Review: FOOTLOOSE at Broadway Palm

Ah, the ‘80s. The Richard Simmons gym shorts, the sweatbands, the Madonna tutus, the scrunchies. The Viet Nam war was over, and 9/11 was far in the future. Broadway Palm’s production of Footloose is a vivid reminder of those days of yore.

No matter what the decade, some things are a given: parents won’t understand their kids and vice versa.

The plot is not too complicated. Ren McCormack is forced to move from Chicago to the tiny town of Bomont with his mom when his dad abandons them. He is horrified to learn that dancing has been banned by a dictatorial reverend. With the help of the reverend’s rebellious daughter Ariel, he sets out to lift the ban. Choreography ensues.

Jordan Radis as Ren and Emily Dunn as Ariel make a cute couple visually, and their duet to “Almost Paradise” shows how they are equally well matched vocally. The second banana couple of Audrey Taylor Floyd as Rusty and Zach Greer as Willard, however, give them stiff competition.

Floyd belts out “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and shows off a wide vocal range. She, Dunn, Jamie Goodson as Urleen, and Maddie Garbaty as Wendy Jo are the quintessential girl group on “Holding Out for a Hero.”

Tall and lanky Greer shines as the tongue-tied Willard who eventually finds his inner dancer.

The video wall designed by Chris McCleary plays a prominent role in setting the atmosphere with a skyful of stars. The special effects of lightning and pillars of flame are dazzling.

If you’re ready to kick back, grab a glowstick and make your way to Broadway Palm. Footloose runs through July 1, 2023. For tickets, call 239.278.4422.