Review-Footloose-Face Productions
31-5-14
By: Meaghan McGurgan
I only know of about seven people who have never seen the movie Footloose, I know about the same number of people who don't like the movie and that is about the same number of people who also hate dancing. If you are one of these seven people who don't like the classic Kevin Bacon film or cutting a rug, then you probably won't like Face Productions' presentation this weekend. However, if you enjoy dancing and classic 80's cinema, you'll be in for a treat. (Just FYI, they've set this production in 2014 so don't get your heart set on bad 80's hair and shirts with the necks cut out.)
I liked director Conor O'Grady's take on the production. I thought his blocking was really interesting. He created some really beautiful stage pictures and made each setting feel unique in his positioning of the actors. Something I wished he would have done was angle the pews a bit more, in both the church and the town meeting scenes, so we could have seen people's faces a bit more clearly. I would have enjoyed seeing people's reactions to what the Reverend was saying during the sermons and what Ren was saying during the council meeting.
David Allen takes on the iconic role of Ren McCormack like a champ. He's charming and has a wonderful singing voice. He's also a pretty fantastic dancer with great stage presence. I'm Free was my favorite number in the show tonight. David Allen completely sold it to me and I thought the choreography by Claire Johnson was quite fun. I liked how it parodied exercise and gym movements. Kathy Mak plays Ren's rebellious, lady love Ariel. I particularly loved her rendition of Holding Out for a Hero. (Props to all the ladies in the cast for helping her with this number.) Hands down, the cast stand out is Jessica Peralta as Rusty. She stole every single scene she was in. She had killer comedic timing, can sing the house down and was perfectly in sync in all the dance numbers. She's pure triple threat. Watch out for her in the future, I sense a star on the rising.
Production values for Footloose, the musical are high. The set design by Kenix Ho is beautiful. It had an industrial feel to it and multiple levels which allowed for Conor O'Grady to create a variety of stage pictures with it. The set also used turntables to make for easy transitions between multiple settings.
I didn't particularly care for the costumes in this production. For a town like Bomont - so conservative that it bans dancing, music and anything which might lead to danger - it seemed a bit odd to me that they would allow their daughters to walk around in clothes so revealing. The shorts were the main issue for me; they didn't seem to fit right on many of the actresses. I also thought the actors playing the adults could have looked a bit older. They didn't seem to have any grey hair or wrinkles, which made me wonder how they could have had teenage children? Teens cause wrinkles and grey hairs: fact.
The main technical issue with the production was the sound balance. The band often overpowered the singers and we struggled to hear them. This was probably a combination of the band's amps being too loud, the actors' mics not being turned up enough and the actors needing to speak clearer. There were some instances where we couldn't understand some of the chorus members when they spoke solo lines. Even group numbers that you could tell were being sung at the top of their lungs came across as underwhelming because the band was simply too loud. I'm hoping this issue will be worked out before the next show as it should be a pretty easy fix and would improve the show experience ten fold.
Overall, Footloose is a good show. It's very fun and entertaining. The cast puts a lot of energy on stage and you leave the show with a smile on your face. If you're looking for a show to brighten your mood and take your blues away, I recommend Footloose, the musical. It's something light to enjoy over your holiday weekend - check it out.
Footloose is playing at the Studio Theatre at the Hong Kong Cultural Center through June 1st. For more information, click here.
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