Footloose (musical)
| Footloose | |
|---|---|
| File:Footloose full.jpg London Poster | |
| Music | Tom Snow Others |
| Lyrics | Dean Pitchford Others |
| Book | Dean Pitchford Walter Bobbie |
| Basis | Film Footloose |
| Productions | 1998 Broadway 2000 US National Tour 2003 US National Tour 2004 UK National Tour 2006 UK National Tour 2006 West End 2007 UK National Tour 2007 West End 2008 West End |
Footloose is a musical based on a movie of the same name which was released in 1984. The movie starred Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow, Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
It was written by Dean Pitchford, Tom Snow, Walter Bobbie, and Kenny Loggins.
Broadway production
Footloose the Musical opened at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre on October 22, 1998 and ran for 709 performances until July 2, 2000.
Footloose received an at-best mixed critical reception though it was reasonably successful. General consensus was that the show was in and of itself poor, but the music and talented cast made it entertaining. Footloose has developed a following since its original release. It apparently has been one of the most frequently performed school plays in recent years, at least in the United States (see here for discussion on this subject).
Original Broadway cast
- Ren McCormack – Jeremy Kushnier
- Rev. Shaw Moore – Stephen Lee Anderson
- Ariel Moore – Jennifer Laura Thompson
- Willard Hewitt – Tom Plotkin
- Vi Moore – Dee Hoty
- Ethel McCormack – Catherine Cox
- Rusty – Stacy Francis
- Chuck Cranston – Billy Hartung
- Wendy Jo – Rosalind Brown
- Urleen – Kathy Deitch
Original London production
The London production of Footloose – The Musical, opened at the Novello Theatre on the Strand following two regional tours across the UK. It premiered on Tuesday 18 April 2006, following previews from Saturday 8 April 2006. Directed by Karen Bruce, the creative team included Morgan Large designing sets and costumes, James Whiteside as lighting designer, and Mike Dixon and Chris Egan as musical supervisors. The original role of Rev. Shaw Moore, played by Stephen McGann, was replaced by David Essex on June 10.
After playing to packed houses, the production closed on Saturday 11 November 2006, when the theatre became unavailable for a longer run. The production has recently completed its third UK tour, before returning to the West End from 17 August 2007 at the Playhouse Theatre where it plays until 6 December 2007, and then returns after Christmas from 6 March 2008 for an open-ended run in London.
Original London cast
- Ren McCormack - Derek Hough
- Rev. Shaw Moore - Stephen McGann
- Ariel Moore - Lorna Want
- Willard Hewitt - Giovanni Spaño
- Vi Moore - Cheryl Baker
- Ethel McCormack - Caroline Deverill
- Rusty - Stevie Tate-Bauer
- Chuck Cranston - Johnny Shentall
- Wendy-Jo - Lisa Gorgin
- Urleen - Natasha McDonald
Current London cast
- Ren McCormack - Tommy Sherlock
- Rev. Shaw Moore - Julian Agnew
- Ariel Moore - Maria Parvin
- Willard Hewitt - Giovanni Spaño
- Vi Moore - Lyn Paul
- Ethel McCormack - Nikki Belsher
- Rusty - Gemma O'Duffy
- Chuck Cranston - Johnny Shentall
- Wendy-Jo - Lisa Gorgin
- Urleen - Mallinda Parris
UK national tours
Footloose premiered in the UK at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in February 2004, where it played for three weeks before embarking on a twenty-four week national tour. It was hugely successful, but was unable to secure a West End theatre for immediate transfer. A second UK national tour of opened on 4 January 2006 at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. It starred Cheryl Baker and Stephen McGann and went on to tour another eleven venues mainly in the south of England and Scotland.
The production transferred into London's West End, starring David Essex and Cheryl Baker in April 2006, before closing in November of the same year - due to the limited availability of the Novello Theatre. Currently, the production is on its third national tour, which opened in Salford in January 2007, and will continue until July 2007. There are then plans to return the production to London.
National Tour Cast
Up to date from May 2007
- Julian Agnew - Reverend Shaw Moore
- Lyn Paul - Vi Moore
- Derek Hough - Ren McCormack
- Miria Parvin - Ariel Moore
- Johnny Shentall - Chuck Cranston
- Giovanni Spano - Willard Hewitt
- Gemma O'Duffy - Rusty
- Malinda Parris - Urleen
- Lisa Gorgin - Wendy Jo
- Bob Harms - Lyle
Plot
Act 1
Ren McCormack is in a dance club in Chicago ("Footloose") and finds out from his mother, Ethel, that they are moving to a town called Beaumont. In Beaumont, Ren and Ethel attend church and get their first glimpse of Reverend Shaw Moore ("On Any Sunday") who is a big authority figure in the town. After church, the Reverend's daughter, Ariel, runs off to a gas station to meet her boyfriend Chuck Cranston, who is, for lack of a better term, trailer trash, and only wants to get in Ariel's pants ("The Girl Gets Around"). While they are embracing, the Reverend shows up and catches Chuck with his hands around his daughter. He is not happy.
The next day, Ren shows up for school and immediately becomes friends with Willard Hewitt, a slow-witted cowboy with a bad attitude and a strong loyalty to his mother. Ren tells Willard about the dancing he used to do in Chicago ("I Can't Stand Still"). Willard tries to stop him from dancing in the middle of the school, but Ren ignores him and puts on a show in front of the school principal, who angrily explains that dancing is illegal in the town of Beaumont. Willard defends Ren, saying that he is new in town and does not know the rules. After the principal leaves, Rusty, who is madly in love with Willard, tells him how brave he is to have stood up the principal on Ren's behalf. Rusty and her friends then explains to an amazed Ren that dancing is illegal ("Somebody's Eyes") after Reverend Moore passed a law forbidding dancing after his son died in a car accident returning from a dance.
In the next scene we see Ethel, who has gone over to the Moore house to have tea with the Reverend's wife, Vi Moore. The two discuss how no one listens to them and everyone is set in their own ways ("Learning to be Silent")
After school that day, several of the students go to Betty Blast's, a burger restaurant. Ariel, Rusty and their friends are doing homework at a table while Willard talks to Ren, who is dressed up in a waiter's uniform as he has just been hired to work at the restaurant. When Ren takes Ariel's order, she flirts with him. Willard warns Ren that Chuck Cranston would not be happy if Ren were to become involved with Ariel. Ren then proceeds to question Willard about his relationship with Rusty. Willard proclaims that he thinks she is very good looking, but is annoyed by her nonstop talking. The scene shifts back to Ariel's conversation with her friends, and she is talking about how she wants to find a decent guy ("Holding Out for a Hero"). As she finishes her song, Chuck shows up in a fury and starts to yell at Ariel. Ren and Willard come to her defense, but it is Betty, the owner of the restaurant, who breaks up the fight.
After Ren gets off work, Ariel takes him to her secret place beneath the train tracks where she discusses her hatred of Beaumont. Unbeknownst to them, Chuck witnesses the pair together. Afterwards, Ren walks her home where they meet the Reverend and Vi, who defends Ariel to Reverend Shaw, who tells Ariel that he doesn't want her talking to Ren anymore. She storms off to her room and Vi tells Shaw that he's being too hard on her. After Vi leaves the room, Shaw ponderers whether or not he is being fair with her while considering the problematic task of being both a preacher and a father ("Heaven Help Me").
At school the next day, Ren shows up late to gym class with Ariel and Willard and explains to the teacher that he was jumped by Chuck, but the teacher won't listen. Ren realizes that the only way to beat the town is to get all the teenagers together and throw a dance. Willard tells Ren that he is insane, but Ren won't listen and tells all of the students of his idea, eventually winning them over ("I'm Free").
Act 2
Act two opens with Ren, Ariel, Willard, and Rusty in a town miles from Beaumont where there is a big dance hall, complete with a country band ("Let's Make Believe We're in Love"). Rusty repeatedly attempts to dance with Willard, but he weasels his way out, dragging Ren off to the bar to get drinks. There, he explains to Ren that he doesn't know how to dance. Rusty overhears them, and so do several cowboys, who begin to mock Willard. Rusty comes to his defense, saying that he might not be perfect, but she loves him anyway ("Let's Hear it for the Boy"). During Rusty's song, Ren tries to teach Willard to dance, who after much initial stumbling and apprehension whips off an amazing dance combination, much to Rusty's surprise.
When Ren brings Ariel home, Shaw is extremely angry with her for seeing Ren. He almost hits her, but he stops himself and Ariel runs from the room. Vi talks to Shaw and tries to explain that he is too hard on her because of the way he feels about their son's death and that she doesn't mean to make him upset ("Can You Find it in Your Heart?").
Meanwhile, Ren, Willard, and their friends are trying to find a way to present their idea to the town council. Ren is extremely discouraged and considers forgetting the whole idea. Willard gives Ren some advice that his mother told him and explains that he can't give up ("Mama Says"). Just as Ren's confidence has built up, Ariel shows up with a black eye and tells Ren that Chuck beat her up. Willard and his friends go off to find Chuck, and Ren comforts Ariel as they pronounce their love for each other ("Almost Paradise").
At the town council meeting, Ren stands up and explains to the council, including the principal, coach, and Reverend Moore, that dancing is written about in the bible and should not be illegal ("Dancing is not a Crime") The members don't listen and the motion is dismissed.
After the meeting, Ren goes to the church on the suggestion of his mother and explains to reverend Moore that he should not take his anger about his son's death out on the entire town. Shaw becomes furious and kicks him out of the church and remembers back to when his son was alive ("I Confess"). The memory fills him with a long-missed happiness and he realizes that Ren is right, and knows what he must do.
At the next service he tells the whole congregation that he is going to allow the teenagers to hold a dance. They are overjoyed. Ren asks Ariel to the dance and Willard invites Rusty, telling her that he is even willing to dance with her. After the crowd leaves, Vi and Shaw are left on stage alone, where Shaw tells Vi how much he loves her and how he has made many mistakes in the past (Can You Find It In Your Heart? (Reprise)). The show ends with a huge dance that even the Reverend and his wife attend ("Footloose/Finale")
Songs
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In April of 2005, the show was revised slightly. Professional theatre companies must now perform the new revised version while educational theatre companies, such as schools and youth community theatres, can continue to perform the old production. There is a slight difference in the musical numbers in Act 2 of the revised show including a brand new song called "Still Rockin'" Other changes include the removal of the 'rap' "Dancing is not a Crime." Only the very first section of the rap is used and right before "Mama Says" instead of during the Town Council meeting. Ren gives a speech instead during the meeting. Also, the Reverend's song "I Confess" has also been removed and replaced with a much longer and more emotional scene with Ren after the Town Council meeting and a short reprise of "Heaven Help Me" by Rev. Moore. Also, the show begins with Rusty, Wendy Jo, and Urleen singing the opening of "Footloose" instead of Ren and the boys, and during "Learning to be Silent" Ariel now sings with Vi and Ethel during the song.
Awards and nominations
1999 Tony Awards
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical -- Stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie [nominee]
- Tony Award for Best Original Score -- Music by Tom Snow; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford; Additional numbers by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, Jim Steinman [nominee]
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical -- Dee Hoty [nominee]
- Tony Award for Best Choreography -- A.C. Ciulla [nominee]