Row 1 (L-R): Samantha Curbelo, Tia Silver, Elda Trombley, and Tatiana Andolz-Casanova.
Row2 (L-R): Crista Drysdale, Jayden Maduro, Danielle Kellner, Billy Luzier, E. Lee Nicol, Ellen Quay, Adam Conklin, Matthew Walter, Drew Looney, Thomas Digby, B.J. Robertson, Cailey Smith, and Jim Diamondidis. Photo courtesy of ASGT.
The 1984 blockbuster film “Footloose” launched actor Kevin Bacon’s career into super-stardom and gave us the catchy title song that became a number one hit for singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins. A decade later, the song was an earworm, and its co-writer Dean Pitchford teamed up with songwriter/composer Tom Snow and choreography/director Walter Bobbie to bring “Footloose” to the stage. “Footloose: The Musical” opened on Broadway in 1998 and was nominated for four Tony Awards.
…is a must-see event filled with 1980s nostalgia and a heartwarming message.
The musical is mostly faithful to the Hollywood blockbuster. Big city kid, Ren McCormick, moves to the small town of Bomont with his mother Ethel. As a newcomer, he is at odds with both his peers and the town’s many adults. When Ren challenges the local ordinance against dancing, he evokes the wrath of the influential Reverend Shaw Moore, but gains the trust of Ariel, the reverend’s rebellious daughter. As Ren’s persistence and heart-felt honesty win over the town’s people, Reverend Moore is forced to come to terms with his own sorrow and fear.
Under the direction of Jerry W. Vess, Annapolis Summer Garden Theater’s production of “Footloose: The Musical” is a must-see event filled with 1980s nostalgia and a heartwarming message. Truly a multi-generational crowd-pleaser, the plot and performance can be enjoyed by teens as well as adults. Matthew Walter shines as the misunderstood outsider Ren. His vocals and dance-moves are absolute perfection! E. Lee Nicol gives us an outstanding performance as the powerful and complicated Reverend Shaw Moore. Danielle Kellner plays Ariel with believable toughness and tenderness.
The large supporting cast is equally talented with many actors delivering stand-out performances. As the preacher’s wife Vi Moore, Ellen Quay shines. Jim Diamondidis is warm and funny as country-boy Willard. As Ariel’s saucy sidekick Rusty, Cailey Smith is superb. Tatiana Andolz-Casanova and Tia Silver play Wendy Jo and Urleen, Ariel’s other flirty gal-pals.
While the costumes, hair and make-up take us back to small-town 1980s, it’s the music and the dancing that truly make this high-energy production fantastically fun. The eight-piece orchestra is led by pianist and conductor Ken Kimble and Anita O’Connor is the music director. Lynda P. Fitzgerald is choreographer and look for nods to cultural icons such as “Grease” and “Charlie’s Angels” in the dance numbers. Sadly, Saturday night’s performance was marred by faulty sound equipment that detracted from the overall quality of the show. Fortunately, equipment failure can be fixed and no doubt will be for this sold out show.
Running time: Two hours with one 15-minute intermission.
“Footloose: The Musical” runs through September 3, 2023, Thursdays through Sundays at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, 143 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD 21401. NOTE: This production has sold out for the rest of its run. If any tickets become available, they will listed online here.
