Other Voices Presents FOOTLOOSE 12/2-4

Known for its annual staging of Alice, Other Voices is set to bring its production of the wildly popular Footloose, the musical adaptation of the 1984 film, to the Frederick stage for a limited run December 2, 3, & 4, 2010. The show will be performed at the Performing Arts Factory at 244 South Jefferson Street in Frederick beginning at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Based on the Paramount Pictures film of the same name, Footloose, one of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn't prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town's youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend's rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score (the soundtrack album reached number one on the Billboard charts and has sold over 15 million copies) and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

The original Broadway production opened at the Richard Rogers Theatre in the fall of 1998 and ran for a total of 727 performances before closing in the summer of 2000. It was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, and Best Choreography.

Other Voices' production is set to open just as Paramount Pictures announced a fall 2011 release date for the remake of the original film.

The cast of Other Voices' production is lead by Helen Hayes Award-winner Parker Drown as Ren with Alex Alggzi, Maria Boyce, Rebecca Brown, Matt Carlstrom, Tommy Evich, Tara Forseth, Ed Gabb, Kiersto Gasemy, Maggi Gasemy, Brent Hammett, Nancy Jones, Bruce Kelly, Leslie Kelly, Adrianne Lavala, Anne Leatherman, Erica Loy, Isabella Marcellino, Rick Marcellino, Michael Miller, Jenna Nemtsov, Kathleen Reed, Alberta Shulman, Karina Wright, and Jonny Kigin as Reverend Shaw Moore.

Footloose has music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and a book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Other Voices' production is directed be veteran director and performer Susan Thornton, with choreography by Donna B. Grim, and musical direction by Tina M. Bruley.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for students and seniors and $18 for adults. For additional information, visit www.danceunlimitedfrederick.com, or for tickets, call (301) 662-3722.

Other Voices Productions, a theatre and dance repertory company under the direction of Donna B. Grim, operates out of the Performing Arts Factory in Frederick, MD, which houses four dance studios and a 100 seat theater. Since 1995, Other Voices has produced an annual production of Alice, a theatrical dance production of the popular tale of Alice in Wonderland, at the Weinberg Center for the Arts.