Recently, I had the pleasure of watching the Pasquerilla East Musical Company’s (PEMCo) dress rehearsal of “Footloose” in Washington Hall with a friend. The production stood out as a vibrant, high-energy musical with several impressive standout performances.
Ren McCormack (Victor Williams) arrives in small-town Bomont and quickly learns, after performing a number in front of his classmates, that the Reverend (Bryce Bustamante) has banned dancing. With the help and support of the Reverend’s daughter, Ariel Moore (Josy Pitaro), and his friend Willard Hewitt (Michael McDonald), Ren makes it his mission to figure out how to get Bomont to dance again.
To make one pedantic criticism before getting into all I enjoyed — I thought there were several loose ends concerning the writing that never got sufficiently resolved. I understand that the duration of the PEMCo production needs to be shorter than the actual musical, and that several scenes needed to be shortened for brevity, but the musical would have benefited from a structure that gave greater value to the plot as was given to the individual scenes and numbers.
That being said, the musical numbers were undoubtedly the highlight of the production, bringing energy and vibrancy to the stage. The pit orchestra delivered an almost flawless performance, providing a rich and dynamic accompaniment to the action. The choreography was seamless, with every dancer moving in perfect sync. Among the many standout moments, a few musical numbers left a particularly strong impression:
“Holding out for a Hero”
Aside from it being the most well-known song of the musical, it was sung with the most energy and vocal consistency out of the rest of the numbers. Moreover, the choreography matched the intensity of music. It was truly an exceedingly lively and animated number.
“I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man)”
Powerfully delivered by the Reverend, the number provided an emotionally charged and triumphant conclusion to the first act. The singing captured the character’s inner turmoil and transformation, blending desperation with newfound resolve.
“Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down)”
Willard’s performance was colorful and endearing throughout the play, and his number just solidified that characterization. It was not a sacred, careful recitation of a number performed hundreds of times before, but felt fresh and dependent on Willard. His semi-cartoonish authenticity gave the entire musical a layer of charm and, I felt, was the key that transformed the musical “Footloose,” as most people know it, into a musical that is unique to PEMCo.
With regard to acting, Reverend Moore, Vi Moore (Maddie Bendzick) and Willard stood out the most. The Reverend, aside from not missing any notes in his solos, gave a uniquely mature and refined performance in the non-music interludes that I haven’t seen much of in undergraduate theater.
Vi Moore, although a secondary role, performed the sweet tender mother with care and precision, whose attention to thoughtfulness and selflessness was palpable.
To say I enjoyed PEMCo’s production of “Footloose” would be an understatement, and I encourage you to enjoy it too. Productions of the musical occur at 7 p.m. from March 27 to 29 in Washington Hall.
