Bring It On The Musical
at Clarksburg High School

Reviewed on November 9, 2019

Mona Hassan
South Lakes High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Do you have what it takes to be part of a squad? Well, Clarksburg High School does, and they sure can "bring it" in their production of Bring It On.
Bring It On is a musical that is loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name. The music was composed by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with the book by Jeff Whitty. In the show, Campbell, after being elected cheer captain of the Truman squad, is mysteriously redistricted.

At her new school, Jackson High, Campbell, played by Ydiany Quiroz, finds out that her new school lacks a cheer team. She befriends Danielle, leader of a dance crew, and the two work together to create an unconventional team to compete at the cheer championships. In Friday Night Jackson, the Jackson crew's lively choreography energized the audience. The number also allowed Ydiany Quiroz to showcase her dancing capabilities.

The romantic chemistry between Randall, played by Ricky Cardenas, and Quiroz fully encapsulated the "will they, won't they" notion portrayed throughout the show. Cardenas and Quiroz harmonized beautifully as their connection grew.Bridget, portrayed by Adanaa Kwapong, had a quirkiness to her that made the audience feel attached to her shy persona. Eva, played by Kendall Stewart, had excellent characterization that illustrated her development from an innocent sophomore to a lively diva. Stewart's comedic prowess had the audience howling, and her breakout moment was in Killer Instinct, which demonstrated her vocal and comedic talent.

The ASL interpreters were a standout with their interpreting on pace, while being engaging and interesting for the audience.Choreography in the show was mesmerizing to watch. The ensemble executed their moves perfectly, enthralling the audience.Costuming was detailed allowing the audience to discern which setting they were in. Campbell's costumes stood out from the rest of the group, showing she was in an unfamiliar setting.

Set changes flowed smoothly as the show progressed. A unique element to the set was projection of the redistricting map. Other elements that provided depth to the show was Jackson High's beat up lockers and the colorful burger restaurant set. The lighting also stood out. For example, while Campbell was discussing the possibility of being jealous of Eva, the lighting turned green, complementing the scene.

Despite some mic and projection issues, the cast was able to create a sense of individuality among their characters. With terrific choreography, comedic timing, and vocal talent in Clarksburg High School's Bring It On, you'll "enjoy the trip"!

Sophia Anthony
Northwest High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

T-R-U-M-A-N! GO JACKSON! GO GO! GO JACKSON GO! TRUMAN HIGH! Loud cheers, contrasting schools with matching uniforms, flips, basket tosses, and cartwheels filled the stage and transported the audience into Campbell Davis' life of cheering, dancing and learning. Clarksburg High School's performance of Bring It On was not only bright and lively, but also a showcase of the exceptional talent and passion for theatre that the performers possess.

A devoted cheerleader, Campbell, is named captain of Truman High School's cheer squad as a senior. After tryouts and cheer camp, two weeks before school starts, Campbell is redistricted to the ruthless Jackson High School. Do they have a cheer squad? No, but they have a dance crew and that's good enough for Campbell. She takes the crew of girls, and a few boys, and trains them as cheerleaders to beat her old school at Nationals. In order to get that crew on board, she had to lie and was caught by the head of the crew, Danielle and her best friends, Nautica and La Cienega. After a date with Jackson's DJ, Randall, Campbell realized that friendship and trust is more important than a trophy at Nationals, a lesson Eva never learned. While Truman may have come out with first place, Campbell won something much more important.

Campbell Davis (Ydiany Quiroz) was not only the lead, but the shining star as her voice and acting were equally powerful. Her character arc was impressive to watch as the climax is challenging to portray believably for any actor, not to mention the fact that she is only a senior in high school. The named Truman Cheerleaders who opened the show with Campbell were equally skilled vocally. Skylar, played by Jeanne Lubika, and her follower, Kylar, played by Ishika Naik, were perfectly cast. Lubika was hilarious and her timing was impeccable. She had mic issues that she was able to overcome with strong projection and facial expressions. "Tryouts", sung by Skylar, was a stand-out number. The sophomore Eva (Kendall Stewart) was excellent without going straight to plain mean. She had texture to her character and her song, "Killer Instinct" was a crowd-pleaser. The Truman Cheerleaders were all showcased at some point with their special skills and they were exciting to watch during the opening and "Legendary"!

The Jackson Dance Crew dripped in skill and finesse with their choreography and acting. Azarael Israel was particularly eye-catching due to her talent and stage presence. Danielle (Renee Agben) had a beautiful and strong voice that never shook and always filled the entire theatre. Her acting and presence were just as striking. Her best friends, Nautica (Tania Allen) and La Cienega (Vanessa Luna) gave great face and had strong backup vocals during "We Ain't No Cheerleaders". Bridget (Adanna Kwapong) was adorable and amusing like her newfound boyfriend, Twig (Nelson Chen). Not only was Ricky Cardenas, the senior who played Randall, extremely vocally talented, he was also one of the choreographers who employed interesting ideas while using the beautiful design of the Lighting Head, Mikayla Lynch, and her crew. The sets for both schools may have been minimal, but they got the job done and were changed between scenes discreetly and quickly. It was obvious the stage crew trained in rolling out the mats just like the actors trained on the mats.

All in all, Bring It On was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night and enjoy local high school theatre. The actors, crew, directors and creative team should all be incredibly proud of the work they put into the show and presented to their audiences.

Warren Dansou
Northwest High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

They were born to do this! Clarksburg High School's "Bring It On The Musical"! is soul-shaking, ground-breaking, and history in the making! The show is a musical adaptation of the 2000 film "Bring it On".


The plot follows cheerleader and high school senior Campbell Davis (Ydiany Quiroz). When Campbell is elected captain of the Truman Cheer Team, jealous sophomore, Eva (Kendall Stewart) uses her mother's position on the school board to redistrict Campbell to the local "slum" school, Jackson High School. Campbell soon befriends the elite queens of Jackson: Danielle (Renee Agben), Nautica (Tania Allen), and La Cienega (Vanessa Luna) and convinces them to start a cheer team, promising them scholarship money.

The eccentric choreography, wonderfully done by Ricky Cardenas, Vanessa Luna, and Tania Allen entertainingly divides the schools; in addition to the distinct color schemes. Jackson High's clean cut and edgy hip hop strongly contrasts Truman's intense cheer and gymnastics elements. Both schools' ensembles were incredibly synchronized, clean, and lively. Costume-wise, the preppy Truman High was kept in bright colors while Jackson High School students were in contemporary street apparel with a darker tone, making Campbell stand out as the Jackson students did their own thing.

Quiroz perfectly embodied Campbell as she belted her progression from relying on the rules and winning to changing her definition of winning and knowing what really mattered- true friendship. She had her time to shine during "Friday Night Jackson" as she seduced her love interest, Randall, in a goofy leprechaun mascot suit.

Renee Agben thrived as Danielle, as she exhibited her exquisite mix and belt as Jackson's queen bee. She made sure it was known that she was not a cheerleader along with her crew in "We Ain't No Cheerleaders" through her soulful powerhouse vocals.

As Bridget, Campbell's only friend from the transfer, she made audience members laugh with her bubbly and socially awkward personality. Adanna Kwapong was engaging as a quirky teenage. She grew into her own because of Danielle's crew and her sass and soul showed through her self-love anthem, "It Ain't No Thing".

The show featured snarky Jeanne Lubika playing Skylar. She injected impeccable comedic timing and brattiness into every utterance. Her ability to sing virtually any style made her a key player in the success of the show. She was paired with her absent-minded second hand, Kylar played by Ishika Naik, who never failed to keep the audience rolling in laughter.

As the conniving sophomore Eva, Kendall Stewart let everyone know her "killer instinct" was for taking over Campbell's life and winning Nationals. Stewart exhibited the ideal villain as she kept up the good girl persona with a sweet and powerful voice. She tumbled and flipped across the stage in Truman's competition routine "Legendary" as a true cheerleader.


As the laid-back and confident Randall, Ricky Cardenas displayed a smooth and silvery voice in "Enjoy the Trip" as the audience swooned to his well-controlled vibrato. He had everyone wishing they were Campbell and he did not hold back on the talent he had to share as he danced and cheered his way to Nationals.


"Bring it On" was clean, funny, and contemporary. The beautiful choreography, creative and professional grade costumes, flawless chemistry, along with a fantastic ensemble proved that this show was worthy of as many spirit sticks as they could be awarded. It's all happening at Clarksburg High School.

Hannah Nguyen
Northwest High School
Submitted for publication to Maryland Theater Guide

Clarksburg's show "Bring It On" was certainly a show to remember! From solid cheer formations to smooth and rhythmic hip hop choreography, all choreographed by Clarksburg's very own students.

This musical was based off of the hit movie "Bring It On" but has almost a completely different plot. With music and lyrics by the infamous Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Amanda Green, as well as the book being written by Jeff Whitty.

Overall, Clarksburg did an amazing job with this show! Cheerleading is quite obviously a hard sport to pick up and the players showed that they were ready to bring it on with the little time that they had. The cast showed that they were capable of many talents like being able to sing and chant while cheering, killer hip hop moves, and intense and shocking stunts. This musical follows the journey of Campbell, through all of the twists and turns from being redistricted. She gets sent to the notorious Jackson High and meets some friends that go through a tremendous character arc together.

Campbell, played by Ydiany Quiroz, portrayed her character very well. From being a nervous girl, waiting for the results for captain to come out, to a strong woman that knows her morals and friends in the end. She showcases her amazing and powerful voice as well and her character arc and development. Quiroz truly embodied Campbell in every possible way.

The Jackson High Dance Squad is led by Danielle, played by Renee Agben. Agben showed she was more than just a powerful singer through her amazing facials, acting, and dancing. Beside Danielle were her two companions, Nautica and La Cienaga, played by Tania Allen and Vanessa Luna. This dynamic duo was always seen together and they always supported Danielle with their dancing and amazing vocals. On the other side of the district line, lived Eva, Skylar, and Kylar, played by Kendall Stewart, Jeanne Lubika, and Ishika Naik. That dynamic group showed that not only are they gorgeous, but that they are all powerful singers, and the embodiment of original cast. All of their distinct personalities blended well together and complimented each other to make every line laughable. Lubika had such emotional control on the audience that anything she could say would've made them laugh. Stewart showed how Eva went from a sweet and innocent girl, to a maniacal, evil, and manipulative captain. She truly showcased the character well and served some serious power belts with it. Naik was a funny side character, with her dopey storytelling.

Although the sets were minimalistic, they served great purposes for many different scenes. From using the set for the redistricting visual, to using it for the cheer competitions, worked well. The four pillars in the back, although they were not recognizable at times, helped by doing little things to make a big impact on the show. Occasionally they would light up with the school specific color and it added touches to the scene which cast a cool effect.

Overall, Clarksburg showed that even with the little time that they had, choreographers, directors, and most importantly, cast and crew, put together an amazing production of the musical. Everyone on stage showed how they could captivate the audience with amazing dialogue, choreography, and vocals. Through this amazing production, Clarksburg Drama showed off its near endless abilities, and that they are soul-shaking and ground-breaking!

Andrew Rishmawi
Woodgrove High School
Submitted for publication to The Howl

In the cut-throat world of high school cheerleading, Bring It On: The Musical portrays Campbell's story as the most popular girl and squad captain at Truman High School. Yet before she can begin to lead her championship squad to win at Nationals, tragedy strikes. The School redistricts Campbell forcing her to transfer to the "slums" of Jackson High School. Knocked off her high horse as queen, Campbell faces the trials and tribulations of her new and otherwise unfamiliar "outsider" status. She soon uncovers that sophomore Eva is responsible for knocking her from Truman High as a power grab for cheer captain. With her pride and a national title on the line, Campbell is forced to convince Danielle, Jackson's top dog and captain of the hip-hop dance crew, to get revenge on Eva by starting a cheerleading squad of their own.

In Clarksburg High Schools rendition of Bring It On the Musical, the high stakes competition of High School Cheer had power, emotion, and nastiness oozing off the stage with these competitive cheerleaders doing whatever it takes to get what they want. Campbell, played by Ydiany Quiroz, set the stage with the opening number of "what I was born to do" and had the audience captivated by her beautiful voice and quality characterization. Her ability to portray the most popular cheerleader and have to navigate through the perils of being knocked down a couple pegs broke the narrative of how superficial the stereotypical cheerleader can be. She especially had the audience captivated during her hilarious and entertaining performance of "Friday Night Jackson". Her heart and passion for the stage shone through in her performance as Campbell and her character dynamic with her fellow actors really helped to push the story line and motifs of following dreams and not needing others' validation to define one's own success.

The use of lighting, stage and set accentuated the natural talent of the actors and helped to bring out more powerful moments in the show such as their cheer routines and fun-filled songs such as "Friday Night Jackson". While the sound did face some technical difficulties, the actors pushed past and helped hype up the audience radiating their excitement and passion of the show to everyone sitting in their seats. Their use of different colored lights to show the difference between the schools also helped to advance the emotions that Campbell felt throughout her journey.

Everyone in the cast held great energy throughout the show, and with their excellent use of comedic timing and great character dynamics, the cast as a whole truly made the show memorable and entertaining. The true powerhouses of the show, however, were none other than Skylar, played by Jeanne Lubika; Danielle, played by Renee Agben; Bridget, played by Adanna Kwapong; and last but certainly not least Eva, played by Kendall Stewart. Each of them being exceptional in their individual performances as well as within their ensembles. They never broke character and really made the audience fall in love with them. Through watching the show and seeing each of their characters shine, the audience was engrossed watching Eva's true intentions unfold, laughing at Skylar's blunt rudeness and perfect performance as a teenage brat, falling in love with adorable Bridget as the underdog that never lost hope, to finally being enchanted by Danielles powerhouse personality, voice and ability to grab audiences attention whenever she was on stage. Clarksburg High School's talent truly shone through in their rendition of Bring It On: The Musical and is a must see.

Anna DeMino
Connelly School of the Holy Child
Submitted for publication to The Howl

Performing cheer stunts taught in a few boot camps before the show dates and being able to make the audience erupt in laughter through great comedic timing among many of the actors are just some reasons "You might as well enjoy the trip," to Clarksburg High School's production of Bring It On: The Musical.

Bring It On: The Musical is loosely based off the 2000 film written by Jessica Bendinger and premiered in 2011 with musical compositions by Lin Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt. The story follows the life of Campbell, a devoted cheerleader, who has the chance to prove herself as cheer captain at Truman High School. All her dreams seem to be coming true when suddenly she gets redistricted to Jackson High School for her senior year. While trying to blend in, Campbell meets the dance crew and wants to help transform this "crew" into a cheer squad to fulfill her dreams of winning the National Championships. This musical highlights the importance of true friendship and the idea that not everything is about winning.

Clarksburg High School challenged themselves by attempting a dance and cheer heavy show and portrayed wonderful results. Every member of both cheer squads gave the choreography their all and wowed the crowd with the advanced stunts they had to perform, since they were not all experienced cheerleaders.

Campbell (Ydiany Quiroz) serenaded the audience with beautiful vocals in "One Perfect Moment", and her other songs. Her confidence was consistent throughout the show and was especially evident in "Friday Night Jackson" as she danced her heart out in a leprechaun suit. However, outstanding vocals and confidence did not stop at Campbell, Randall (Ricky Cardenas) and Danielle (Renee Agben) had plenty of talent in these categories. Randall's voice was excellently presented in "Enjoy the Trip" as he reflects on his high school years. He showed enthusiasm in everything he did onstage and while doubling as the choreographer for the show, his talent is apparent on and off stage. Danielle delivered an amazing performance in both singing and acting. From her powerful monologue confronting Campbell to every song and riff she sang, Danielle's spunk swept the audience away.

Both Truman and Jackson had many talented dancers and singers in the ensemble who helped make the show amazing because of their commitment to the choreography. On the Truman side the audience enjoyed the dynamic between Skylar (Jeanne Lubika), Kyler (Ishika Naik), and Eva (Kendall Stewart). Whether it be Skylar and Kyler delivering comedic lines or Eva's "killer instinct" making the audience hope they never make a friend like her, the talent and charisma complimented each other. On the Jackson side, Nautica (Tania Allen) and La Cienaga (Vanessa Luna) had excellent vocals that created beautiful harmonies. Their song "It Ain't No Thing" let audience see the characters of Nautica and La Cienaga without their leader, Danielle. This song also helped break Bridget (Adanna Kwapong) out of her shell, while still remaining pretty awkward; but her pureness brightened up the audience's mood with many awes.

The Clarksburg Stage, Lighting, and Sound Crew helped complete the show. While there were some mic mishaps, they worked together and made the rest of the show go smoother. The lighting was a crowd favorite, with different colors representing the two schools and some silhouette lighting creating a cool effect. The sets were simplistic, and the costumes were perfect for the contrast of the two schools.

With an obvious talent-filled community, Clarksburg High School helped to present an upbeat and lively production of Bring It On: The Musical!