The musical is loosely based on the four movies in the Bring It On series. (Yes, there are actually four Bring It On movies.)
This high energy show incorporates traditional musical theatre, pop, hip hop and rap with standard Broadway dance numbers, cheering, gymnastics and stunts.
One can't help but be impressed as the lead actress belts out a song while balancing on the shoulders of another actor.
I found myself watching for potential out of sync or misstepped stunts that can happen when performing cheer routines. Every time the ensemble was performing a routine I had that uneasy pit in my stomach. The same one I get while watching Olympic Ice Skating; because you never know when the routine could go terribly wrong. The show appeared to be nearly flawless from what I could tell.
The story line had elements of all four movies but the main focus was on the captain of the Truman High School cheer leading squad getting transferred to an inner city school under questionable circumstances. There was the battle of good and evil, revenge, self discovery, and true cheer bitchiness all embedded in this modern day musical.
Two characters however steal the show.
Bridget - the overweight nerd who finally is accepted and appreciated when she too gets transferred to the inner city school. Bridget was played by Ryann Redmond.
And La Cienega - the transgender fierce diva from the inner city school as played by Gregory Haney.
These two actors lit up the stage every scene they were in.
I was also pleased to see that the character of Steven was played by Neil Haskell who was the second runner up on Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance. Neil was one of my favorite dancers that season so to get to see him dance live was exciting.
Here was Neil's battle for the championship dance "Two Princes" choreographed by Mia Michaels from Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance:
Upon looking around the audience at Bring It On, it was clear to my friend Marilu and I that many of the theatre patrons, including ourselves, were current or former cheerleaders.
Because I still have no shame, why not rewind to 1990 and share a couple of photos of me in all my glory on the cheer leading squad.
Wow, I look like I actually know what is going on in the game. Impressive!
Bring It On was a really enjoyable musical with fantastic stunts that are not normally seen on the musical stage. If you have the chance, be sure to check this musical out.
We set sail at 3:30pm for a three hour tour of The Bay while enjoying an amazing buffet dinner that included butternut squash ravioli, turkey, prime rib and mashed potatoes.
The cruise included a live band for dancing and spectacular views of the sunset and night lights on The Bay!
The Cruise departed from Pier 3 and immediately headed out under the Bay Bridge.
After sailing out from the City toward Alcatraz, Angel Island, Tiburon, and Sausalito, we headed straight toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite being December 24th, we stepped out on deck for a picture of the sun setting on the Golden Gate. It was not as cold on deck as I expected it to be. A perfectly crisp night on the Bay with clear skies.
We sailed just under the Golden Gate before turning around and heading back toward the City.
Just Mom and Just Dad even cut a rug on the dance floor!
It was a amazing way to spend Christmas Eve and I would recommend the Hornblower Dinner Cruise to anyone!
"A single candle lessens the darkness of a large auditorium - but no amount of darkness can extinguish the flickering flame. Even if the darkness were expanded it would have no effect on the candle's radiance." - Yehuda Berg
Girls Gone Moto is a web series about two life coaches, a camera girl, and a dog traveling across the United States in an old RV in the pursuit of happiness. Their mission was to commit random acts of kindness, volunteer at local organizations, and inspire others to pursue their own happiness.
The journey is well documented in a funny, endearing, heart warming, emotional, and joyous way. You will laugh and cry in a period of twenty two minutes watching these webisodes.
One of the life coaches, Sally Hope, worked for me when she was in college 13 years ago and I could not be more proud of her as I watched these videos.
Girls Gone Moto just finished their 8th webisode which brought to a close Season One. I highly encourage you to go watch all eight.
In honor of what Sally, Natalie, Kathryn and Coach were doing on the road I thought I would share with you what my favorite random act of kindness is.
If you have ever crossed the Bay Bridge and reached the toll booth only to be told that your toll has already been paid for by another driver; then you may have been the recipient of my random act of kindness.
I love paying for an extra car or two or three especially if it has been a really long wait at the toll plaza. It can be very aggravating to spend 45 minutes or more waiting to cross the bridge from Oakland to San Francisco. Drivers aggressively cut each other off to try and get one car length ahead on the commute into the City.
The reason I like paying for additional cars to cross the bridge is because it is a completely random act and it is completely anonymous. There is so much traffic on the bridge that there is really no way for the car that was behind you at the toll plaza to catch up and acknowledge what you have done.
Yesterday when I paid for the three cars behind me I watched in my rear view mirror as the driver in the second vehicle was told he didn't have to pay. The smile on his face was priceless.
In the spirit of the Holiday Season Loyal Readers, I would love to hear what random acts of kindness you have given to another person or you yourself have received. Even the littlest thing can make a difference in someones life.
Limon Rotisserie has finally opened its newest location in the Bayview District!
Limon is a family style restaurant that specializes in Peruvian inspired dishes.
The restaurant is most famous for their Pollo a la Brasa - a savory free range chicken slowly roasted over an open flame. (A dish I have yet to try.)
Over the last week I have sampled several plates from the Limon kitchen. I started with Lomito Saltado - a traditional Peruvian dish of stir-fried top sirloin strips, onions, tomatoes and soy sauce served over french fries.
This dish was quite tasty. I enjoyed the onions and fries smothered in soy sauce.
Next I tried the Carne and Pollo Empanadas.
The Carne comes with hand cut top sirloin, sweated in onions, and finished with hard boiled eggs and raisins. The Pollo has shredded roasted chicken in a red sauce, hard boiled eggs, olives and caipers. I definitely recommend getting the Pollo over the Carne. The Empanadas also come with a tasty dipping sauce.
Next, I had the Carne a la Parrilla - grilled hanger steak over tacu-tacu, salsa criolla & red wine-beef sauce. The steak was perfectly seasoned and melted in my mouth. The tacu-tacu, though visually unappealing, was a pleasant surprise of bean and grain deliciousness. I highly recommend you give it a try.
Last but not least, the Sangria. Chilled and served with diced fruit; it was the perfect accompaniment to my meal.
Limon - welcome to the neighborhood!
The Song Of The Day - Finally (Vandalism Remix) by Ce Ce Peniston (not available on iTunes)
Loyal Readers may recall on my recent trip to New York I went to Mood fabric store which was made famous on the TV show Project Runway.
I purchased some fabric while at Mood that I thought I would use to make some pillows.
While visiting my parents for Thanksgiving my Mom and I attempted to make the pillows with a little help from someone who was eager to lend a paw to the cause.
This past week San Francisco hosted the 54th Annual SF International Auto Show.
As a self proclaimed "car whore" this was my first time attending an auto show here in San Francisco.
In relation to other auto shows I have been to this was pretty small in comparison. Despite the lack of real exciting concept cars and full lines not being represented there are some advantages to a smaller auto show. Mainly a smaller auto show meant a smaller crowd which made it easy to get up close to the vehicles and there was limited to no wait to sit in the drivers seat.
One of the coolest things was in the Ford display. A Mustang pool table!
I really liked the Scion IQ which should give the SMART car a run for its money.
I was underwhelmed by the updated 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. This package was OK, but the stripped down model that was also on display left much to be desired.
I was very intrigued by the 2012 Mini John Cooper Works Coupe.
Bonus points to AutoTrader.com who was holding a video game driving competition where I won this blanket.
Perhaps the coolest thing at the Auto Show was the large portion of the Moscone Center convention floor that was dedicated to the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle test drive. Yes, you read that right. I got to test drive a car inside the convention center!
Another cool booth was set up by the Academy Of Art University students who where demonstrating different techniques for designing cars.
Here is another car I was fascinated with. The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. This car was so cool I thought it was a concept car. I didn't realize it is already available for purchase.
I was really hoping J Lo would be the spokesmodel for the Fiat 500. No such luck.
The Academy Of Art University, which it known for its extensive classic car collection had many vehicles like this one on display.
I am already looking forward to next year's Auto Show!
As I approach the first anniversary of moving into my neighborhood I thought I would share some of my favorite local food finds.
First up is Yvonne's Southern Sweets. This bakery makes a killer butter cookie. How killer is it? I don't even like butter cookies but I LOVED this cookie. While you are there be sure to also pick up a sweet potato pie.
The only downside to Yvonne's is her hours of operation. She is not open after 5pm and is closed on Sunday and Monday so the commuter will have to find her treats in several other restaurants in the neighborhood.
For a filling omelet that you can enjoy while taking in a pretty cool view of the City try Bayside Cafe.
If barbecue is your thing than you must try Smokin' Warehouse Barbecue. I recommend the tender Pulled Pork Sandwich.
Also, just as an FYI; the first time I went to Smokin' Warehouse Barbecue I asked if they sold desserts. The cashier told me, "No." As I started to pull out my wallet to pay for my order I saw a display of cookies behind the counter.
"What are those?" I pointed and asked.
"Cookies," the cashier replied.
"Isn't that dessert?" I said.
"No, dessert is pie. These are cookies," she said.
"Well, then I want some "not dessert" cookies," I said.
So if you want something sweet to top off your meal like I do, Smokin' Warehouse Barbecue does sell cookies.
Last but not least, try this unique offering at Frisco Fried called the "Burger Dog." The "Burger Dog" is a hamburger shaped to fit into a hot dog bun. This meal is fun and tasty even though the meat is a little on the dry side. The "Burger Dog" comes with a large serving of really good fries.
