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Friday, 28 October, 2011 10:37 PM
'Bring
It On: The Musical' to premiere at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre on Oct.
30
Photo
credit: ©2011 Alliance Theatre Production by Greg Mooney
Kelly
Felthouse (left) and Amanda Lea LaVerne (right) in the 2011
Alliance Theatre production of "Bring It On: The Musical."
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LOS ANGELES --
"Bring
It On: The Musical" is loosely based on the popular Bring
It On films from Universal Pictures. The play is brand new
from the ground up. It is making its world premiere on Oct. 30 at
the Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
Some of the top creative minds from musicals such as "Avenue
Q," "In the Heights," "Next to Normal"
and "High Fidelity" came together to create "Bring
It On: The Musical." If you liked the Bring It On movies
or even if you didn't, this is one show you don't want to miss.
The setting
is the world of competitive cheerleading. Two rival high schools
face each other in competitions. The new musical hopes to prove
that winning isn't everything when it means losing something - or
someone. "Bring It On: The Musical" is being directed
and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler. Alex Lacamoire is supervising
the music. Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the lyrics
for the new play. Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda performed the
music.
Here are the responses
from my e-mail interview with Kate Rockwell (who plays the role
of Skylar) and Janet Krupin (who plays the character of Kylar).
Both are the sidekicks of the female lead named Campbell from her
original high school before she gets “redistricted”
to Jackson High.
Q: Please start
by telling me about your character in the musical.
ROCKWELL: "I
play Skylar, Campbell's entitled and, how shall we say, sassy best
friend. I'm a cheerleader on the nationally renowned Truman High
Cheer Squad and love the glory of being high school royalty. She's
got a wicked sense of humor. She's your stereotypical 'I love to
hate you' cheerleader."
KRUPIN: "I
play Kylar, a sweet and kind of naive cheerleader for Truman High
School, who has an endearing and very 'True Life: I'm Sixteen' way
of mimicking everything that her best friend, Skylar, does."
Q: How does it
feel to kick off the national tour in Los Angeles - just a few miles
from Hollywood?
ROCKWELL: "It's
fun to come out to the west coast! I'm a New Yorker through and
through, and it's definitely a nice way to spend the colder months!
I've only been to L.A. one other time, and it's great to return
with a wonderful job I love that gives me a chance to see the city
and its' highlights. And once we get out of rehearsal that's exactly
what I plan to do! This is my third national tour, and this is my
favorite opening city yet."
KRUPIN: "I
feel so lucky and so grateful. I grew up in the northwest, but I
went to college at USC, right down the street. The very first show
I saw in Los Angeles was 'The Light in the Piazza' right here in
the Ahmanson. To be here, and in this context, is unbelievable."
Q: In what ways
will "Bring It On The Musical" be similar or different
from the Bring It On movies?
ROCKWELL: "Well,
other than the title and the high school cheerleading theme, it's
a completely original piece! The script, written by 'Avenue Q' writer
Jeff Whitty, is both brilliant and endearing, and our musical team
of Tom Kitt, Amanda Green and Lin Manuel Miranda will leave you
feeling like you were just hit with the Musical Genius Bus. Of course
there's a great message at the end too :)"
KRUPIN: "I
think the audience will be surprised at how different the stage
musical is from the movies. The movies kicked off a tradition of
dark comedy, witty satire, and of course epic cheer performances,
but our show really takes off it's a direction entirely its own.
The live musical medium, more so than film, allows for us to really
intimately know these young people, cheerleaders, who are so passionate
about what they do. And what they do is really, really, fun to watch.
And it's LIVE... there are absolutely no wires involved. How many
shows with aerial components can say that?"
Q: How long was
training for the musical and what did that involve?
ROCKWELL: "Well,
I went to college for musical theater, so that part is exactly what
I studied and trained for. The cheerleading, however, is a whole
other story. I've never cheered, and I'm not much of a dancer either
(we call my type a "strong mover" in New York), so there
were giant hills to climb for me when I started working with this
show. I remember the first day I ran in to catch a falling stunt
and thought to myself, 'I'm a real cheerleader!!!' I've been with
it for almost two years now and I can still say I'm blown away by
the incredible physical feats my cast pulls off every night. And
I can also say I am very very happy I was hired as a singer/actor
who gets to mostly just watch those feats!!"
KRUPIN: "I
come into the process with the September 2010 workshop in New York.
In rehearsals we worked closely with a cheer consultant from UCA
who patiently taught us musical theatre kids how to stunt. Learning
how to throw and catch another human being was SO intimidating at
first, but now I take a little pride in my new abilities!"
Q: What was the
audition process like?
ROCKWELL: "I
auditioned in NYC back in 2009 for the reading, the first step for
every new musical, where a group of actors sit in chairs and just
read and sing through the score, giving the writers and director
a chance to see what the piece really is before they get it on its'
feet. The catch is, I originally auditioned to play a totally different
role than I do now. I spent weeks going in over and over for auditions
before they realized I was best suited for the role I'm in now!"
KRUPIN: "I
auditioned in February 2010 in Los Angeles. Seeing this audition
for a new musical with some of Broadway's most exciting creatives
involved, I literally thought, 'OMG. I have. To be. In this.'"
Performance
times for the preview shows (Oct. 30 - Nov. 10) are Tuesday through
Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
and 6:30 p.m.; No Monday performances. Exceptions: No performance
Thursday, November 3.
Regular performances
begin on Nov. 12 and run through Dec. 10. Tuesday through Friday
at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30
p.m.; No Monday performances. Exceptions: No public performance
Thursday, November 17 (student matinee only); No performance Thursday,
November 24; No 6:30 p.m. performance Sunday, December 4; Additional
2 p.m. performances on Thursdays, December 1 and 8; Additional 8
p.m. performance on Monday, November 21.
Ticket Prices: $20
- $120 (Ticket prices are subject to change.) Tickets are available
by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services at (213) 972-4400,
in person at the Center Theatre Group box office or on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.
Hot Tix: $20 each may be purchased in advance or, subject to availability,
on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups:
(213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information & charge, TDD (213)
680-4017. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 N. Grand Avenue
in downtown Los Angeles, 90012.
For
more information on "Bring It On: The Musical," visit
www.bringitonmusical.com.
Photo
credit: ©2011 Alliance Theatre Production by Greg Mooney
The
Truman High School Bucaneers in the 2011 Alliance Theatre production
of "Bring It On: The Musical."
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