designed by the architect, it has never been through the building and safety, or building code, so the possibility of these structural elements being different are very high.” 

After about two hours of speakers expressing their concerns with the parking, slopes, and traffic, the council approved the appeal and denied the project. 

After the meeting, Malibu Township Council and Public Works Chair Jo Drummond provided a statement about the meeting. 

“Tonight was a victory for the residents of Malibu,” she said. “Malibu Township Council (MTC), concerned citizens, and four of five City Councilmembers all came together to defeat a proposed hotel development that was strongly at odds with our city’s mission, vision, and general plan. 

“The proposal contained multiple unacceptable variances designed to benefit the developer, not our citizens. We are grateful for the many passionate and knowledgeable fellow residents who wrote and came to speak before council. Our city is a better place because of it.”

’21 Miles in Malibu’ screening and discussion event starts ongoing conversation about the perils of PCH

By Barbara Burke 

Special to The Malibu Times

Safe on PCH, a Malibu nonprofit organization, presented the “21 Miles in Malibu” screening and discussion at Malibu High School Theater on May 1. The event was hosted by the MHS and Malibu Middle School Parent Teacher Association, Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District, and the Malibu Association of Realtors.

MHS Principal Patrick Miller began the meeting by lamenting the long, tragic history of all-too-frequent accidents on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. 

“Over the past 17 years I’ve worked at MHS, accidents on PCH have hit too close to home and too often,” Miller said. “From the time when a former MHS student and a current MHS student hit and killed a grandmother of MHS students, to other accidents involving MHS students, incidents involving PCH are too frequent.” 

Miller recounted that after Emily Shane, 13, a MMS seventh-grader, was tragically murdered in 2013 by a wild and irresponsible driver who was excessively speeding on PCH, the Shane family has stayed involved in MHS and MMS.

“Ellen and Michel Shane and their family have shown the school kindness and good deeds,” Miller said.  “They support creative writing at MMS promotion every year.” 

The family also supports the wider community with their Emily Shane Foundation, which provides tutoring to middle school children who otherwise could not afford to receive such support, Miller noted.

“After Emily Shane’s death, parents and community members organized Safer PCH, a grassroots nonprofit effort that has accomplished some changes, most notably, the relocation of a bus stop and a new turn lane at Morning View and PCH,” Miller said. “However, the most important change we need to address as we strive to solve the safety issues on PCH is to change human behavior.” 

The screening of “21 Miles of Malibu,” produced by Michel Shane, was part of the inaugural Be Safe on PCH Week for teenagers at MMS and MHS, according to PTSA President Kevin Keegan. 

“The week was an outcome of the effort of the Malibu PTSA which made school safety a priority this year, with a boost from the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department which has prioritized school safety in 2024, as well as from Supervisor [Lindsey] Horvath’s efforts to support the city with PCH safety improvements.” Keegan said. “Because of the subject matter, we recommended parental discretion and for students watching it to be older than 16 to attend the screening.” MHS freshmen watched the documentary film in special classes with teacher facilitation, he added. 

“The focus of the screening is on education,” Keegan added. “We sought to ensure that the experience is impactful and highlights lessons that parents and students can take away.

“Our new Schools Safety Committee knows that what happens on one of our local campuses affects all school campuses in Malibu, and that is why we felt it was so important to include Bridget Thompson, a Pepperdine student — hearing her perspectives regarding PCH issues since the tragic event on PCH in October was important.”

For its part, the Malibu Association of Realtors helped support the event because its members seek to foster efforts to make Malibu safer.

“The idea to sponsor this event was conceived in one of our board meetings because we have the utmost concern for the safety of our students and of our community,” Susan Manners, executive director of MAR, said. “Kelly Pessis, MAR’s strategic planning and membership director, carried the ball and made it all happen!”

A life-and-death conversation: The PCH hazards statistics astound 

“21 Miles in Malibu” is difficult to watch as it includes intense PCH accident scenes and heart-wrenching interviews of those grieving lives tragically lost on the PCH, including the daughter of the movie’s producer, Michel Shane. The movie is a must-see for parents of teens beginning to drive on the PCH and in the canyons in the Santa Monica Mountains, event organizers emphasized. The movie is also a traffic safety conversation starter that is so necessary in Malibu, as discussed by the panelists speaking after the screening and attendees alike.

Lindsey Horvath, the Los Angeles County Supervisor who represents Malibu, moderated the discussion between panelists Sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Seetoo, California Highway Patrol Lt. Matthew Zane, Cognitive-Behavioral Specialist Robert Cohen, Safety advocate and movie producer Michel Shane, and Bridget Thompson, the roommate of the four Pepperdine students who tragically lost their lives on PCH last Fall.

“Forty-three percent of first-year drivers nationwide are involved in an accident, and 37 percent of second year drivers are involved in an accident,” Cohen stated. “The number one cause of death for teens aged 13 to 19 is motor vehicle accidents and what is needed most is a change in driving behavior — everyone needs to slow down!” 

A consummate bottom-liner with a “we will get this thing done ASAP” approach to addressing challenges in Malibu, Seetoo leveled with the parents in the audience.

“Parents — we need your help!” Seeto stated emphatically. “There is an app to monitor how fast your kids are driving — please get and use that app! Further, kids’ brains are not fully developed until they are about 26 years old — please, please don’t give your kids a sports car that can speed at 100 miles an hour and, in some cases, even up to 200 miles per hour! Finally, pull your child’s license if they speed.”

When Horvath asked him what advice he would give to parents and kids who are beginning drivers, a somber Shane responded, “Parents, you never want to walk in my shoes — the loss of a child never goes away.”

Shane continued, “Teenagers, think about the people who love you and who will survive you if you have a terrible accident — how would they feel?”

The flawed litmus test for changing dangerous road designs causing PCH fatalities 

The most startling thing discussed at the meeting — indeed, a thing that audience members and panelists found totally appalling and unacceptable — was when Duffy Marcellino, the bereaved older sister of Terry Marcellino, 52, who was tragically killed in 2012 on PCH by Vista Point in Ventura County near Pt. Mugu State Park, spoke. 

“My sister was killed when a distracted woman who had passed by Leo Carillo made an illegal turn and killed Terry — my sister never stood a chance,” Duffy said. “We have advocated for delineators to be installed in the area where the tragedy happened, as they prohibit turns when they are installed.”

Mustering strength and fighting through her fury, Duffy said, “However, we’ve been told that a total of three deaths — my sister’s and two subsequent deaths at that part of the highway are ‘not enough’ to justify installation of the delineators!”

A totally silent, stunned audience gasped en masse. An overwhelmed and appalled Horvath said, “That a certain number of deaths is used as the litmus test for installing a life-saving measure is totally unacceptable — contact my office immediately and we will help to address the problem ASAP!”   

Despite the somber and overwhelming statistics about PCH fatalities attributable to speeding and excessive traffic, panelists nevertheless found grounds to make steps to address the PCH safety issues.

Shane noted that he thinks that real, measurable changes can be made with regard to the speeding problems.

“If we address excessive speeding on PCH in the same way that we attacked drunk driving a few years ago and in the same way that we informed citizens about the dangers of smoking, we can help people change their speeding behaviors,” Shane said. 

Seetoo focused on efforts in Sacramento to pass a law allowing Malibu to install speed cameras along PCH.

“The governor has heard you in the public,” She said. “I need you to contact your elected representatives to demand a safer PCH.” 

Seetoo explained that there are two pending laws that would help greatly — one is to allow speed cameras in Malibu and the other significantly increases penalties for excessive speeding.

Zane noted that CHP is aggressively ticketing speeders and, when appropriate, officers can impound vehicles that belong to speeders. 

“We need the public’s help,” Seetoo noted, adding that when residents observe excessive speeding, they should call 911 directly and for less excessive speeding infractions, they should call the Lost Hills Station at (818) 878-1808.

“If any residents want to serve as volunteer officers, please contact my office.” Seetoo added, noting that an all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to monitor speeding and erratic driving on PCH as the summer tourist season begins.

Malibu Times chatted with panelists as attendees dispersed. Malibu Mayor Pro Tem Doug Stewart expressed optimism for the passage of the bill proposing speed cameras on Malibu’s segment of PCH.

“The speed camera bill, SB 1297, advanced out of the transportation committee and now goes to the appropriations committee on May 16.” Stewart said. “We are hopeful the committee will also pass it, especially because there are no state appropriations needed to fund the cameras as the City of Malibu is paying the entire cost.”  

Seetoo emphatically said, “Give me technology to help solve this problem! Speed cameras can help officers enforce the speed limits!” 

With Malibu High School graduation approaching, Manners stated, “As realtors, we in MAR are deeply concerned for the safety of students and the community, so we find ways to promote safety however we can, including sponsoring Malibu High’s Grad Night which allows our students to celebrate graduating in a safe and sober way.”   

Be Safe on PCH Week will be an annual event sponsored by the PTSA and that organization will support and offer advice to Michel Shane and his company, Shane Gang Pictures, to assist with its educational initiatives, Keegan said. 

“The event was an extremely well-balanced, informative and impassioned discussion by all participants and the community,” audience member Kelly Pessis said. 

Other attendees vowed to doggedly persevere in their efforts to improve highway and canyon road safety in and near Malibu.  

“Stay alert! Talk and text later!” said Merrill May, a stalwart and unrelenting champion of efforts to address speeding. “Get home safely!”