Get ready to lose your blues and kick off your Sunday shoes.
“Footloose” the musical is making its premier Thursday at Park Theater.
“This is a ton of fun and one of those shows were everybody is going to leave feeling better,” said director Logan Taylor. “It’s a story adults and kids will enjoy with all the songs everybody knows.”
Seasoned stage performer Christian Weeter plays the lead of Ren McCormack, a dancing enthusiast displaced from big-city Chicago to the bumpkinville of Bomont, West Virginia. Ren is eager to show off his dance moves to his classmates, but is quickly told by the principal dancing is not allowed in Bomont.
Because he’s different, it doesn’t take long before Ren gets beaten up by cowboy-hat-wearing Willard Hewitt, played by Colton Smith. But after the fight the two become friends and Willard even stands up to the principal and defends Ren’s dancing.
“I’m the countriest of country,” said Smith of his character. “I’m goofy and a good ol’ boy who doesn’t like dancing.”
The town wouldn’t be complete without Bible-thumping preacher Shaw Moore, played by Matt Sands. It was the preacher who worked to get the no-dancing law passed in Bomont after a tragic car accident involving four kids returning from a dance. Moore is having trouble in his own house with a wild-child daughter named Ariel played by Emily Graham.
“She’s the reverend’s daughter and very rebellious,” said Graham. “She acts out because her dad is so controlling.”
Ariel and Ren will become close with Ariel confiding in the newcomer that she secretly hates Bomont. Later in the show, they slip off to a neighboring town where dancing is allowed.
In an effort to promote change, Ren goes before the town council to try and get the dancing ban lifted, even pointing out dancing is written about in the Bible. But his idea is swatted aside because the preacher has the town council in his pocket.
Ren has a face-to-face with the preacher in hopes of spinning his anti-dance mindset and his words give the preacher reason to reflect. The preacher struggles with what he should do.
Will dancing find its way to the town of Bomont? Be sure to catch “Footloose” to learn the answer.
Tickets can be purchased at the Park Theater box office, from the Park Theater website, or by calling 506-2787.
Other main characters include Anna Kneip as Rusty, Savannah Saylors as Vi Moore, Dawson Smedley as Chuck, Mary Humphrey as Urleen, Emmy Stepien as Wendy Jo, and Matthew Coppinger as Lyle.