Bring It On: The Musical has just opened at the St. James Theater at the start of this month. The production’s plot will follow the same formula as the movie’s storyline, but this time around fans will be invited to slip into the world of a “cheerleading whiz” by the name of Campbell (played by actress Taylor Louderman) who finds herself the new student at a school without a cheerleading squad.
Something director and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler can relate to. Now 42-years old, the helmer of the production attended an all boy’s school in Cincinnati where his school, for obvious reasons in those days, did not have a cheerleading squad. “I went to an all-boys’ high school in Cincinnati. We didn’t even have a cheerleading squad,” he shared.
Talking to USA Today, Blankenbuehler shared some inside details behind the production, the musical’s premise, and what it was like for him to bring the production to the stage.
“She ends up cheerleading again,” the helmer of In The Heights shared. “But she learns that life takes you on a circuitous journey and that what’s most important is to enjoy that journey and appreciate friendship.” In order to bring the world of competitive cheerleading to the stage in a believable and entertaining way, Blankenbuehler enlisted the help of Jessica Colombo, a 27-year-old “cheer consultant”.
“My job was to teach the singers and dancers and actors how to do the stunts safely and correctly, and to make them look like cheerleaders. Because how you move is very different than it is in the dance world,” Colombo stated. Together the two have brought Bring It On: The Musical to life on stage in a production that has been deemed both entertaining and amazing.
