Footloose: The Cappies Review

“I am answering the train.”

Anger and a need to express yourself are two emotions that every teenager seems to get. These two famous emotions were portrayed through out ’s performance of Footloose. The book, Footloose, was written by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Many of the songs in this production were written by Dean Pitchford and a man named Tom Snow. There were also songs written by Kenny Loggins, Sammy Hagar, Jim Steinman and Eric Carmen.

The story is about a boy named Ren McCormack, played by Cody Cole, who is moving from upbeat Chicago to boring Bomont. This is a major issue because in Chicago, they dance, but in Bomont, they definitely don’t. He has many run-ins with the law because of this and digs himself deeper into trouble when he gets involved with Ariel Moore, played by Lara Flanders.

A character that was hilarious and adorable was Willard Hewitt, played by Parker Gleason. This clumsy, shy character was determined to prove himself and always do what his momma told him. Parker Gleason’s lanky stature helped him seem more clumsy, but certainly showed the audience that his tall body didn’t keep him from dancing just like everyone else. Willard (Gleason) had his eye caught on another character Rusty, played by Madison Miller. This sassy character liked the uncomplicated Williard (Gleason) and got him out of his shell by learning how to dance.

The set crew was quick to get items on and off the stage. They had smooth set changes and worked hard at making sure everything was set in its place. The set was very well done and looked like a traditional set for . The spot lights were helpful to show the emphasis of who was speaking, unfortunately, they were often slow at hitting their target or were way off their mark. The sound went well except for a couple times when the body microphones weren’t turned on or kept going in and out.

The costumes were well chosen for each character and fit the mood for each scene. The entire cast at Holt High School did an exceptional job in their performance of Footloose. I know the songs from this performance will be stuck in my head for days. The cast and crew of Holt High School showed that if you believe something should be changed, you should make an effort to change it.

By Krystal Peterson of