Bring it On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, set in the competitive world of high school cheerleading. Like the films in the franchise after the first, it features no characters or references to the original film, and the only thing it has in common with it is the cheerleading focus and a theme of race running through the plot.
The plot centers around Campbell, who has just been elected captain of the Truman High School cheerleading squad. She seems to have it all— Two best friends (Alpha Bitch Skyler and Beta Bitch follower Kyler), and a loving boyfriend, Steven, who all cheer on the squad with her. After electing adorable sophomore student Eva to take over as head of the squad if she, Skyler, and Kyler are all unable to, Campbell's life is shattered when she finds out that due to redistricting, she has been forced to move schools, and will now be attending the inner-city Jackson High School.
Once at Jackson, Campbell finds out that a girl whom she had previously cut from the Truman squad, chubby and uncoordinated Bridget, has been redistricted as well. While Campbell quickly runs afoul of the local hip-hop group, Nautica, La Cienega, and Danielle, Bridget is quickly accepted into the dance group. Campbell soon finds out that because Skyler's grades have mysteriously dropped, and Kyler has contracted mono, Eva is now the head of the squad. She suspects (and soon confirms) that Eva is not only responsible for that, but also for Campbell having been redistricted so that she could be the captain. Campbell then vows that she will turn Jackson High's hip-hop group into a top-notch cheerleading squad in order to humiliate Eva at Nationals. Hilarity Ensues.
The musical premiered in Atlanta, Georgia in 2011 before embarking on a national tour and then opening on Broadway in 2012.
Bring it On: The Musical contains examples of the following tropes:
- Actor Allusion: In the song 'Something Isn't Right Here', Campbell remarks that "I've got a spidey-sense". Kirsten Dunst, who starred in the film version, also played Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-Man Trilogy.
- Adults Are Useless: No adults appear in the show. There's nary a coach nor a teacher or parent to be seen.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Eva, certainly. Although at first she seems like an insecure underclassman, she quickly proves to be a skilled chessmaster, using her connections and influence to claw her way to the top. Her true nature is especially evident in her song, 'Killer Instinct'.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Jackson squad loses Nationals to Truman, but they know that the friendships they've formed are more important than the trophy.
- Catfight: Surpringly absent considering the source material.
- Fun T-Shirt: Bridget wears a lot of these.
- Hopeless Auditionees: Bridget comes across like this when she tries to move from her position as the school mascot to the cheer squad.
- "I Am" Song: 'What I Was Born to Do' details Campbell's ambition to lead the cheer squad, and gives each of the other Truman students a verse to explain their character.
- 'Welcome to Jackson' gives the Jackson students much the same, along with going a bit into Bridget's character.
- High School: Takes place in two of them.
- Incoming Ham: Depending on the actress, Bridget's introduction in 'What I Was Born to Do' can be this.Bridget: My name is Bridget, I rock the parrot head! It stinks in here, and kind of smells like someone wet the bed!
- Karma Houdini: Not only did Eva’s team win the tournament and she receive zero disciplinary action, but she seemingly has learned nothing from her horrible actions, and even considers them justified for having won her the trophy. She considers any friends lost in the process to have been a price well-paid. In her eyes, her duplicitous actions have gotten her everything she wanted with zero repercussions.
- Massive Multiplayer Ensemble Number: "It's Happening".
- Nightmare Sequence: Campbell has several, most involving Eva menacingly telling her what a loser she is.
- Sassy Black Woman: Danielle, in spades.
- Token Minority: La Cienega, as a teenage Transgender cheerleader. La Cienega is the only character on the LGBT spectrum represented in the musical and the first trans character in the Bring It On franchise. This is also the first Broadway musical to feature a high-school aged trans character.
- Villain Song: The above-mentioned 'Killer Instict' is this for Eva.
- Wham Line: "Well, her mother does sit on the school board."
