Croswell’s “Bring It On” – Brought It With Flair & Energy

Photo: (L-R) Bobby Lindsey, Talitha Thomas, Lydia Kirk, Ziyaan Nurruddin, Rachael Ogger, Payton Sharpe. Photo by Ashlee Sayles

I must admit that I approached Croswell’s production of Bring It On with a ho-hum attitude. I thought, oh great, a musical about cheerleading. High school cheerleading at that. Why couldn’t it be “America’s Sweethearts,” the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders?

What director Erin Pifer did with the production was full of energy, stunts and loud, boisterous singing. With a book by Jeff Whitty, music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame), and lyrics by Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bring It On was entertaining and fun.

Leads Lydia Kirk as Campbell, Ziyaan Nurruddin as Danielle, and Bryce Lang as the obnoxious Eva sang, danced, and cartwheeled through two hours of a surprisingly compelling story. Like the previous Croswell productions this season, Bring It On included a social message, wrapped in humor and action.

The plot describes the lives of teenagers accurately, both the good and bad. Through the dialogue and songs, the audience learns that teen girls sometimes lie, cheat and deceive to achieve their goals. Campbell is re-districted to a different school, only to learn that it was by design when Eva’s mother, a school board member, wanted to get rid of a potential rival to lead the Truman High School cheerleading squad.

Campbell plots her payback by deceiving her new Jackson High School classmates into changing from a crew to a squad. From dancers to cheerleaders. For both Campbell and Eva, cheerleading had become their symbol of status and acceptance. Kirk’s Campbell expresses what cheerleading means to her, singing One Perfect Moment. Her voice was pure, innocent and swept the audience into her world.

When asked whether she found Campbell in herself, Kirk responded, “I have her energy. I have her love of life. But I am not as outgoing as she. But I like her.” Kirk also explained that to prepare for each rehearsal or performance, she has a routine. “I talk, it warms up my throat. And I drink a lot of water. That is important.”

“I also need to make sure my body is warm,” Kirk continued. “I stretch or exercise. If my body is warm, singing the notes is just easier for me.”

Nurruddin, Talitha Thomas’ Nautical and Skye Rodriguez’s La Cienega declare they lead a crew of dancers when they sang “We Aiin’t No Cheerleaders,” a song that was high-energy and visually stunning.

Act II reveals just how devious Eva is as she sings “Killer Instinct” and then later “Eva’s Rant.” Lang reveals her true self in both songs and though the audience applauded her performance, everyone was booing inside. A remarkable performance in being the antagonist.

As the story unfolds in Act II, Campbell’s friends learn she has deceived them just to satisfy her need to be the best. Her friends turn on her, leaving her alone, Kirk sings the lines “What Was I Thinking” repeatedly, as her anguish was on full display.

Every show has an 11 o’clock song. An 11 o’clock song is sung when the main character reaches a turning point and has a fundamental change heart or attitude. That moment in this show came as Krik and Nurruddin sing the dynamic song “We’re Not Done.”

Bring It On has several supporting characters that help carry this show. Rachael Ogger’s Bridget and Payton Sharpe’s Steven brought laughter every time they were on stage. Sharpe’s character was the perfect expression of a teenager’s need for individualism. They were both a delight to watch. And everyone loved Ogger’s rise from obscurity to acceptance from her peers.

And every musical has a love interest and that was provided so innocently by Derrick McCullough’s character Randall. He and Kirk sing “Enjoy The Trip” in a glimpse into teenage love.

Bring It On includes the perfect metaphorical ending. The entire cast are together, happily singing and dancing “I Got You” while Eva stands alone, sulking, holding the cheerleading winning trophy. A very satisfying ending.

Bring It On was supported by a strong group of directors. Mandy Kruse was the vocal director. Josh Glover was music director and orchestra conductor. Cheer coach was Michigan Hall of Famer Kelly Bailey from Hudson and Debra Ross Calaabrese choreographed the show.

Bring It On has performances through Sunday 7/20. Tickets can be purchased by calling (517) 264-7469 or online at [email protected].