Show History

History

Inspiration

Bring It On, with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a book by Jeff Whitty, is loosely based on the 2000 film, Bring It On. Whitty, the Tony-winning book writer of Avenue Q, decided to take the film's concept of competitive high school cheerleading and create an entirely new story. Instead of focusing on the movie's plot of one school stealing another's cheers, the musical centers around the main character being transferred to an inner-city school and attempting to fit in with its cheerleading community. Kitt and Green, who had previously worked together on the musical, High Fidelity, collaborated with the Tony-winning Miranda to create a score that is heavily influenced by contemporary music and rap.

Productions

Bring It On The Musical premiered in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Alliance Theatre on January 15, 2011. The production was directed and choreographed by Tony winner, Andy Blankenbuehler, and featured performances from cheerleaders across the country. After the show closed on February 20, a national tour started up at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in November. It ran until June 2, 2012, traveling everywhere from San Francisco to Toronto.

The musical premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on August 1, 2012, in a limited engagement until December 30 of the same year. The tour cast came back together to perform for the short run. A Non-Equity tour launched in New Haven, Connecticut, on January 16, 2014.

Cultural Influence

  • Bring It On was the first major musical to have the choreography focus on gymnastics. As a result, it has been highly praised for its new style of stage movement.
  • The Broadway cast of Bring It On has performed on shows and at events like "The Today Show," "America's Got Talent" and the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Trivia

  • The Broadway production of Bring It On was nominated for two Tony Awards (Best Musical and Best Choreography) and five Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Director of a Musical and Outstanding Choreography) in 2013.
  • Bring It On has served as the Broadway premiere for several significant young performers, including: Neil Haskell, Adrienne Warren and Elle McLemore.