Footloose

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Footloose

Playwright/Composer – Stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, music by Tom Snow, with additional music by Eric Carman, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, and Jim Steinman, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, based on the screenplay by Dean Pitchford.

Production Company/Theatre space – (professional) Stage West Dinner Theatre.

Length – 2 ACT (2 hours, 20 minutes, one intermission)

Genre/s – Musical

Premise – A big city boy, who loves to dance, relocates to a small town where dancing is prohibited, tries to change the minds of the lawmakers while the girl he has a crush on is in an abusive relationship with a thug (who also beats him up).

Why this play? Why now? –  A recognizable show and crowd pleaser.

Curiosities – I’m curious if the many actors making debuts is the way Stage West can cast closer to home? When was the last time I saw two older men wipe away a tear? When was the last time I heard such a loud appreciative response from the house? I also wondered if dance belts went out with the ark.

Notable Moment – Willard learning to dance.

Notable writing – The story is formulaic and keeps true to the original screenplay. It’s the show’s upbeat score and familiar lyrics that reach out beyond the footlights. Having a show that engages with an emotional storyline is so much preferable to the wiki concerts we’ve had our fill of recently.

Notable performances – There is some fine talent on that stage. Sam Boucher and Paige Foskett are great as the leading couple, but it is actually Tayo Gbalajobi (what a voice!) and Ben Skipper who steal the spotlight. And while some of the actors look a little too old to be in high school, better they bring their years of talent to serve the play than the more age appropriate but less experienced performers.

Notable design/Production – After a break from set designing for 20 years, Wes D. Pearce is back. Where have you been? We’ve missed you and your talent!  Costume Designer Leslie Robison-Greene juggles over 100 costumes. They aren’t my recollection of the 80s but then again, I didn’t live in rural USA. The lighting design by David Smith is excellent. Smith brings us water and trains by maximizing every available light on the grid with a strong plot.  He makes it look simple but this is an art form.

Notable direction – Jesse Weafer, the choreographer, allegros the production values with his muti-dimensional high energy dance numbers. Konrad Pluta’s band provides the solid foundation we’ve come to expect. Relatively new Director Phil Nero misses a few beats by not keeping the tension of the fights, the electricity of the first kiss, giving the audience something to watch during the set changes, and intermittent actor freezing scenes. Despite these missteps this is still one of the best musicals I’ve seen at Stage West since Mark Bellamy’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Priscella Queen of the Desert.

One reason to see this show – On leaving the theatre I heard someone say they were going to return and bring more people! Music to my ears. Let’s hear it for the show.