Marquette Theater Company’s production of “Footloose,” based on the 1984 movie of the same title, will debut Thursday, Dec. 7, and run through Sunday, Dec. 10.
“Footloose” is about a young man named Ren McCormack who moves to a small conservative town where dancing has been outlawed due to a past tragedy. The story follows Ren as he attempts to convince the town to move on.
Rebecca Blindauer, director, said planning for the production began last spring, with auditions starting the third week of school and rehearsals taking place the first week of October.
This production saw many new students who have not participated in previous shows, Blindauer said.
“This year we’ve got a record number of boys that are in it as well,” Blindauer said.
Blindauer said “Footloose” was chosen as this year’s production because the name is well-recognized among students familiar with the film.
Senior Savannah Mouser, head of costumes, has been involved in school theater since sixth grade, with “Footloose” being her last production.
“It’s really bittersweet,” Mouser said.
Mouser, who has in the past been a technical director, student director and video editor, said her favorite part of being involved in these theater productions is “seeing it all come together.”
“It makes me really happy to be like ‘Oh, that’s my stuff out there’,” she said. “Like ‘I just did that.’”
Carl Taraporevala, junior, plays two characters, Cowboy Bob and Bickle, and said he’s really enjoyed the production so far.
“It’s all really cool, it’s one of my favorite shows,” Taraporevala said. “The songs are amazing, a lot of them are familiar, which makes it even more fun for us, and then there’s some great dance numbers. It’s just a super fun show overall.”
Taraporevala, who has been in theater since middle school, also said he enjoys making new friends, having a good time with them and just rehearsing with them.
“We have less than a month left, so it’s getting close,” Taraporevala said. “But we’re super excited, we’re pushing through it and we’re so excited to present it to you.”