At first glance, Bring It On: The Musical is practically begging to be mocked. It’s a musical about cheerleaders, based on a trifling 2000 Kirsten Dunst film about cheerleaders, and did I mention it’s a musical about cheerleaders? With the swift rise of Give It Up! and the even swifter demise of its Broadway incarnation Lysistrata Jones, a musical about cheerleaders should have seemed like an obviously unwise theatrical gamble.

Yet…somehow…this show works.

At its helm is a quintet of Broadway vets with serious chops. Avenue Q’s Tony-winning Jeff Whitty deviated almost entirely from the cult-favorite film and wrote a book full of even sassier, snappier one-liners. Tom Kitt, composer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, collaborated with In The Height’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and High Fidelity’s Amanda Green to produce songs that, while not entirely memorable, could easily power a dance club until dawn. And directing and choreographing is Andy Blakenbuehler, a Broadway vet and “So You Think You Can Dance” alum who understands that sometimes showy has more impact than lyrical.

It doesn’t hurt that the cheerleading routines are mind-blowing, either. Whenever the story starts to sag or the paper-thin characters get a little grating—BAM! People start flying through the air, twirling and flipping in a way that leaves you concerned for their personal safety.

Luckily, the story is entertaining enough that you’re not longing for the next death-defying display. Gone are Torrance and her Rancho Carne Toros; in her place are Campbell (Taylor Louderman) and the Truman High Buccaneers. Captain Campbell seems poised for the best senior year ever, until a seemingly random school redistricting sends her from affluent, lily-white Truman to the more multi-cultural and humble Jackson High. Joining the hip hop dance crew led by queen bee Danielle (Adrienne Warren) is Campbell’s initial priority. It’s only after she learns of former Truman protégée Eva’s (Elle McLemore) underhanded scheming to reach the top of the pyramid that Campbell petitions for the dance crew to become a pep squad—if only to beat the ever-loving snot out of her former team at Nationals, of course.

Shunted along to Jackson is Bridget (an outstanding Ryann Redmond), the hilarious outcast with disastrously low self esteem who has already endured three humiliating years as Truman mascot Bucky the Parrot. Redmond revels in some of the show’s best lines, hinting at the star quality that’s hiding behind Bridget’s self-conscious explanations, before it bursts forth in a glorious “you go, girl” tidal wave in the second act.

Also staking her claim at the spotlight is Kate Rockwell as the stiletto-sporting Skylar. Rockwell appeared on the NBC reality casting show “Grease: You’re the One That I Want!,” vying for the role of sweetheart-turned-leather-cladSandyin the 2007 Broadway revival. She was nicknamed “Serious Sandy” on the show, but here she proves that while she may not have been right for the good girl lead, she would have made a dynamite Rizzo. Her casual snarkiness is absolutely delicious.

Bring It On doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it doesn’t ask you to either. With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s trademarked easy rapping style populating many of the musical numbers, and Jeff Whitty’s sly musical theater nods (points if you spot the Chorus Line reference), the structure is solid enough to support a lighter weight premise. My only question is this: Why no spirit fingers?