Schools
Musical Added Modern Twist
The cast and crew did a wonderful job in the musical production 'Footloose'
It was evident that the 60-some-odd students involved in the Chartiers Valley High School musical “Footloose” worked hard and nothing was holding them down as they cut loose.
The musical is based on the 1984 Kevin Bacon film “Footloose” by Dean Pitchford, which he rewrote for the musical stage along with Walter Bobbie. Chartiers Valley performed the musical last week with a talented group headed by producer and director, Kim McVay. She gave the 1980’s staple a modern day twist by digitally showing text messages, tweets and Facebook statuses during the performance.
The set of the musical, which was under the direction of Dustin Giffin, was simple and the costumes tied into the modern theme rather than vintage 1980’s apparel. Though it was difficult at times to hear some of the acting and singing over the eight-man orchestra, I believe McVay made the right choice of putting the group behind the actors rather than in the pit, where musicians are traditionally seated.
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“Footloose” showcased a lot of dancing choreographed by Cathy Jenkins. The dance ensemble perfected it during the shows, although I’m not surprised since the high school is known for its talented dancers.
Lead actors both did wonderful jobs and you can tell why the two have both been previously nominated for a Gene Kelly Award, but I thought their side kicks, Rusty (Rocki Boulis) and Willard (Harrison Wayne) were the surprise talent of the performance and stole the show. Without their witty comments and fun, moronic characters, the show would have not been nearly as delightful and entertaining. Both Boulis, a sophomore and Wayne, a senior, should be nominated for their roles for best supporting actress/actor.
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“Holding Out For A Hero” performed by Bruno, Boulis, Katie Vercek and Megan Henderson was by far the best song performed vocally. It also was very energetic and intrigued the audience members, which was a full auditorium of all ages.
Chartiers Valley High School’s rendition of “Footloose” was entertaining, at times raunchy, had a modern twist, which any high schooler, not to mention anyone in 2011, could relate to. The text messages, Facebook and tweets were not overplayed, but simply show our lives being overcome by texting and social media networks.
The cast and crew did a wonderful job.
