Townspeople and choreographers: Standing, from left, are Diana Witt, Morgan Perigard, Sarah Damers, Embrey Grimes, Zach Schwartz and Kaley Haller; and, sitting, from left, are choreographers Sarah Bresnahan and Meredith Mehegan, plus actors Andrew Sharpe, Aubrey Cervarich and Shaina Greenberg. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
The music, story and costumes will transport audiences back to the ’80s when Westfield High presents the musical, “Footloose,” in the school theater. It’s Westfield’s Cappies show and features a cast and crew of 55.
“What a great way to end a beautiful year,” said Director Susie Pike. “The cast is energized by the music and they’re really having fun. We’ve got great singers, dancers and actors who mesh well together, and it’s nice to work with students who have so many talents.”
The curtain rises Friday-Saturday, April 29-30, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. Seating is reserved; tickets are $10 for students and in advance via www.whsfootloose.weebly.com and $12 at the door.
Senior Connor Rudy plays Ren, a high-school student who’s just moved from a big city to the small town of Beaumont, Texas, that’s just outlawed dancing. “He’s trying to adjust, but dancing is a passion of his,” said Rudy. “He’s witty and likable and falls in love with the daughter of the preacher [Eni Oyeleye] who banned dancing.”
Rudy enjoys playing Ren because “I like the sarcasm and wit he puts into each line. And it’s great to finally be able to play a character who likes dancing as much as I do.”
His favorite number is “I’m Free/Heaven Help Me.” “It’s fast and upbeat and I sing and dance in it,” said Rudy. “This song has so much intensity and it’s when Ren realizes the law needs to be repealed.” He said the audience will love hearing all the music from ‘Footloose’ that they grew up with, especially the title song and “Holding Out for a Hero.”
Portraying Ariel, the preacher’s daughter, is sophomore Molly Van Trees. Ren, Ariel and their classmates unite to dissolve the rules in hopes of having a senior prom. “Ariel’s a complex character,” said Van Trees. “Around her parents, she’s demure. But she wants to be fun, flirty and wild; and around her friends, she gets to be herself. She’s good at navigating between the two worlds she lives in. However, she lost her brother – and the whole town ignores that – which is hard for her to deal with.”
Van Trees likes her role because “Ariel’s such a cool character. I get to be kind of wild and I really enjoy performing.” She especially likes the song, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” because “Every time I hear it, it puts a smile on my face and I want to dance. You never get tired of it, it’s such a cute number.”
She said people will enjoy Westfield’s fresh, new interpretation of such a classic show. “Everyone in the cast is so talented and brings such unique qualities to their characters that they stand out in their own ways, even in the ensemble,” said Van Trees. “It’s a joy to work with them.”
Senior Shaina Greenberg plays Rusty, Ariel’s best friend and part of her “posse” of buddies. “They’ve known each other since they were children and both tease and support each other,” said Greenberg. “Rusty’s a little awkward. She and this guy, Willard, have always had a connection, but are too shy to talk to each other. She also has a lot of attitude and spunk and has to have the last word.”
“I love playing Rusty,” she said. “She’s a teenager like me, so I have similar experiences to draw from – being awkward with boys and standing up for a friend – so it’s easy for me to connect with her.” Greenberg said the audience will like the show’s high energy, lights and upbeat music. “And they’ll be able to recognize people they know in the personalities of the small-town characters,” she added. “It’s the ’80s and everything is larger than life and really entertaining.”
Portraying Willard is senior Keegan Garant. “He’s Ren’s best friend and the comedic relief,” said Garant. “He’s a lovable character who adds less of a sense of urgency to the show. He’s laid-back, goofy and universally liked by the whole town. He’s also Rusty’s love interest, but doesn’t quite know how to express his feelings to her.”
Enjoying his role, Garant said, “Willard isn’t well-educated, but he is fun-loving and I can add a high level of energy to him. I also get to bring my precise, comedic timing to this character. And people will like my song, ‘Mama Says,’ which is hilarious. It’s about the lessons Willard’s mama taught him, but they’re really stupid and can’t be applied to real life – yet he takes them seriously.”
Overall, said Garant, “The audience will get a happy vibe from the show. It’ll bring energy to their hearts and make them want to get out of their seats and dance.”
The scenes take place in the high school, church and town and, said Director Pike, “My tech students have done an amazing job of designing a multi-level set, complete with stained-glass windows. They’ve worked hard to make this set special. It really warms my heart to work with all the kids because they’re so much fun, they make me laugh every day.”
She said the audience will love the show’s high-spirited, high-school attitudes, and it’ll bring back “fond memories of ’80s high-school days and its music and, most importantly, the clothes. The girls will have jeans jackets, leg warmers, ugly prom dresses, big hair and lots of purple eyeshadow.” And the boys will have mullets, cowboy hats and boots.
“This musical has a wonderful message that teenagers can teach adults as much as adults can teach them,” said Pike. “The kids simply want to be able to dance again, and they prove they can be responsible.”