Chatting with "Mean Girls" Star Kyle Selig!

Kevin Ray Johnson

Meet Kyle Selig!

Kyle is currently playing the role of the Aaron Samuels in "Mean Girls" on Broadway which has been nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best New Musical. "Mean Girls" is based on the 2004 film written by Tina Fey (who also went on to write the book for the Broadway show which earned her a Tony Nomination). The movie made $129 million at the box office, and since its official opening, the film has developed a strong cult following around the world. So bringing this to the Broadway stage was a very smart and inevitable move.

Kyle Selig

Kyle had nothing but glowing reviews about his time working with the amazing Tina Fey, “In short, Awesome! I have admired her so much for who she is personally, as well as who she is as an artist," says Selig. "Tina Fey is far and away the most famous person I know personally, and yet in moment to moment interactions, she would never show it. She’s just as ready to be silly as anyone else.”

Mr. Selig has also been seen on Broadway in "The Book of Mormon" as Elder Price, but his journey as a performer and realizing his passion started at a very young age. “I had several moments knowing I wanted to perform," he said. "The first was when I saw my older sister in her first play.  But that was mostly because I did whatever activity she did because I thought she was cool. That’s how I ended up figure skating for a season.”

Kyle also attended a Musical Theater Summer Intensive at CAP 21 where he had a teacher who sat him down and told him that if he wanted to pursue acting seriously, he had the potential but that he had to decide if that’s what he wanted. 

But it wasn’t always an easy journey for Kyle. After being fired from one of his first big jobs, he truly questioned if a career in acting was really what he wanted. But good news for all of us, It is. “I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else. I’m in it for the long haul,” says Selig.

The one thing that I really LOVED about "Mean girls" was that every artist brought their own original flavor to the show and the roles they are playing. That was just so refreshing. Even though I, like many other people, know the story, it felt like I was seeing something new, not just a carbon copy of the film on stage. So I was really curious about his process in creating the role and the rehearsal and creative process as a whole.

He stated, “We took Tina’s lead on this one. It’s been a while since the movie was made and our world has changed a lot. There were things that demanded updates and the characters were no exception.” He also stated that he watched the film once early in the process to remember what was already established about Aaron Samuels and then he left it. “I trusted Tina’s writing, and with that in place, we were able to take Aaron Samuel’s even further than the movie did."

When you perform on the stage, your journey can take you places that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart. I asked Kyle if there have been any shows or roles that he’ll always remember and he said “Being in the "The Book of Mormon" taught me so many things on how to be good company member. It showed me that this is a job about community and the friends I made there are lifelong. Casey Nicholaw is one smart dude who knows his stuff.”

Kyle Selig (Aaron Samuels) and Erika Henningsen (Cady Heron) in "Mean Girls." (Joan Marcus)

He also highlighted his time in "October Sky", which was inspired by the (1999 Film) “That was a dream job for me. I’ve never been entrusted with so much freedom to create as I was in that show.”

We all have those special teachers and mentors who help us grow to be the artists we are today. “I was always lucky in teachers," remembers Selig. "Tim Nelson, from the Academy for the Performing Arts in Huntington Beach, CA, treated me more as a collaborator than a student. Benjamin Mathes, also in CA, taught me about being an artist, and the responsibility that comes with it, and Bill Daugherty told me I could do it and set me on a path to learn how.”

Kyle Selig has three easy rules for any young performers wanting to make it in the business:

“1.) Find a group of people who are just as crazy about your art as you are and stick with them. You’ll challenge each other and make cool stuff. 2.) Do something for your art every single day and 3.) Read everything. It teaches you how to be a person.”  

I definitely recommend this show. It is truly a breath of fresh air and a fun time. Kyle Selig and the entire cast bring a performance that you will remember for a very long time. This is the most "Fetch" show on Broadway today (Fetch is like slang from England in case you didn’t know). 

For more information on the Broadway production of Mean Girls visit –www.meangirlsonbroadway.com You can also follow Kyle on Twitter @kyleaselig