REVIEW: BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL

I'm not the biggest fan of most musicals. Nor am I drawn to cheerleaders, Glee, or anything else with a fresh-faced cast singing their hearts out to corny show tunes. But I got a free ticket to see Bring It On The Musical and absolutely worshipped it! I'd never seen the movies and am usually skeptical of movies made into musicals anyway. But a winner is a winner and I couldn't help but fall in love with this fast-moving, clever romp. And a little ashamed to admit that I cried at one point! Plenty of laughs, too. I lost it with my hands in the air when one particularly competitive schoolgirl goes psycho and lip synchs to a low demon's voice a la The Exorcist. Those little divas worked it and there's even a drag queen character named La Cienega. 

Basically, a pretty, white cheerleader type gets redistricted to a scary (ie ethnic) school. And OMG! It's right as she is voted to take over as her school's cheer captain! Campbell only knows one person at her new school--the heavy, nerdy misfit from her old school who thanks to her big booty, is now a hit with the boys while Miss Perfect is now the social outcast. And in the end, the lesson is that winning isn't all that important if you have to step on people. Never afraid to poke fun at itself, the most clueless blonde bimbo/bitch announces at the end that while there's been a lot of life-changing experiences going on, she always has and still does like herself very much. This show is closing soon and I'd say DO NOT MISS IT! It isn't every day that I find myself cheering with a room full of teenage girls but this show has a much broader appeal than even it's own website's videos convey. Many stand-out singers, dancers and rappers. Jesus--I think some of their youthful exuberance may have rubbed off on me! Nope, that was a hot flash. Only through 12/30. An amazing, well-honed cast and I am literally writing Adrienne Warren a fan letter! I mean I'm tweeting her. Of course us kids don't write actual letters anymore. See you in class after the holidays!