Curtain to raise on 'Footloose' at Pine-Richland Middle School

Students at Pine-Richland Middle School are performing the musical “Footloose” this winter and they aren’t the only ones who are looking forward to the production.

“We don’t know who’s more excited, the kids or their parents,” director Angela Gross said. “We’ve had so much good feedback from the parents.”

The musical is based on the 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack, a charismatic teen from Chicago who shakes things up in tiny Bomont, where he’s recently moved with his mother, when he learns that dancing and rock and roll music have been banned by the town’s conservative minister.

Count seventh-grader Brayden Stiscak, who plays Ren in Pine-Richland’s show, among those whose parents may have — at least initially — been more excited than he was about this year’s selection.

“I had no clue what this was so I was eager to find out the story,” he said. “Then I watched the movies so I could get a better understanding of Ren.”

Gross said “Footloose” was selected because the school’s last two shows were Disney’s “The Lion King” and “Once Upon a Mattress,” a Rogers and Hammerstein show based on the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.”

They wanted the kids to experience a different genre and thought “Footloose” would be a great fit, Gross said.

The stage production does stray from the film in that it leaves out some of the more mature subject matter and scenes that those familiar with the movie might remember.

There’s still lots of great music, however, including the most memorable numbers from the movie, and of course lots of dancing.

Eighth-grader Sophia Giordano plays Ariel Moore, the feisty minister’s daughter who takes an interest in Ren.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I just like Ariel’s character. It’s fun playing her. She’s kind of a rebellious girl, and she’s serious, too, at times.”

Sophia’s twin sister, Gina Giordano, plays her mother in the musical, Vi Moore, while eighth-grader Jack Exline plays Shaw Moore, the minister.

They don’t make any cuts for the musical, and the cast includes 74 students. An additional 28 students are members of the crew, and a handful of high school students are helping out with lighting, sound and backstage.

Gross hopes the show will not only end up being fun for the kids but also teach them some life lessons.

“We’ve been kind of talking to them about when you enter into a new group or a new whatever in life, how can you improve it in a peaceful way and in a respectful way,” she said. “We’ve been talking a lot about respect this year. I said to the parents at our very first meeting — and I like to think it’s working — when kids do theater, especially at this age, it can change their life. They’re learning a show, but they’re learning to work together peacefully.”

Karen Price is a Tribune-Review contributor.