Skip to main content

Review: Footloose: The Musical // Phoenix Ensemble

Dig those dancing shoes out of the closet as Footloose has come to town! Set in the southwest of America, this toe-tapping musical produced by Phoenix Ensemble is sure to raise the roof and have you smiling ear to ear!

Following the story of Ren and his mother as they move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But what he is not prepared for is the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town's youth. 

When the Reverend's rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him.
Footloose is Directed and Choreographed by Isabelle Quayle (with assistance from Jo Burnett as Assistant Director and Kirsten Brown as Assistant Choreographer), Quayle is a talented creative taking the source material and creating something truly special. Each performer has been worked hard to ensure they are producing the best character they can, and it has paid off. The choreography was spectacular, as a dance musical people expect some pretty fantastic dancing and Quayle rose to the challenge. At some points the choreography seemed slightly too difficult for the performers as there we some slight miss-timings and half-missed moves, however as the season continues this is sure to get tighter. Benjamin Richards as Musical Director has produced a fantastic-sounding production right down to the bone. Richards is a talented and in-demand creative and was a perfect choice for this production, harmonies and vocals were tight and sharp, whilst the band was on fire the entire evening. 

Sound Design by Luke O'Hagan (with operation by Sally Faint) and Lighting design by Maddy Bosanko ( with operation by Anya Otley) was commendable, tech is an extremely hard aspect of theatre and these volunteers should be congratulated on their hard work on this production.  Set Design also by Quayle was simple yet effective, utilising pallet wood as the main source for the set, this multi-layer design featured two outposts to help create different settings and a double door centre stage which was perfect for cast entrances and exits. The set did create a small area for the cast to enter and exit from the side stage creating some bumps and trips however as the cast gets used to the set their spatial awareness will become clearer. 
The leading man, Ren McCormack, is played by the exquisite Sam Caruana. Caruana is a talented triple-threat performer that absolutely shone in this role, their hard-hitting vocals and superb dancing were perfect for the leading role. Opposite Caruana is Yasmin Fitzgerald as the rebel Ariel Moore, Fitzgerald is an extremely talented performer with vocals like a god. Their powerhouse singing brought the house down during the numbers, especially Holding Out for a Hero where the audience was whooping and screaming. Fitzgerald's gaggle of friends, AJ Betts as Rusty, Wednesday Reign as Wendy Jo, and Chelsea Jamieson as Urleen were all fantastic in their roles. Their rendition of Somebody's Eyes was haunting and fantastic, if you're thinking about seeing the show, these 4 performers are why you should! Andrew McArthur as Reverend Shaw Moore was strong and grounded, McArthur was the character you love to hate, right up until their change of heart at the end of the show! Opposite McArthur was the incomparable Della Days as Vi Moore, Days is a revered and experienced performer who broke the hearts of the audience towards the end of Act 2 with their brilliant acting.
The remaining cast did an extremely amicable job showcasing the hard-hitting music and impressive dance moves throughout the show and they will only become better and better as the season continues. 

Overall Footloose: The Musical at Phoenix Theatre is an enjoyable night out for the entire family or whoever loves a fun-loving musical fit with many, many dance numbers! Footloose: The Musical performs until 24 February 2024 in the Pavillion Theatre, Beenleigh Showgrounds.

Photos by PIF Productions










Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Freshblood Festival - Vena Cava

Written By Thor Morrison Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impresse...

Interview: Deborah Conway AM // Book of Life

 ​​ ​ ​  Australian music legend, Deborah Conway AM returns to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre this April as a part of her national tour of Australia. We got the chance to sit down with Deborah to have a brief chat about her new show and the music industry! Can you share a little about your book 'Book of Life'? Book of Life is a memoir detailing stories of growing up in an idiosyncratic household, of becoming a musician, the sordid adventures of youth, the at odds relationships musicians have with the music industry, of love, of becoming a mother, of work, of creativity, through to the full flowering maturity of all facets of growing into an adult in the most complete way. What was the approach to bring the book to stage in this show? I started writing in November 2019, sitting on my couch in Melbourne. March 2020 brought the cancellation of everything. I was very fortunate to have begun a project that I was finding so absorbing. As the lockdowns stretched on in Vi...

Review: Dogfight - Spotlight Theatrical Company

Written by Jake Goodall Get ready for a night of vocal excellence in Spotlight Theatrical Company's latest production of Dogfight! Located in the central Gold Coast, their latest production is sure to shock and delight all theatre lovers. It's 1963, and a group of young marines have gathered in San Fransisco the night before they ship off to Vietnam. They decide to celebrate their last night of freedom with a cruel game they call a “dogfight” where every man sets out to find the ugliest girl he can and brings her to a party. Everyone puts in money, and the man with the ugliest date wins the pot.  This harrowing and horrific story showcases the toxic masculinity of the US Marines in the 60s but also provides an insight into PTSD and the terrors of war. One uplifting event in this musical is that it isn't about women changing themselves for men, it is about the power of becoming confident in oneself and not bowing to a man's wishes just because he says so which is the tro...