There are, as you would expect, some really great song and dance numbers in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Footloose, currently on stage at the Dunfield Theatre.
The show is, after all, based on a story that has earned both Oscar and Tony award nominations.
Urbanite Ren McCormack is compelled by family circumstances to move from Chicago to the backwoods town of Bomont, where rock music and dancing are actually outlawed.
Outraged by the lack of freedom afforded the town’s youth, he takes on everyone from the town bully to the town council in an effort to change the law, in the process falling into a risky relationship with Ariel, the daughter of the town’s pious preacher, prime champion on the dance ban.
Director Timothy French also handles choreography for this show and, in conjunction with musical director Craig Fair, has the cast frequently providing the sort of high energy song and dance showcase audiences should expect.
If there’s a knock on this production it’s that it’s easy to show up anticipating a more typical stage musical, where the tunes never stop except to interject a bit of fluff designed to pass for a plot. The stage version of Footloose is somewhat hamstrung by the need to cover a fairly complicated story, making it a bit “talkier” than most musicals.
The show also drags a bit on some songs that are clearly added more for expository capacity than catchiness.
There’s also an effort to inject more humour into this than was contained in the 1984 film. While some of it plays okay, it seems to replace a few iconic dramatic scenes and the play ends up lacking some of the edginess that made the film work and Kevin Bacon a star.
Taken on its own, the show is a lot of fun and features strong performances by Colin Sheen and Danielle Wade, as Ren and Ariel, and a terrific turn as Ren’s buddy Willard by Nick Settimi, who displays sharp comic timing and a powerful singing voice that shines through on the rollicking Mama Says.
Sheen and Wade create plenty of chemistry and both can hit all the notes needed when it’s time for tunes to carry the story.
David Cotton is suitably brooding as bad boy Chuck Cranston. AJ Bridel, Anna Hurshman and Jade Repeta steal the stage on several occasions as Ariel’s friends Urleen, Wendy Jo and Rusty. All display polished voices and bring plenty of energy to their roles. Repeta in particular shines on Let’s Hear It for the Boy.
Victor A. Young plays Reverend Shaw Moore a little more subdued than John Lithgow’s film version and comes across less obstinate and intimidating.
But in the scenes where he debates the dance ban with Ren, he displays powerful acting talent.
Susan Gilmour gives a touching performance as the Reverend’s conflicted wife, Vi, while Rebecca Poff is engaging as Ren’s single mother, Ethel.
The rest of the ensemble class is up to the challenge of a show that really focuses more on collective presentation than individual performances.
The unusual elements added through the transition from screen to stage make Footloose a more thoughtful production than we’ve come to expect from light-hearted musical fair.
And, if the final adjudicator is always the audience, the cast basked in a spontaneous standing ovation on opening night.
Footloose runs until Oct. 30. Tickets are $44 for adults and $26 for youth under 20. Tickets may be purchased online at www.dunfieldtheatrecambridge.com, in person at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge or by calling 519-621-8000 or toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
