By Kathryn Olsen
On the stage of the Dan Valentine Auditorium, American Fork Community Theater is bringing the raw charisma and interpersonal understanding of Footloose to life. Based on the 1984 film, this musical fuses live performances of tracks from the movie (written by Kenny Loggins, Sammy Hagar, Jim Steinman,and Eric Carmen), with original music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford. The 1998 adaptation by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie stays mostly faithful to the original plot and characters. I, myself, approached the production having only seen the movie once and anticipating a fun trip to the 1980s.
Footloose follows the introduction of newcomer Ren McCormack(Paul McNiven) and his mother Ethel (Kimberly Turley Mckell) to the small town of Bomont. They are big city folk down on their luck, which makes them strange and suspicious characters around town. Gossip follows single mother Ethel, and Ren is pegged as a troublemaker. A greater culture shock is the discovery that town laws prohibit all public dancing. Ren makes it his mission to liberate his fellow teenagers by convincing the local Reverend (Jim Dale) to permit a dance.
For McNiven, the role of charismatic leader comes naturally. His energizing vocals are only matched by his precise dance moves. He adeptly plays up comedic moments, such as badly roller-skating at his after-school job.
The romantic lead Ariel is played to great effect by Cambry Wallentine, whorises wonderfully to challenging music. Her best moments are expressed in family dynamics with her Reverend father and her pacifying mother (Jennifer Aguirre). She can respond intelligently to various groups of peers and elders alike and her relationship with Ren seems to grow naturally from that.
Another budding romance on–stage is hilariously and sweetly stumbled through by the leads’ best friends. Willard (Derrick Cain), a mama’s boy with few social skills, is the most delightful cast member to watch because of his personal journey from “aw-shucks” goofball to dancing dynamo. Rusty, the girl he’s been awkwardly interested in since kindergarten, is the wonderfully brash and belting Shannara Jones. Willard is intimidated by her and the audience can understand why, since she exudes confidence, dances with abandon, and always has a snappy comeback. Jones’ homage to her crush, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” is an absolute showstopper in which she sees the best in a simple young man who is concurrently learning to be the dancer of her dreams.
The story’s two antagonists are roadblocks in very different ways. Ariel’s initial boyfriend, Chuck (Josh Lyon) is an ignorant alpha male who wears his delinquent status as a crown. Lyon plays him very convincingly as someone in need of extensive therapy and moral education. Contrasted with this is Dale’s Reverend Moore. He has no less power over many people but spends the entire play sincerely and movingly calling for divine wisdom on how to overcome personal tragedy.
Aguirre plays Vi Moore as a woman who knows where she stands and when to cross a line. She is persuasive, but deferential, and Aguirre gives her a sense of trusting loyalty. Her musical moments are always touching. Mckell rounds out the principal cast as a mother in a no-win situation who searches for the right course of action. Mckell provides a striking stage presence and confident vocals.
Because the ensemble is burdened by community guilt and fear for most of the play, the transitions in the society are wonderful. The teenagers are realistically celebrating individuality and the leaders are very relatable with their cautious approach to doing no harm. No matter the level of experience, there are many cast members to watch in the future.
Director Beth Bruner enhances and enables performances by a cast that is fantastically varied, while Aguirre is responsible for the fine results of her music direction. The choreography by DaMelly Alderate is impressively challenging, but reminiscent of the story’s era and mastered by the entire cast. The costuming by Katrina DeKarver stands out at several moments throughout the show as well as the all-important formalwear unveiling. Lukas Orton has lighting design that is straight out of 1984 but conveys different emotions or the gravity of a scene. Most impressive is the set design by Curt Stowell and David Bruner, where a single metal framework functions as a bridge, a choir loft, and dancing platform; projections on a large screen allow the setting to change from a diner to a country-western joint to a church. The rest is accomplished with very few pieces of moving furniture.
Although it is a story that can be appreciated when it understood, it is best suited for more mature audiences, due to the mentions of sexuality, drug use, and domestic violence. American Fork Community Theater’s Footloose is energizing and empowering and runs until March 7, so you have plenty of time to kick off your Sunday shoes and cut loose.
American Fork Community Theater Presents Footloose by Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie, and Tom Snow.
Dan Valentine Auditorium, 839 E 900 N, American Fork, Utah 84003
February 22-March 9, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets: $5-10
Contact: 801-857-5729
American Fork Community Theater Facebook Page
Footloose Facebook Event
The show actually runs through the 9th–Facebook is incorrect.