Posts Tagged ‘jennifer weber’

The Muny’s “Bring It On” is Sweetly Goofy, High-Energy Fun

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Bring It On: The Musical
Libretto by Jeff Whitty
Music by Tom Kitt & Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lyrics by Amanda Green & Lin-Manuel Miranda
Directed by Denis Jones
Choreographed by Jennifer Weber
Cheer Consultant & Choreography by Ryan Martin O’Connor
The Muny
June 17 and June 19, 2025

Jonalyn Saxer (Center) and Cast
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny

Bring It On: The Musical is an appropriate opening show for the Muny’s 2025 season, with it’s enthusiastic, high-energy production and highly entertaining story with a large dose of hamminess and goofball humor. It took me two tries to finally see the whole show, since the Tuesday show was rained out after the first act, but I’m glad I finally got to see it, because while the first act is fun, the second act is better. Also, the acrobatic, turbo-charged cheerleading routines take it up a notch later in the show, which is an entertaining blend of traditional Broadway and hip-hop styles, along with some superb dance routines choreographed by Jennifer Weber, who is perhaps best known for &Juliet. It also has a connection to Muny Artistic Director/Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, making it an ideal show for the Muny’s colossal stage.

The story does take a bit of time to get going, after a promising opening number featuring Campbell (Jonalyn Saxer) and her Truman High School cheerleading squad. Campbell is an earnest, cheer-obsessed rising senior who starts out wanting nothing more than to be the captain of her squad and guide them to a championship at Nationals. She has the support of fellow cheerleaders, the ditzy and bossy Skylar (Katie Riedel) and Skylar’s BFF Kylar (Regine Sophia), as well as Campbell’s goofball boyfriend Steven (Sean Harrison Jones), along with perky, somewhat worshipful newcomer Eva (Taylor Sage Evans), so everything looks promising going into the school year. Then however, there’s a twist, as Campbell is abruptly informed that school redistricting has assigned her to a new school, Jackson High School, that features a totally different social scene and doesn’t even have a cheerleading squad. Instead, they have a hip-hop dance crew led by Danielle (Kennedy Holmes) and her friends Nautica (Ayla Ciccone-Burton) and La Cienega (AJ Paramo). They’re also joined by the Bridget (Katy Garaghty), a former classmate of Campbell’s who has also been redistricted, and who finds a much more welcoming atmosphere at Jackson, having been seen as something of an outcast at Truman. 

While this show largely revolves around Campbell’s personal journey of self-discovery, it also features themes of individuality, self-expression, inclusivity, friendship, honesty, and what “winning” really means. I appreciate that it isn’t really presented as “good school’ vs. “bad school”, although the Truman squad is decidedly more stereotypically “cheerleadery” than Jackson’s. Still, there’s only one real villain here, and despite Evans’s fantastically over-the-top performance as Eva, I’m not even sure a villain was necessary. It’s a fun show that increases in energy and focus as it goes along, and especially after the transfer to Jackson. Also, I think some of the Truman characters (especially Steven) are just essentially forgotten about later in the show, but for the most part, this is fun, high-energy dance-and-cheer fest that features excellent performances all around, especially from the perky-and-earnest Saxer as Campbell, Holmes as the tough-but-fair Danielle, and the scene-stealing Garaghty as the outspoken and eminently likeable goofball Bridget. There are also good turns from Bryce Williams as laid-back DJ–and potential love-interest for Campbell–Randall; Riedel and Sophia as the perky Skylar and Kylar; and Kevin Trinio Perdido and Brandon O’Neal Bomer as Jackson guys Twig and Cameron. There’s great support all around from the strong ensemble, including the Muny’s enthusiastic Teen Ensemble.

The singing is great, with a mix of styles mostly in the pop and hip-hop range, with an expected element of “classic Broadway” along for good measure.  The ensemble is fantastic, and the dance and cheer sequences are dazzling, featuring the cheer direction of University of Kentucky cheer coach Ryan Martin O’Connor and actual Kentucky cheerleaders making up the majority of the squads. There’s also an excellent Muny Orchestra led by music director Anne Shuttlesworth.

Visually, the show is a stunner, with a bright, dynamic set by Anne Beyersdorfer, striking video design by Caite Hevner, and dazzling lighting by Jason Lyons. The costumes by Tristan Raines and wigs by Ashley Rae Callahan also contribute much to the overall look and vibe of the show. The sound by John Shivers and David Patridge is also well done, despite one slight mic issue early in the show on Thursday.

The Muny is a vibrant St. Louis tradition, and its latest season is looking especially promising with its confident introduction of Bring It On: The Musical. The characters are fun, the story is heartfelt with a deliberate air of goofiness, and while the story takes a while to really get going, it’s non-stop entertainment once it does. It’s a good start to a new season, and I’m look forward to the rest of the shows in this highly-anticipated Muny lineup. 

Taylor Sage Evans, Kennedy Holmes, Jonalyn Saxer
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny

The Muny is presenting Bring It On: The Musical in Forest Park until June 22, 2025

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Smart, Delightful “& Juliet” Remixes Shakespeare at the Fox

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

& Juliet
Music and Lyrics by Max Martin and Friends, Book by David West Read
Directed by Luke Sheppard
Choreographed by Jennifer Weber
The Fox Theatre
May 20, 2025

Rachel Simone Webb, Teal Wicks and Cast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
& Juliet North American Tour

& Juliet is, in my estimation, quite possibly the perfect jukebox musical. I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with jukebox shows, considering a lot of them come across as more of a collection of acted out songs with a contrived book, but there are exceptions. & Juliet, which I first saw in London before it opened on Broadway, not only has a witty, cleverly constructed book, but it puts its collection of hit pop songs written or co-written by Max Martin to excellent use, often making them seem like they were written for this show. The look, sound, and overall  vibe of this show is smart, funny, and thoroughly entertaining, and the North American tour now playing at the Fox is a fantastic iteration of this marvelous show. 

The show is often described as “what would happen if Juliet didn’t die at the end of Romeo & Juliet?” While that description is essentially true, there’s a lot more than that to this plot. I think of it as sort of a marital conflict worked out through theatre, as the premise has William Shakespeare (Corey Mach) about to open his new tragedy when his wife Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) shows up and puts a wrench in his plans, declaring his ending unsatisfying and wanting to write her own, for deeper reasons that will be revealed as the show goes on. So Shakespeare hands Anne his quill and she takes over, as Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) gets her grand entrance, alone in a tomb, singing the Britney Spears classic “Baby One More Time”. The grieving Juliet then goes on an adventure–with continued wrangling for the quill between Shakespeare and Anne–that gives her a group of friends, including her nurse Angélique (Naima Alakham), best friend May (Nick Drake), and other best friend April (a self-insert played by Anne herself). Their journey takes them to Paris, where they meet the shy François (Jaydon Nget), who is being pressured by his father Lance (Paul Jordan Jansen) to either marry or join the army. There’s also a surprise connection between Lance and Angélique, as various entanglements and confusions lead to rushed decisions, unexpected attractions, and many surprises including the appearance of Romeo (Daniel J. Maldonado).

As the story plays out, many themes are explored including journeys of self-discovery including personal agency, gender roles and identity, marital tensions, and parent-child conflictions, along with secrets and revelations and a soundtrack of familiar songs (and one new one–“One More Try”) that are integrated into the story about as well as I’ve ever seen in a jukebox musical. It’s funny, it’s bold, it’s thoughtful and heartfelt, and an excellent blend of Shakespearean themes with modern values and ideas, with a fun aesthetic that combines both eras. 

This is such a fun show, with excellent dramatic structure and fitting all the subplots in well. For me, the most important figures are Juliet and Anne, since Anne basically starts the action and Juliet starts out as something of an avatar for issues that Anne is exploring, although the other characters get their moments to shine, as well. Webb is fantastic as Juliet, with the requisite stage presence and powerful vocals that make Juliet immensely relatable, and Wicks is also terrific vocally, comedically and dramatically as the persistent Anne. Mach is also fun as the somewhat self-centered Shakespeare, displaying strong chemistry with Wicks in their perpetual sparring. Maldonado is also strong as the somewhat goofy, charming but flighty Romeo. There are also excellent turns from Alakham (the understudy) as the loyal, somewhat secretive Angélique and Jansen as the comically stubborn Lance. There’s also a believable relationship between Lance and the endearingly nerdy François, played with believable charm by another understudy, Nget, who also has credible chemistry with Drake’s conflicted, but also funny and likable May. There’s a first-rate ensemble as well, who are involved in various roles from before the story even officially starts, and who support the vibrant production numbers with clever, energetic modern dancing choreographed by Jennifer Weber. It’s a great cast all around, doing justice to the hard-driving soundtrack of hits from the 1990’s and 2000’s that many in the audience will recognize. 

Visually, the show is as dazzling as it is entertaining, with a unique look and vibe that blends Elizabethan stylings with modern touches, as evidenced by Soutra Gilmour’s striking, versatile set, Andrzej Goulding’s marvelous projections and video design, and Paloma Young’s colorful, stylish costumes. There’s a sense of action throughout this show–everything keeps moving–and this momentum is supported by the excellent band led by conductor and keyboardist Andre Cerullo. There’s also eye-catching lighting by Howard Hudson and strong sound design by Gareth Owen. It’s a unique, cohesive look, feel, and overall energetic presentation.

Ever since I first saw & Juliet in London in early 2020, I’ve been waiting for a chance to see it again. It’s such a fun, clever show that should appeal not only to fans of the music, but also to Shakespeare fans and anyone who likes a good story that blends elements of classic theatre with a bold,  contemporary twist. There is some mature content and strong language, so I would rate it as essentially “PG-13” going by movie ratings.  This touring production is entertaining from start to finish, and a delight to see, hear, and experience.

Corey Mach and Cast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
& Juliet North American Tour

The North American tour of & Juliet is running at the Fox Theatre until June 1, 2025

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