The truth about Cameron Dallas’ role in Mean Girls on Broadway
The house is packed, the ovation is standing, but the reviews are scathing. Why is it that there is such a visceral reaction to Cameron Dallas’ turn in Tina Fey’s stage adaptation of Mean Girls as romantic lead Aaron Samuels? Is the runway model-turned Broadway star being too harshly treated by the critics online, or is this another damning indictment of the dreaded ‘stunt casting’ that has plagued struggling productions for years? The answer, it seems, requires a deep look into Broadway’s fan culture, and the rise of the ‘social media influencer’ phenomenon.
When the original Aaron, the beloved by fans Kyle Selig opted to take a leave of absence from the show, it was announced that Mean Girls would introduce Netflix star Cameron Dallas to take over the mantle for a brief four-week run. The decision proved unpopular with hardcore fans of the New York theater community, but also saw a huge response from fans of the Chasing Cameron heart-throb. He’s far and away the most famous member of the cast, with more followers on Instagram or Twitter alone than the entire ensemble put together multiple times over. His announcement on Instagram garnered almost as many likes (241k+) as the official Mean Girls on Broadway account has followers altogether (247k+).
