Bring it On: The Musical

Fans of the 2000 film of the same name will be disappointed to know that this musical version is not a direct adaptation of the Kirsten Dunst movie that spawned several sequels, though it might as well be.

The program credits an "inspired by the film" blurb. "Bring It On: The Musical" follows the same formula that takes cheerleading into the world of extreme sports. Campbell (Taylor Louderman) is the head cheerleader at Truman High and she's ready to lead her squad to another victory at Nationals. She's so confident of their win that she takes a lesser cheerleader named Eva (Elle McLemore) under her wing and mentors her. A series of unfortunate events causes Campbell to be re-districted to another high school in the poor side of the city.

Now, Campbell must befriend the dance crew at that school led by Danielle (Adreinne Warren), Nautica (Ariana DeBoise), and the transgendered La Cienega (Gregory Haney.) Campbell is sure that there's an evil scheme to ruin her life, and the rest of the musical revolves around finding the underlying cause of it all. Along the way, she experiences love, friendship, and a new squad to compete against her old school.

To say that "Bring It On The Musical" contains any deep meaning is to look for something that isn't there. The paper-thin plot exists solely to get from one musical number to the next. This PC musical addresses issues of body image and very briefly taps into the gay/transgender hot button. The book, by "Avenue Q" librettist Jeff Whitty contains none of the wit and comedy that won him the Tony award for Best Book of a Musical in 2004.

The music by "Next to Normal's" Tom Kitt and "In The Heights" Lin-Manuel Miranda is forgettable. It's in the lyrics that the musical shows some promise, but again, it's pulled apart by a creative team clearly not headed in the same direction. At times "Bring it On: The Musical" leans towards being a very serious musical and at times it's playful and almost a parody of the whole thing (which I think it really should be for it to work.)

Still, it's hard not to like a musical when you have an energetic and talented cast sweating and dancing on stage each night the way this cast does. Where the musical works perfectly is in the finely-tune and awe inspiring choreography.

"Bring It On: The Musical" is clearly geared towards the casual theatergoer and to families (despite some PG-rated language.) The broad appeal translates to healthy ticket sales and for that reason alone, at least, the team has brought it.