The lights went down, people fidgeted in their seats, and then the powerful voice of junior Erin Sullivan rang throughout the theater.

Footloose was an incredible performance by the entire cast. Footloose tells the story of Ren McCormack, a Chicago teen who is forced to move to a small town after his father leaves. Ren and his mother Ethel travel to Bomont, a town in which the local minister, Rev. Shaw Moore has banned music and dancing despite his daughter, Ariel Moore’s opinion.  The musical was an adaptation of the original movie and followed the storyline closely.

 The opening number showed off the talented voices of Sullivan, senior Karly Horn, and sophomore Lilly Stannard who played preacher’s daughter Ariel’s best friends. Not only was the harmonizing impressive, but the dancing created a fun atmosphere for everyone in the audience.

It was also great to see new male faces up on stage. The “cowboys” brought some humor and pizzazz with their choreographed dance moves.

The stars of the show, senior Lindsey McCumber (Ariel Moore) and junior Brady Fritz (Ren McCormack), never fail to impress. They played well off of each other and really embraced the characters. What was really incredible about the show was the fact that the talent was shared equally on the stage. Not only did McCumber and Fritz lead the show, but junior Scott Walczyk (Willard), and freshman Zach Miller (Rev. Shaw Moore), showed off their talent for acting, singing, and dancing.

Additionally, seniors Catey Minnis (Ethel McCormack) and Amanda Reid (Vi Moore) demonstrated their talents by singing a beautiful duet called “Learning to be Silent,” and Reid shined in her solo of “Can You Find it in your Heart” with both her impressive vocals and skilled acting.

By the last number, you could hear everyone in their seats humming to the catchy Footloose theme song. There was so much energy on stage it looked like the whole cast was having a great time. As everyone threw their hands in the air and stretched out the last note, there was cheering everywhere throughout the audience.

Footloose was a fun, upbeat, and comical show that friendly for all ages. The cast did an outstanding job working together to pull off such a performance. The stars were really stars and left everyone standing and clapping at the end. The opening performance was a great kick off and allowed the whole audience to sit back, and cut loose.

Hanna LeBuhn is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.