Thoughts about Footloose

[RW3]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 4:28pm

With tonight being the reunion concert at Feinstein's/54 Below, I just wanted to know what people thought or remembered about the original production. Post 'em here!

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 10:41pm

 I was there tonight and had a blast.  Made me forget how cotton candy fun to show is

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 10:46pm

That does sound fun.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 11:19pm

I wasn't a fan of the Broadway production but I really enjoyed the UK production 

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 11:35pm

Not a fan. But when I produced our local community theatre production, I told the director she made the show more fun than it had any right to be.  And I meant it.  

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/13/16 at 10:25am

I saw it way back in the day in Cleveland (I don't remember if it was a pre-Broadway tour, or the first stop on its first national tour). I honestly didn't care for it at the time. The whole thing felt very forced and didn't seem like anything was coming through naturally in the writing.

 

I did see a regional production a few years later done by a company that I would interview with a few months later. When asked what I had thought of their production my answer much along the lines of what ggersten said, "a very strong and fun production of a show that I've never cared much for."

[mistermanifesto]

Posted: 1/13/16 at 12:02pm

I'm not a fan of Footloose. I think the book is poorly written and if it weren't for the title song everyone knows, I think everyone would bash on the score. I feel like the plot is too muddy. You have too many things going in at the same time. You have Ren being a new kid, Ren missing his dad, dancing is a sin, dancing is a crime, the town is religious, Ariel falls in love with him, the town is shaken up by the death of the brother, etc.

 

I just think there are so many elements that aren't clarified well. Like Ren was dancing and it was a crime, so why didn't he get in trouble with the law? It's very ambiguous because it's both a sin and a law. And I don't think it makes sense that Reverend Shaw as a minister would change his mind so easily considering it's a sin. Laws are easily changed. The definition of sin to a preacher is not something you can change just because a kid made you realize you have to get over the death of your son. I hope that made sense. 

 

So what is it? Is it a drama about religion? Is it a romance? Is it just a big musical about dancing? It doesn't do any of those well. Sorry. Not sorry. 

 

Not only that but the book has lines that are so plastic and fake. I don't think anyone naturally would say some of those lines. Can I also bring up the song "Mama Says"?? That song is the equivalent to a fart joke in musical theatre. The lyrics are so dumb and it's an awful song for a cheap laugh. I love all kinds of theatre and music, but this is just distasteful.