Legitimate Theater: Bring It On:: The Musical (2012)

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

With September officially here, it's the time when students are heading back to school. Part of the school tradition is sports and cheerleading. It's why Bring It On has been an essential film for decades and spanned a few inferior sequels. Still, nobody expected it to become a Broadway musical full of backflips and cheers. When it finally came true, it featured a rather unexpected team in Tom Kitt and future Hamilton scribe Lin-Manuel Miranda. What could they possibly bring to the high school experience full of petty girls trying to be at the top of the tower? As the Best Musical nomination would suggest, there's quite a bit that could be achieved. All it takes is a cheer-ocracy and some pep in your step.

A Quick Background

Tony Nominations: 2 (including Best Musical)

Based on: Bring It On (2000)

Music: Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lyrics: Amanda Green, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Book: Jeff Whitty

Prominent Actors:  Taylor Louderman, Adrienne Warren, Elle McLemore, Jason Gotay

Soundtrack

1. "Overture"
2. "What I Was Born to Do"
3. "Tryouts"
4. "One Perfect Moment"
5. "Welcome to Jackson"
6. "Do Your Own Thing"
7. "We Ain't No Cheerleaders"
8. "Friday Night, Jackson"
9. "Something Isn't Right Here"
10. "Bring It On"
11. "It's All Happening"
12. "Better"
13. "It Ain't No Thing"
14. "Enjoy the Trip"
15. "Killer Instinct"
16. "We're Not Done"
17. "Legendary"
18. "Eva's Rant"
19. "Cross the Line"
20. "I Got You"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:
"What I Was Born to Do"

As a cheerleading story goes, it makes sense to open with a song that feels like you're dropped right into the world of high school. There's so much passion as each character is introduced with their own catchy melody. They are all cheerleaders discussing why they are passionate to sign up and become a figure of support for their local teams. It's a fun number and one that sets things off on the right foot. For those who recognize Lin-Manuel Miranda's melodies from In the Heights, they come up consistently throughout the album. They appear here in small doses, and it captures the excellent emotion we've come to expect from him.

Carryovers

There's not exactly a whole lot that comes through in this musical from the film. If there's anything, it's mostly the story. It's about cheerleaders trying to navigate the school with their cheer-ocracy and keep their status as the best team in town. There's a lot of focus on the central characters that give depth to their personal struggles and love life as they go about a school year. It's not too complex of a story, but there's plenty of heart here to make up for it.

High Point:

"Friday Night, Jackson"

If the Miranda influence wasn't clear yet, here's where things start kicking into gear. With everyone getting ready for the big game, the ensemble singing has an aggression that works to the song's favor. The cheer vocals are especially fun, but the rest have a hokey charm in their ability to sound excited to be part of Jackson High. If nothing else, it's a song that is meant to get the audience pumped for what comes next. Considering how much of the show is left, it's safe to say that they do an incredible job of making something as simple as a high school football game feel like the most important thing in the world. 

Low Point:

"Tryouts"

In fairness, this is among the shorter songs on the album and thus don't have enough time to resonate. Still, it's a song that exists solely to set up the tryouts, which are likely more exciting than what this song has to offer. It does the trick and fills enough of the plot into the story. It's just that in a soundtrack that is full of memorable moments, it's hard to pick a low point without feeling a bit bad. It's good, but there's clearly better work here. 

What Does It Bring to the Story?

The majority of it is an update on the Bring It On mythology. Among the highlights is the feeling that every character has an expanded story, allowing each song to have a deeper pathos and the final dance competition have a deeper meaning. Another aspect that doesn't work as well as the reliance on contemporary slang as well as references (is the Bristol Palin one going to age well?). While it helps to capture the feeling of being in a high school in a way that has a unique power, it doesn't quite have the timeless impact that it could've had with less specific reference points that have aged the show in just a few years.

Was This Necessary?

Yes

This is essentially what it sounds like if Lin-Manuel Miranda had his hand at writing Bring It On but had to use the melodies of High School Musical. It's peppy and inoffensive in a way that works. The ensemble numbers reflect his strength as a songwriter, even if this is the weakest project he's been involved with. Still, he manages to make a musical that promises to feature some great cheerleading dances with songs that thankfully are enjoyable enough to make them work. There's not exactly too many standouts on this, but there's enough to keep the crowd invested. For a movie about how great cheerleading is, the music here does a good job of capturing that. If nothing else, it already has been featured in the movie Eighth Grade and that proves that someone out there loved it.