Kick off Your Sunday Shoes with Plum High School

When actor Kevin Bacon came onto the movie scene back in 1984 in one of his breakthrough movies, Footloose, most of the 82-person cast that makes up Plum Senior High School’s musical rendition of the movie were still more than 10 years away from even being born. 

But that doesn’t stop the cast from doing Bacon and his fellow actors justice with its upcoming performance this March 31, April 1 and 2, at 7 p.m., at the

“We have a very large group this year, with 82 in the cast and another 65 or so working behind the scenes,” said J.R. Pilyih, publicity manager for this year’s production. “Everyone is so talented in what they do, and working to make this the best show ever.”

Besides adding some songs and dances, and making the production have a more “lighthearted” feel, J.R. said that the musical is based on the famous big screen movie version. Following the journey of Ren McCormack and his mother as they move from Chicago to small-town Bomont, Ren soon learns of the small town's strict laws, including the ban against dancing.

Taking on the role of Ren is Jonathan Andrew, a junior at Plum, who said he enjoys seeing how Ren transforms as the show progresses.

“Throughout his journey attempting to change the law in Bomont that bans dancing, I think the audience sees a positive progression in Ren’s maturity along the way,” Jonathan said.

This is the third musical Jonathan has been a part of, and he feels that this is one of the best ones.

“I think the characters are easy to relate to and so I think it keeps people’s attention. Hopefully the audience will leave singing songs and dancing the steps. Personally I love the music. There are a lot of great songs that are so much fun to perform."

Senior Joshua Loebig will take on the role of the Rev. Shaw Moore, who battles with Ren over the strict Bomont laws. Joshua said that while the cast and crew is a large one, they really have become like a family since they began rehearsing the first week of January.

“Everyone does a great job in their role and I love how there is a part for so many people in our cast. I enjoy performing with a talented group of people who not only share my passion for performing, but also the joy of being a family,” Joshua said.

Allie Dowdell, a senior at Plum who plays the reverend’s daughter Ariel, agrees with her “stage father” about how close the cast and crew have grown since rehearsals have started.

“I love performing with all of my friends.  We all have a special bond.  We all love live theater,” Allie said. “Being a part of a high school musical is truly special. We all feed off each other’s energy and we love to see the show come alive. It’s one of the very best memories of being in high school.”

Tickets still are available for all three performances of Footloose and can be purchased at the Plum Senior High School auditorium box office during box office hours or by emailing an order form found online at www.plumhighmusical.com. Tickets are $8. The doors will open at 6:15 p.m. and show time is 7 p.m.

J.R. encourages the community to come out and see the results of all of the months of hard work, by both the cast and crew.

“There is just nothing like live theater to entertain and inspire,” he added.

For additional information, visit www.plumhighmusical.com.