Rise Up Performing Arts will present “Footloose,” March 21-24 at Fairfield Freshman Theatre. There will be five performances. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Reserved tickets are $15 (plus applicable ticketing fees) and can be purchased in advance at riseupperformingarts.com.
Neal said it has been a delight to watch these young actors “sink their teeth into this story, believe in it, and believe in each other.”
“They have really put together an incredible performance. There’s something that I love about every single musical number,” Neal said.
Moving in from Chicago, newcomer Ren McCormick is shocked when he discovers the new Midwestern town where he now lives has made dancing and rock music illegal. As McCormick struggles to fit in, his rebellious spirit tries to loosen up the conservative town with the help of his new friend Willard Hewitt, and defiant teenager Ariel Moore.
“I just love the music. I grew up listening to the songs from the soundtrack to the movie. ‘Let’s Hear it for the Boy’ is one of my all-time favorite songs. So, the show is packed with great music, and it also works well for this age group of performers. Most of the kids in the cast are 16 to 18, but we do have a couple of 14 and 15-year-olds in the show,” said Neal.
She said although the cast is having fun with the iconic musical numbers, there’s a lot of “heart in the story” the young actors portray from the stage. There are 34 cast members in the show.
“Everybody knows the song, ‘Footloose.’ Everybody knows the story of the town that banned dancing, and then in the end, they get to throw a prom, but it’s really so much more than that. There’s a lot of heart to this story. It celebrates the exhilaration of youth,” Neal said.
She said there’s so much push and pull in the story between the adults making the rules, and making this law to protect the kids, and the kids pushing back, asking do the rules still make sense.
She said one of her favorite scenes is between the lead character McCormick and the other lead, the Rev. Shaw Moore.
“They have this very passionate scene where they are talking about when there was a time for this law, but not any more. You feel like you’ve healed the wounds from this tragic loss, because the whole story centers around the four teenagers who were killed in a tragic accident. So, the town just freaks out and goes the other way and bans anything that they think could lead the kids to ever experience something like that again,” Neal said.
The musical is set in the 1980s as a nod to the original “Footloose” movie, which was released in 1984. The costumes, such as the denim-styles and the prom dresses, also represent that era. With a rear-view projection system, the set and projection designs are stunning.
“People are just really going to enjoy it. You’ll leave feeling uplifted and feeling good. You’ll probably also want to just get up and dance,” Neal said.
How to go
What: “Footloose, The Musical” presented by Rise Up Performing Arts
When: There will be five shows from Thursday through Sunday, March 21-24. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Fairfield Freshman Theatre, 8790 N. Gilmore Road in Fairfield
Admission: Tickets are $15. To purchase tickets online, visit RiseUpPerformingArts.com. Tickets will also be available at the door for each performance if the show is not sold out.
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