'Bring it on' has brought it, then some

The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center has world premiered some of the most commercially successful musicals recently, including Sister Act: The Musical and The Color Purple.  However, when announced for the 2010-2011 season, Bring It On: The Musical, by its title alone, meets with considerable skepticism.  The original film version spawned a couplet of repeat, formulaic versions (both straight to DVD, if I recall accurately).  What on Earth could be anticipated from a musical version of the cheerleading frenzied films? And why on Earth at 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award Recipient the Alliance Theater's mainstage?

Brilliance, that's what.  'Cause it's fresh, chance-taking theatre, that's why.  Bring It On: The Musical brought my jaw to the floor.  I had no clue what to expect sitting at the first preview, but as I perused the playbill before the start of show, marked by a high school gym jumbo-tron countdown from the five minute marker, I got a little antsy, giddy actually.  The development of the work is overflowing with Tony, Pulitzer, and Grammy winners including Lin-Manual Miranda (In The Heights), Tom Kitts (Next to Normal), Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q); while directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler (In The Heights).  I'm expecting something seriously haulting to the senses at this point.  The clock hits zero, the audience claps in anticipation, and pure great theatre commences.

Blankenbuehler's choreography and direction, fusing hiphop, breaking and locking, and tumbling, among others, hits it hard with dancing on lockers at acute angles and, obviously, cheering routines.  The actors blended -well-enough- with professional/national award-winning cheerleading competitors was a smart move, taking the actual danger of human skyscraper building down a notch, I suspect, for the triple-threat leads (though they do brace the skies a few times).  The musical team is an obvious heavy-hitter, a blend of genres again with rhyming intermingled with beautiful pop belting from the leads.  A contemporary musical excursion takes place in this back and forth urban/suburban high school setting, fluidly adjusting the scenes with the jumbo-tron monitors and speedy, strong ensemble members.

More importantly, nothing feels forced, corny or any of the other questionable pre-show sentiments I felt about the film versions that can easily occur with content in the high school realm.  Don't expect the film versions at all, which is a welcomed surprise.  The language is right on and the multi-media staging and gripping lighting design make Bring It On highstakes for the audience.  Simply, Bring It On: The Musical feels good, breaking boundaries contextually with issues of race, gender, and sexuality, and it looks damn good too.  Susan V. Booth pretty much acts as a fortune-teller in her playbill address, questioning the audience reader, "How else do you explain the face splitting grin that I guarantee you're going to be wearing within 30 minutes of right now?"  I, like Booth, tell you to 'Bring it'.

Bring It On: The Musical runs January 15-February 20, 2011 at the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center.