Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Dance parties, upbeat music, and fun songs, Footloose was a musical that revived the CHS theater department, and students of all grade levels participated in the production of it. After going to the Saturday 7:30 PM show (notably one of the best shows according to Mr. McCaffery) here are my thoughts about it, and why I really enjoyed it.

The I-keep-replaying songs from Footloose

For those who attended the musical, or saw the school-wide preview of it, you know how catchy some of these songs were! After narrowing down my list of favorite songs, I’ve chosen three songs that stood out to me the most in terms of choreography and rhythm:

“Footloose”

“Footloose”, the first song of the musical, features most of the cast with energetic dance moves and western costumes, giving the audience a sense of where this musical will be taking place as well as giving us Ren’s backstory, and why him and his mother are moving from Chicago to a small town called Bomont. This was definitely one of my favorite songs because it started off the musical in a fun and lively way, and grabbed my attention from the start.

“I Can’t Stand Still”

Talk about talent! Ren (played by Junior Gal Ashkenazi) delivered this solo with outstanding vocals and choreography, making it one of the songs that stood out to me the most. In this song, Ren sings about his love for dancing, and how he just can’t seem to stop, making it almost humorous because of how he recently moved to a town where dancing is outlawed. Favorite part? Gotta be that smooth moonwalk he did.

“Let’s Hear It For The Boy”

The second part of the musical started out with a bang with “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” sung primarily by Rusty, played by sophomore Kisberli Corcino. This song made it to the top three charts because once again, I was hooked into the musical after intermission. Between the fast and exciting swing dancing done by the cast and Rusty singing this song to portray her adoration for Willard Hewitt (played by freshman Tyler Von Glahn), it was one of my favorites from Act 2.

The Noteworthy Cast

Of course, this production could not have happened without our brilliant cast who executed their roles for three consecutive days (four shows in total!)
Cast members who caught my eye the most during the show, other than our main leads Ariel Moore (played by Sophomore Danna Alvarez) and Ren McCormack were Mr. and Mrs. Moore, played by Juniors Leo Rael and Mae Passarotti. Both cast members rose to the task with these roles, delivering powerful lines and sentimental solos about the frustrations of dealing with grief and loneliness. It is clear what type of talent Leo and Mae bring to the CHS stage, and I hope to see them again in next year’s musical.

The Questionable Set

Now, for the reason why I gave the musical a .5 off their rating—the set. As someone who partook in the making of the set, I will admit, it was not my favorite compared to other years sets. Though it did its part in setting a scene for the stage, I wished we could have seen more props or art to really bring the setting to life. (Also a big round of applause to stage crew who had to push and rearrange the stage every scene—you guys are awesome)

Regardless of my minor complaint, the musical was a big success, and I’m glad I went and enjoyed Footloose in the new auditorium. It was the perfect way to spend the night and support friends who worked hard to make this musical come to life.