Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes With FOOTLOOSE At St. Luke's United Methodist Church

Orlando, Florida-St. Luke's United Methodist Church is pleased to present its 7th annual summer musical Footloose opening Friday, August 3. With an Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score and electric choreography, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, and guiding them with a warm heart and open mind. This show is full of dancing and fun, and is great for all ages.

The musical is based on the blockbuster 1984 movie of the same name starring Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack. Ren and his mother leave the high-rises and nightlife of the windy city and relocate to the small town of Bomont, TX. They quickly realize it's quite different than city life, especially since the town has banned dancing. With the help of his new-found friends Ariel and Willard, Ren takes on the Reverend and the town council and reveals some of the town's unhealed wounds.

Director Steve MacKinnon (St. Luke's Director of Theater and Contemporary Music) said, "Footloose is such a timely story to be sharing with our audiences right now. We are excited to tell a story about young people finding their voices, uniting to make a change in the world, and even dealing with the issues of both pain and healing a church can cause in the world. We have assembled a dynamic cast and creative team to bring this iconic story to life. This is St. Luke's seventh annual summer musical, featuring local actors, singers, dancers, youth, and a live orchestra!"

The cast includes Spencer Morrow (Ren), Andrea Stack (Ariel), Rob Stack (Willard), Ralph Daniel (Rev. Shaw) and many more talented actors from St. Luke's and the Central Florida Community. Footloose is directed by Steve MacKinnon with musical direction by John R. Mason, III, choreography by Kim Ball, scenic design by Steven Mitchell, costumes by Rich Najuch, lighting design by Alyx Jacobs, props by Lilly Hastings, and sound by Anthony Narcisso. Christine Kindred, Tiffany Lyn Meadows, and Brittany Vega round out the team as Production Stage Managers.

The Rev. Jennifer Stiles Williams, St. Luke's Lead Pastor notes, "Footloose shares the story of what happens when fear takes over a community and we use the Bible and religion in ways that harm. We want to recognize that faith and community is about standing up for what is right, kicking off our "Sunday shoes" and learning to forgive, heal, love and dance with God and God's people.

Theatergoers will be dancing and singing in their seats to chart-toppers like "Let's Hear it for the Boy," "Almost Paradise," and "Holding Out for a Hero."

Footloose performance dates and times include:

• · Friday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m.
• · Saturday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m.
• · Sunday, August 5 at 2:30 p.m.
• · Thursday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m.
• · Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m.
• · Saturday, August 11 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• · Sunday, August 12 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $15-$20. Tickets are on sale now at st.lukes.org/footloose. To reserve group tickets, call 407.876.4991 ext. 258. St. Luke's United Methodist Church is located at 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road in Orlando.