A tale of youth rebellion, tradition, love and eighties pop music comes to the Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts Department.
A free-spirited teen named Ren McCormack (Erin Galloway) is forced to move from Chicago to the small town of Bomont when his father abruptly leaves. The adults of the town promptly brand him a troublemaker for little reason other then he’s different from everyone else and questions their rules, most notably the law that dancing of any kind is expressively forbidden.
Chafing under such strict laws, McCormack endeavors to fight back by holding a dance party. In the process, he butts heads with the well-meaning but close-minded Reverend Shaw Moore (Nathaniel Mack) and romances the Reverend’s rebellious daughter, Ariel (Sydnie Johnson).
The plot of the musical closely follows the plot of the original movie, with some changes made to accommodate a stage. Some movie scenes, like the abandoned barn McCormack sneaks into to dance out his frustrations, are cut for time and convenience. Some new characters are added as well, partly to provide back-up singers and partly for scenes that are either new or significantly altered from the movie, such as the short but memorable scene involving restaurant owner Betty Blast.
“Footloose” always had a reputation for cheese, but the musical takes this to new heights, thanks in part to the camp inherit in singing your feelings out loud. This works to the plays’ advantage, as over-the-top cheesiness is one of the reasons so many people went to see the original movie in the first place.
The other reason, of course, is the songs, and for the most part they work. The most famous tunes from the film – “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” and the eponymous “Footloose” are all here, remade into musical numbers and worked straight into the plot. A few original numbers are here too, like Reverend Moore’s “Heaven Help Me,” where he sings about his struggles relating to his daughter.
While the songs themselves are well sung, it’s apparent that the play bent over backward to make what were originally background songs part of the actual plot, and not all of it works. In the film, “Holding Out for a Hero” was played over an exciting confrontation between McCormack and resident crook Chuck Cranston. Here, it’s Ariel and her posse singing about wanting boyfriends, or in Ariel’s case a better boyfriend then the one she has. Many of the original songs feel like they were included solely because audiences were expecting them, and could be cut out of the play with little trouble.
The exclusive songs fit a bit more cleanly, since they were made with the musical in mind. There is a few notable missteps, most notable “Mama Says,” a pointless comedy relief song that keeps going long after its worn out its welcome.
The characters themselves are very good in their roles. Erin Galloway not only gives a good performance as the main character, he even has a passing resemblance to original actor Kevin Bacon. Nathaniel Mack as Reverend Moore is especially good, portraying Moore as a man who is rigidly set in his ways but also cares deeply about his community and family.
“Footloose” the play is “Footloose” the movie writ large – the cheesy ’80’s atmosphere has been well preserved and taken to new heights, and the emotional scenes are all well-acted. The songs are the biggest contention point; fans of the film might find they prefer the original songs to the Broadway adaptations, and some of the songs made for the musical seem out of place. Nonetheless, old fans and those new to the story will find a mostly enjoyable performance that invites you to get up and dance.
“Footloose” started on Friday 17 and will run at 8 p.m. April 23, 24, 25, 30, and May 1, 2 and at 2 p.m April 25, 26 and May 2, with a special showing for Day Under the Oaks 3 p.m. May 3. Ticket prices are available at the website.
