Nov. 2 -- BEMIDJI -- Noting issues that affect everyday high school students, Lelah Kiehne and Isabel Neal hope to spread an important message once they hit the stage with "Mean Girls."

the musical adaptation based on the hit movie by Tina Fey tells the story of Cady Heron, a girl raised in Africa by research zoologists, who has to learn the hard way about the cutthroat social hierarchy of high school when she moves to suburban Illinois.

As she navigates the tricky world of popularity, friendship and self-identity, Cady faces off against "The Plastics" and learns that being true to yourself is the ultimate victory.

Kiehne, who plays Cady, hopes the familiarity of the story will draw the public to the BHS auditorium when the show debuts Thursday, Nov. 7.

"Some people may not have gone to many theater performances before," Kiehne said. "A show like this, with an interesting storyline that a lot of people recognize, is a fun way for people to get introduced to musical theater."

Similar to last year's production, "The Little Mermaid,"

this year's show was chosen by the student body from a list of potential options.

"Last year was the first year that we allowed the students to nominate and vote on the show that they were going to do. This year, we did the exact same thing and 'Mean Girls' blew everything away," Director Jeremiah Liend said. "We really want to capitalize on that interest, that motivation and that enthusiasm and give the students ownership over their own program."

For Liend, "Mean Girls" is a sidestep from his typical directorial pursuits.

"I would not typically select 'Mean Girls' as a show (to direct)," Liend said, "but there's a bunch of really fun musical pieces in it and the message is really interesting."

Neal, who plays Regina George, added that the themes in the show parallel what many students experience on a daily basis.

"Although the show is funny and lighthearted, it does touch a lot on bullying and how that can affect people, and how people can fold under the pressure of societal standards," Neal mentioned. "It's a very important message that we are putting out there."

Next week's performances will be a culmination of work from around 17 cast members, 17 pit crew members and 12 other crew members since the beginning of the school year. Spending five days a week with their theater family has reinstilled a love of the art for Neal and Kiehne as the pair has participated in previous BHS productions.

"Being able to hang out with these people and make music together, it's a lot of fun," Kiehne said. "The cast is great to be around and I've gotten a lot closer to a lot of people. Anything music -- plus my friends -- is a great mix."

"I love surrounding myself with other people who are interested in music and performing," Neil added. "It's just really exciting to be a part of a big production like this."

As the performances approach, Liend emphasized his excitement for the public to see the show and appreciate the work that went into it.

"Having an audience in the house appreciating (the show) reminds you of the fact that this is a fun, happy occasion," he left off. "People are really going to enjoy this."