'Bring it On! The Musical' will premiere at River Campus this week

Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus will present "Bring it On! The Musical" starting next week, and can be experienced as a live performance or streaming, a first for the university.

The show melds cheerleading, dance and show tunes, inspired by the hit film "Bring it On!"

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 through 8 and Aug. 12 through 15, and at 2 p.m. Aug. 9 and 16 in Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau.

"Bring It On" features an original story by Tony Award winner, Jeff Whitty ("Avenue Q"); music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In the Heights," "Hamilton"); music by Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning composer, Tom Kitt ("Next to Normal"); and lyrics by Broadway lyricist, Amanda Green ("High Fidelity"). The production also was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Southeast's production is directed by Kenn Stilson, chair of The Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance.

"It's very much in the vernacular of students today," Stilson said in a university news release. "The students absolutely love this show because it speaks to them; they get it. And it's exciting to watch because you're talking about combining dance with cheerleading, which is athletic dance."

Face coverings will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be in place for the performances. The audience capacity will be reduced to approximately 25%, and the show staging will be adjusted.

In light of these adjustments, the River Campus will offer -- for the first time -- livestreamed performances of the summer musical Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 through 16, said Rhonda Weller-Stilson, dean of Southeast's Holland College of Arts and Media.

Tickets for the in-person performances are available at the River Campus Box Office in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, by calling (573) 651-2265, or at rivercampus.org.

Streaming tickets are available at rivercampus.org.

Tickets for the entire season's performances go on sale Aug. 3.