This story originally appeared in the January, 2019 issue of 519 Magazine.

Cardinal Music Productions brought the house down in 2018 with a powerful production of Heathers: The Musical - a musical adoption of the film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The local production company is bringing the show back for another round from Jan 18 to 27.

It’s an unusual situation for a theatre group to bring back a successful production less than a year later.

“We were going to do Avenue Q in this time slot but rehearsal scheduling was proving to be a nightmare so we put that on hold,” director Joseph Cardinal told 519. “Since the theatre was already booked I wanted to use the dates and I thought Heathers would be a perfect fit.”

This show gives a new group of actors a chance to visit “The Candy Store”.

“Well for a start 75% of the cast is new so that keeps it fresh for all of us.,” Cardinal added. “As far as presentation goes regarding set, it will be very similar because that is how the author intended it to be. I was also able to spend more time developing characters this time around.”

Heathers: The Musical is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D.

When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass...but J.D. has another plan for that bullet.

“For me it’s still the reality of this occurring daily in schools all over the world,” Cardinal noted. “In one form or another we have all had similar experiences. The grass is not always greener elsewhere and you should be really careful what you wish for.

It clearly teaches you there is good and bad everywhere in the world and it’s up to us as individuals to make the proper choices because there are always consequences for our choices.”

Heathers: The Musical makes its Windsor return at The Green Room Theatre at E.J. Lajeunesse on Jan. 18 to 20 and 25 to 27.

Cardinal will be providing 200 free tickets for opening night to local charities, a gift he plans to continue to offer for all the company’s productions held at the school theatre.