Bring It On - The Musical

WAAPA's annual showcase musical, featuring Musical Theatre Students, and involving many WAAPA departments, is an eagerly anticipated event.

Bring It On has attracted a diverse audience, including fans of the film, theatre first-timers and musical theatre obsessives, and there is a noticeable buzz around town. A challenging show for a student cast as it demands complex cheer choreography, as well as street dance. The songs in Bring It On are not, for the most part, particularly memorable (despite music by Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda with lyrics by Tom Kitt and Miranda), but they are very challenging.

Hannah Burridge is ideally cast as blonde cheerleader, Campbell. She handles the central role well and gives an excellent, honest portrayal. Excellent counter-performances come from the cheer-squad at Truman High - Queen Bee Skylar, played with expert flounce by Rebecca Cullinan, her offsider Kylar (a well measured Marissa Economo) and picture-perfect boyfriend Joshua Firman. New to the squad, Eva is expertly played Christina Odam as a sweetheart with a secret.

Redistricting sends Campbell and the gloriously awkward Bridget (a gorgeous performance by Stefanie Caccamo), to the less-than-desirable Jackson High, where they try to gain acceptance with alpha-girl Danielle (a brilliantly sassy Melissa Russo) and girlfriends La Cienega (a fabulous Hayden Baum)  and Nautica (an ultra-cool Stephanie Wall). Jason Arrow is likeable as romantic interest Randall. The remaining small roles are nicely filled by graduating students, with the Truman and Jackson Cheer Squads tightly played by Second Year Music Theatre Students.

Steve Nolan's slick set design is up-to-the-minute, accessible and fun and allows for some clever surprises. It is nicely teamed with Mark Howett's dynamic lighting design.

Alex Tolund, a final year student, provided a tight sound design — a good support to David King's orchestra which sounded faultless.

Costumes, while reminiscent of the film, had a clear fresh approach with smart attention-to-detail and well planned use of colour.

While perhaps less of a vocal showcase than some of the classic musicals, Bring It On showed a great deal of triple-threat talent, beautifully highlighted the depth of the female performers and was an ideal way to bring the strengths of WAAPA to the wider community. It is well worth trying to grab a ticket.

Kimberley Shaw

Photogrpher: Jon Green