‘80s musical is a power-ballad performance

With a classic tale of youthful rebellion bringing aging restriction to an end, CM Performing Arts Center’s rendition of “Footloose,” which had its opening night on Saturday, Jan. 13, was a fresh take on the 1980s teen movie that held true to the power of dance, individuality, and following your heart.

The greatest character arc for finally being true to one’s emotions was formidable, and powerful, demonstrated by Reverend Shaw Moore, played forcefully and with all the vigor becoming of a Southern preacher (yes, “Footloose” actually takes place in Indiana, but similar on ecclesiastical personae) by Marc Strauss.

Bookending sermons at crucial points of the start and end of the dance-banning saga were delivered with the perfect helping of vitriol and reconciliation, respectively.

Strauss’s portrayal of the grieving Reverend Moore was moving because of the multidimensional vision the actor had for the role. In an earlier scene when he stumbles upon his rebellious and scantily clad daughter, Ariel, there is such reticence of authority in his voice as he hands her a coat and walks away, as he has been doing for years following the family tragedy that set him on a course of fire and brimstone against all youthful indiscretions and pursuits.

The always effervescent Courtney O’Shea as Ariel was alluring in the role, but also displayed a poignant, delicate nature buoyed by a dream to leave her small town of Bomont.

Wonderfully dead-eyed and scoffing with her eyelashes in her first scene as the preacher’s daughter alongside him at a pulpit, O’Shea instantly comes to life as a femme fatale when she switches into her Cindy Crawford-‘90s-Coke-commercial shorts and white shirt, and of course, signature red cowboy boots.

Belting “Holding Out For A Hero,” O’Shea’s powerful siren voice was showcased in the most spectacular of ‘80s power ballads, and backup singers Rusty (Cassie Friedman), Wendy Jo (Carissa Navarra), and Urleen (Katelyn Harold) also made an impressive mark on the audience.

Friedman and Rich Giordano (Willard Hewitt) were a delightful odd couple navigating their way through comical scenes. Giordano, who has to “learn” how to dance in a high-stakes Honky Tonk bar, was so sincerely portrayed, it led to a nice surprise in the second act when he confidently performed “Mama Says.”

Costume designer and scenic designer Ronald R. Green and John Mazzarella presented the story with a modern and inventive approach, which, despite lyrics and music by Sammy Hagar and Kenny Loggins, took “Footloose” from a run-through of ‘80s nostalgia to a classic story about anyone young and trying to find their place in the world.

The “ ‘Footloose’ band,” directed by Matthew W. Surico, shone, as the music from the pit had warmth and yet elevated status, a difficult task for pop ballads turned into Broadway tunes, but one accomplished easily under Surico.

Lighting designer Sophia Biondo had precise spotlight focus and managed to make scenes like the ones at the railroad tracks seem to float in the wind onstage with her subtle, yet distinct lighting choices that were effused with movement.

Director Jordan Hue brought together a cast and stage production that will surely evoke cheers from the inner-youth in all of us.