Tiger Beat by Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin

Tiger Beat follows the Girls Next Door, a pop group rising to fame in 2003 pop music. As the band juggles choreography, awards shows, and crushes on teen heartthrobs, Asian American singer/songwriter Tess navigates her identity within the framework of the entertainment industry. This play with music ​is a coming of age story about pop stardom, questionable 2003 fashion choices, and finding one's identity through art.
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Tiger Beat

Recommended by

  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    11 Dec. 2022
    “ This play is about racism, sexism, artistic freedom, and feeling comfortable being yourself. It also has songs. And jokes. And a surprising ending that I didn't see coming. And despite the many heavy topics it deals with, "Tiger Beat" maintains a bubblegum pop lightness, which makes the betrayals and awful remarks cut deeper when they occur. It's a great play. ”
  • Maria I. Arreola:
    1 Jul. 2022
    “ Boy bands are so yesterday, y’all need to meet Girls Next Door!

    This play is laugh-out-loud funny… and a deep dive into the exploitative, oppressive nature of the music industry …. and an ode to early 2000s pop music. There is romance, there is drama (both organic and fabricated), and there are complicated familial relationships. This play has it all!
    ”
  • Maximillian Gill:
    31 Dec. 2021
    “ A fun and sharply written story with wonderful characters. Although a period piece, the portrayal of the exploitative nature of the music industry is still very much relevant. Tess, the heart of the story, is a particularly strong character, and her struggle to define herself in a frankly racist industry is very relatable and powerful. I particularly love the meta ending and the questioning of the very tropes employed in the play. ”
View all 7 recommendations

Character Information

4F, 2M

  • Vivian
    late 20s,
    Asian American
    Tess’s sister and manager. Asian American. Tough cookie.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Tess
    18ish,
    Asian American
    Asian American, opinionated, bright-eyed, optimistic. Usually in the background of GND. Singing role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Poppy
    18ish,
    White
    Second fiddle to Ashley in Girls Next Door, obsessed with chemistry, white. Singing role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Mr. Johansson et al
    30-60,
    White
    executive for the Network. White. Actor also plays Choreographer, Reporter(s), Emcee et al
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Mr. Johansson et al
    30-60,
    White
    executive for the Network. White. Actor also plays Choreographer, Reporter(s), Emcee et al
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • JP
    18ish,
    White
    the biggest male pop star to get a start on the Network. White. Singing role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Ashley
    18ish,
    White
    Lead singer of Girls Next Door. White with a deep spray tan. Queer. Singing role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Indiana University
    ,
    2019

Production History

  • University
    ,
    Indiana University
    ,
    2020