Footloose Review

By Kristina Dorsey of The Day

"Footloose" has more than its share of entertaining moments.

Jan 20, 2009 5:01 PM - Published on 1/11/09

Here’s the thing: The stage version of “Footloose” feels different in spirit from its movie predecessor. The elements, from the orchestrations to the acting, echo musical-comedy conventions more than movie dramas – and understandably so.

Yet, what the two have in common is energy and a sense of fun.

That’s what propelled the touring production by the Prather Entertainment Group that came to the Garde Arts Center Saturday night. It played to a surprisingly crowded theater, considering the snow coming down outside.

The show, which was still running at deadline, skips along on the vitality of the skilled cast and the catchiness of the tunes-think of “Holding Out for Hero” or, of course, the title song.

Erik Keiser takes on the starring role that Kevin Bacon had in the 1984 movie – Ren McCormack, rebel. Make that rebel and dancer. When he moves from Chicago to a small town where dancing and rock music are banned, well, of course he wants to dance to rock music. He and the other teens want to get footloose.

While Bacon’s Ren was cool, even brooding, Keiser’s sparks with more of a sitcom smart-aleck humor –which, surprisingly enough, works. He makes Ren likable and shows himself to be a powerful singer on such numbers as “I Can’t Stand Still.”

Every new-guy-in-town has to meet a girl, and here, that’s Lindsay Luppino’s Ariel. Luppino sasses and sashays as a rebellious minister’s daughter should and matches Keiser in signing ability.

This stage adaptation, which is marking its 10th anniversary, features a score by Dean Pitchford (who wrote the screenplay and most of the lyrics for the movie) and Tom Snow. Pitchford and Walter Bobbie worked together on the show’s book.

The show loses some oomph during some of the between-song scenes. And the songs written for the parents could use more verve-a fault of the songs, not of the performers. But it has more than its share of entertaining moments.