More fun than actual a cappella

My boyfriend and I laugh and laughed and laughed.

Why college campuses, especially on the East Coast, are overpopulated with a cappella groups is a mystery to me. Virtually no one who isn’t on a college campus pays to see a cappella groups. No one buys their albums, and I don’t know anyone who can name an a cappella group that isn’t native to their alma mater. But they’re a staple of college entertainment, both real and ironic. Because, even though some a cappella can be awesomely inventive (think Bobby McFerrin), a lot of it can be irredeemably cheesy (think the worst numbers on Glee). This makes it a great subject for the hybrid teen comedy-competition genre, and that’s how Pitch Perfect came to be. Very, very loosely based on a nonfiction book about competitive a cappella groups, the film is written by 30 Rock writer Kay Cannon and directed by Avenue Q’s Jason Moore; it’s Bring It On crossed with Glee with an injection of Bridesmaids. It’s not perfect, but it’s a damn funny crowd-pleaser. Continue…