Footloose at HCT

Last night I went to see Footloose at HCT and, much to my surprise, I really loved it. The stage musical is based on the 1984 movie of the same name and follows Ren McCormack (Ren Cottam) as he and his mother Ethel (Melody L. Baugh) move to the small conservative town of Bomont after his father abandons them. Ren immediately finds himself at odds with almost everyone, including the Rev. Shaw Moore (John Rex Kocherhans), because he cannot believe that the town has outlawed dancing. With the help of Ariel Moore (Kersee Whitney), the Reverend's rebellious daughter, and Willard Hewitt (Weston Wright), a redneck with a penchant for fighting who becomes his best friend, Ren eventually convinces Rev. Moore to let him and the rest of the teenagers have a dance which helps the town heal from a tragedy that affected them all. I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of this musical because I think the original songs, most of which were written specifically for the adults to sing, are incredibly contrived and not very memorable even though Baugh, Kocherhans, and Teaira Burge (who plays Vi Moore) have beautiful voices and do a great job in this production. I think the musical is at its best when it incorporates the songs from the movie, including "Footloose," "Somebody's Eyes," "Holding Out for a Hero," "I'm Free," "Let's Hear It for the Boy," and "Almost Paradise," and the staging of these songs in this version is absolutely spectacular with dynamic high-energy choreography that is executed brilliantly by an unbelievably talented cast! I loved, loved, loved the staging for "Footloose" because shiny door curtains encircling the stage are raised just enough to reveal the feet of the dancers (this replicates the iconic opening of the movie), for "Somebody's Eyes" because Rachel Martorana as Rusty, Maryn Tueller as Urleen, and Beyonca Davis as Wendy Jo (who harmonize beautifully) follow Ren around as he butts heads with various townspeople, for "Holding Out For a Hero" because it is set at a drive-in movie with 1980s movie heroes who come to life from the LED screens around the theater (my favorites are Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, the Karate Kid, and Elliot flying around on his bicycle with E.T.), for "I'm Free" because it takes place in the school's gym and the choreography incorporates basketballs, jump ropes, and trampolines, for "Let's Hear It for the Boy" because the country line dancing as Ren teaches Willard to dance is so much fun to watch, and for "Almost Paradise" because Cottam and Whitney have such sizzling chemistry. I couldn't help cheering out loud at the end of each of these numbers! The set pieces are so much fun, especially the Burger Blast with the aforementioned movie screens, the Bar-B-Que with rows of cowboy hats, hanging wagon wheels, old license plates, and dollar bills tacked on the bar and tables, and the church with stained glass windows, and so are the costumes, particularly the Bomont High School gym uniforms and all of the 80s prom dresses. I also loved the real VW bug that Ren drives and the snapshots taken on the drive from Chicago to Bomont displayed on the screens (I laughed out loud at the one in front of the Lehi Roller Mills). This is not my favorite musical but I had an absolute ball last night (it is the best production of this show I have ever seen including an earlier one at HCT) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through August 30.