The Broadway engagement is the culmination of the national tour of Bring It On, which launched in Los Angeles in fall 2011. It began Broadway previews July 12 at the St. James Theatre and officially opened Aug. 1. Performances were originally scheduled through Oct. 7, but producers announced an initial extension through Jan. 30, 2013. The extension was then curtailed to Dec. 30. It played 21 previews and 173 regular performances.
The musical has been picked up for licensing by Music Theatre International. A future for Bring It On has not been confirmed, but a release regarding licensing rights for the musical indicated that a 2013-14 tour was in the works.
Jeff Whitty, the Tony-winning book writer of Avenue Q, authored the original book for the musical, which is anchored in the world of competitive high school cheerleading. The Broadway production charges the action with an "All About Eve" spin.
Whitty also subtly introduced Broadway audiences to their first transgendered high school student with Bring It On. Read Playbill.com's interview with Whitty and actor Gregory Haney, who plays La Cienega.
Bring It On has music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), music by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and lyrics by Kitt's High Fidelity collaborator Amanda Green. All three collaborated on the score for the tuner. Ghostlight Records released the Broadway cast album in October. Tony-winning In the Heights choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler directs and choreographs the musical, which has musical supervision by Tony Award winner Alex Lacamoire.
Read Playbill's feature with the three songwriters.
photo by Craig Schwartz |
The ensemble includes Calli Alden, Nikki Bohne, Dexter Carr, Shonica Gooden, Haley Hannah, Rod Harrelson, Casey Jamerson, Dominique Johnson, Michael Mindlin, Adrianna Parson and Bettis Richardson.
Competitive cheerleaders, who provide Bring It On with its energetic stunts, are Antwan Bethea, Danielle Carlacci, Michael Naone-Carter, Courtney Corbeille, Dahlston Delgado, Brooklyn Freitag, Melody Mills, David Ranck, Billie Sue Roe, Sheldon Tucker and Lauren Whitt.
The musical also boasted a record 32 Broadway debuts for its young cast members. Check out the Playbill.com feature on Broadway's new kids on the block.
Bring It On has scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Andrea Lauer, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by Brian Ronan, video design by Jeff Sugg and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe.
The stage production was produced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions/Glenn Ross, Beacon Communications/Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons, and Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson. Beacon and Universal also produced the "Bring It On" films.
Here's how producers bill the work: "In Bring It On: The Musical, the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading is intertwined with cutthroat high school politics to tell the story of Campbell, the heir apparent to the head cheerleader at Truman High School. Campbell is at the top of the cheerleader pyramid and she has it all — a strong squad, a doting boyfriend and a straight path to the national championships. Her entire life has been dedicated to honing routines and staying within the strict rules and guidelines, but when a surprise letter arrives, Campbell's world is thrown upside down."
For tickets visit Telecharge.com or phone (212-239-6200). Visit bringitonmusical.com.
Here's a look at the show: