Meadow Brook Theatre’s ‘Footloose’ Cuts Loose and Embraces Fun!
While it premiered many years before I was born, Footloose was a formative film in my musical education. There was just something about Kevin Bacon playing a rebel in tight jeans dancing to some Kenny Loggins tracks that just made sense. The legacy of Footloose has lived on for almost 40 years without a sequel or good remake to its name. That is, until now… Thanks to Meadow Brook Theatre in collaboration with Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, the story of Footloose is alive once again!
Meadow Brook’s Footloose reimagines the classic musical, bringing the story of Ren, Ariel, and the small town of Bomont to the modern age. While it remains true to Dean Pitchford’s original screenplay, adapted for the stage by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, director Tyrick Wiltez Jones looked to tell a story representative of the world we live in today. From a diverse cast of talented actors to narratives we all understand, Meadow Brook’s Footloose is universal to everyone who walks through its doors.
With only one more week to catch this incredible adaptation of the classic film, now is the perfect time to put on your dancing shoes, let your hair down, and cut loose with Footloose!
[Warning: Spoilers from Meadow Brook Theatre’s Footloose are below!]
Ren’s journey from a big city to a country town in Footloose
At its core, this stage adaptation of Footloose is still the same story you grew up watching on television. Ren (Caleb Bermejo) is forced to leave his life in Chicago behind to move with his mother to the small, rural town of Bomont. Moving from a vibrant world brimming with life, a heavy dose of culture shock comes with such a drastic change. For one, there’s nothing fun to do within miles of the town, which is torture for the leather-wearing teen. Perhaps the biggest problem with Bomont is that religion seems to rule every decision within the city limits, with Reverend Shaw Moore (Ron Williams) and his heavenly disciples making all the rules.
Of course, like most people in power, Reverend Shaw Moore and the city council think they are making rules that are protecting the people of Bomont, such as the rule that no dancing or parties are allowed. A rule created from unbelievable grief has ultimately stifled the lives of the teens of the town, who have either given up or rebelled in their own ways.
Take Ariel Moore (Nadia Ra’Shaun), for instance. As the daughter of the reverend, she’s the one that all the other teens in Bomont look towards. In front of her mother Vi (Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin), and her father, she’s the perfect role model; however, once their backs are turned, she can’t help but step out into a world of debauchery and trouble. Dating troublemaker Chunk Cranston (Cody Jenkins) and dancing every opportunity she can get, Ariel’s the opposite of the child that Reverend Moore expects.
As soon as Ren and Ethel (Tauren Hagans) move into Bomont, the town’s delicate balance instantly becomes tumultuous. Ren’s passion is dancing, and his heart quickly becomes Ariel’s as they grow closer. He isn’t about to give up on either one of them. Is there a way to change Bomont’s perspective on dancing once again? If anyone can figure it out, it’s going to be Ren and his friends who need a change more than anything.
As tension builds between the adults of the town and the younger generation, the question becomes how they can bring dance and happiness back into this small country town, not if. Can Ren get through to Reverend Moore? Will he and Ariel fall in love? And will Willard (Ethan Langan) ever get the courage to speak to the beautiful Rusty (Laura Renne Mehl)? Only time and seeing Footloose will be able to answer those questions!
Meadow Brook’s talented cast packs a powerful punch
I remember growing up and feeling like Footloose was such a large film. I could never seem to pinpoint what exactly made it feel that way. Was it heartthrob Kevin Bacon running around on screen that caught my attention? Was it the upbeat pop songs that became instantaneous earworms? Perhaps it was both the music and the star power that made it what it was, with an energy that was bigger than just the film.
At its core, Footloose is an intimately personal story, driven more by relationships than the music that carries it from scene to scene. This show is an exploration of grief and the impact that it has on everyone in the vicinity. We witness the struggles that immediate families have with grief and also the rippling effect it has on the entire town. No one is left unscathed from the impact of losing students in a car accident, and it’s astounding how far and how it manifests in the town of Bomont.
With grief at the center of the narrative, Footloose is nothing without the talented cast of actors who give it their all for this show. This cast is a bunch of triple-threat talents who don’t just sing and dance but bring the heart to Footloose through their emotional performances. It’s this aspect of the musical that makes this show so incredibly special to the audience members. The acting overshadowed almost every other aspect of the show, which speaks to the caliber of talent on stage and not a drag against the singing and dancing, as that is just as excellent as we’ve come to expect from a Meadow Brook Theatre production.
Ron Williams once again proves his acting skills as the Reverend, who definitely serves as the villain of the story if you can call him that. Shaw is significantly flawed, as are all the other characters in the show, whose grief pushes him to assume as much control as possible. He uses his religious background to assert his dominance over the town, but when you peel back the layers, he’s deeply afraid of losing anyone else in his life.
It’s difficult to look at him and see a true tyrant, even though many of the teens in Bomont might not be able to see past that. Williams gives Reverend Shaw such depth and complexity, even when you hate his actions and decisions. It’s a sign of true craftsmanship to bring such nuance to a character, making audiences both dislike him and sympathize with his grief for the loss of a child.
Foiled against Williams’ Reverend Shaw are powerful leads Caleb Bermejo and Nadia Ra’Shaun. Bermejo captures the energy of Kevin Bacon perfectly, but he also makes the role of Ren entirely his own. He’s edgy and out of place, also struggling with the grief of his father and looking for an outlet for that pent-up energy. Dancing is his drug of choice, and being denied that impacts his mental health.
Ren is a rebel with a definite cause and doesn’t back down from the challenge. Bermejo understands Ren’s depths and the complexity of bringing a character like this to life. He easily volleys between the extreme emotions Ren experiences while also dancing and singing. That’s no easy feat, but Bermejo gives it his all in Footloose, proving that he was the right casting for this role.
Naida Ra’Shaun was a personal favorite of the show as Ariel, who is the perfect mixture of Reverend Shaw and Ren. Ariel is dealing not only with the loss of her brother, but also with having to live in the same house as her controlling father. She’s a warrior, fighting against those looking to take away her freedoms, while also recognizing which battles are worth fighting. She’s intelligent, understanding that she has a strong voice, and has learned when to keep quiet and speak out. Ra’Shaun has made complete magic in this role, making Footloose an absolute must-see just to witness her greatness on stage.
And while these three are the main focus of Footloose, there are so many incredible actors on stage that have their moments to shine. Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin single-handedly made me cry in this show, with one of the rawest performances of the entire show. She plays a mother stuck between two strong personalities and does her best to keep the peace. You see her resilience in every movement, which is a testament to Darby-Duffin’s acting abilities.
On the flip side, to balance out the show’s heaviness, we have Rusty (Laura Renee Mehl) and Willard Hewitt (Ethan Langan), whose energy is electric and intoxicating. Both characters bring levity to the show, with audiences roaring with laughter almost every time these two are together on stage. Mehl and Langan have so much personality that it not only oozes off the stage but also pulled me in and left me wanting more of these two actors.
Now’s the time to see Meadow Brook’s Footloose
You can never go wrong with a performance at Rochester, Michigan’s Meadow Brook Theatre. There is so much love and hard work poured into every show they put on that you can’t help but leave with a smile on your face, and Footloose is no exception. There’s a timeliness of this show with the current state of the world, and the creatives behind Footloose showcased that perfectly. This musical can be appreciated both on the surface for what it provides, but also has a deeper meaning if you wish to dig a little deeper. With complex characters and an exploration of grief on all levels, there’s so much to dissect that you’ll want to see Footloose as many times as you can.
Footloose runs through February 2, so get your tickets now! Have you seen the musical yet? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or @boxseatbabes, or @CosmicCircusBroadway.com on Bluesky!
Exclusive Interview: Director and Stars of Meadow Brook Theatre’s Footloose
