W
hen Ari Rego was 13 years old and chose drama as a school elective at Box Hill High School, he had no idea where it would lead. He just knew, almost immediately, that it felt right. “From the beginning it was definitely scary,” he says, “but as soon as I did the class I was like, oh my gosh, this is so fun.”
That instinct has taken him a long way. This month, the Melbourne-based performer steps into one of the most distinctive roles in contemporary musical theatre — La Cienega in Bring It On The Musical, playing at the National Theatre in St Kilda from 11 July. It is a role with real significance. La Cienega is widely recognised as one of Broadway’s earliest teenage transgender characters, and Ari brings both warmth and a sharp comic sensibility to the part.
Born in Bangalore and raised in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs from the age of three, Ari comes from a beautifully mixed Indian background — his father’s family from Mangalore, his mother carrying a mix of Parsi and Kerala heritage. He grew up speaking English at home, in a household that encouraged him to follow his own path. When theatre came calling, his parents were firmly behind him.
“I feel very blessed to have really lovely parents who are really supportive,” he tells The Indian Sun. “They’ve always been passionate about supporting us in whatever we want to do.” He laughs, adding that being the younger child helped — his older sister, he suspects, bore the brunt of the more traditional expectations. By the time it was Ari’s turn, the question of engineering versus the arts had already been quietly settled.
He studied at Federation University, completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts, and has been building his performance credits steadily since his school days. Bring It On is his most demanding role yet — vocally, physically and emotionally. The show is built around high-energy choreography, aerial stunts and a Lin-Manuel Miranda score that hits hard and never really lets up. Ari has been rehearsing two to four nights a week since April.
“This is probably one of the most vocally challenging roles I’ve done,” he says. “There’s lots of singing, lots of work.”
La Cienega, the character he plays, is witty, fierce and completely unapologetically herself. “She refuses to be anyone other than herself,” Ari says.
Playing a transgender character when he does not himself identify as trans brought up real questions for Ari — questions he sat with honestly rather than brushing aside. He spoke at length with director Tara about casting and representation, and together they shaped a version of La Cienega that felt truthful. “We worked out my version of La Cienega — maybe she’s not fully transitioned yet, maybe she’s still on her journey, exploring different things,” he says. “Once we had that conversation, I felt much better.”
It is exactly the kind of thoughtful engagement the role requires. Bring It On is not simply a fun, high-energy show, though it is certainly that. Beneath the cheerleading routines and the rival school drama runs a story about identity, belonging and the courage it takes to be exactly who you are in a world that would prefer you to fit a mould. In that sense, Ari says, the show feels more relevant than ever.
“Given everything happening in the world today, this message is more important now than ever. When we come together as a community, we are unstoppable.”
As a young performer of Indian heritage, Ari has watched the Australian theatre industry slowly shift toward greater representation. “People of colour are getting more of a chance to shine in roles they may not have been seen in otherwise,” he says. “I hope it keeps going.”
His message to any young Indian Australian sitting on the fence about whether there is a place for them on stage is simple and direct. “Absolutely go for it. If that’s the thing that deep down you know you want to do, don’t let anything stop you.”
Bring It On The Musical plays at the National Theatre, St Kilda, from 11 to 26 July.
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