By Charlee Beasor
INDIANAPOLIS — Everybody cut footloose? They’re on stage at Beef & Boards through March 21, at least.
Yeah, that’s corny, but so was everything in the 1980s, including “Footloose,” the real-life story-turned-movie-turned-stage play-turned movie once again (the new one is set to start filming in March).
Though there were no tractor-based chicken games played on the stage (like in the movie), there was plenty of good ol’ ‘80s fashion, song, and dance, once again making me lament the fact that I was only 5 when the decade ended. But I digress.
No, I don’t. Because “butt” brings me to every woman’s favorite part of the Beef and Boards production. When the lights went down and the music began, a spotlight highlighted main character Ren McCormack’s (played by Dominic Sheahan-Stahl) derriere, shaking to the music and catching me off guard. But I’ve decided that’s the best way to start a show. Ever.
So here’s a quick recap if you (for some unknown reason) have never seen Kevin Bacon’s “Footloose.”
Ren and his mother move to a small rural town from big-city Chicago, where Ren discovers dancing (and fun in general) is outlawed. Seriously, it’s against the law to dance. Ren, of course, is angered and confused, but decides he’s going to fight the powers that be to put on a dance for the senior class. The only problem is that the main guy behind the law is the Rev. Shaw Moore, father of Ariel, a.k.a. your typical preacher’s daughter and Ren’s love interest.
Ariel has a problem with facing life-or-death situations because her brother was killed in a car crash on the way home from a dance, prompting the no fun law in the first place. Their entire family struggles with this throughout the story and it doesn’t help that the Rev. Moore is a fire and brimstone straight-laced conservative preacher who is mean to his wife and daughter because he’s so hurt about losing his only son.
The Beef and Boards cast put on a great show, perfect for the middle of winter and highlighted by some great ‘80s songs, including “Let’s Hear it for the Boy,” “Almost Paradise,” “Somebody’s Eyes,” and “Holding Out for a Hero.”
My favorite character in the play (also in the movie) was Ren’s best friend Willard, the dullard that is hilarious, but is plagued by the fact that he doesn’t know how to dance — until Ren teaches him, of course. In the play, Happy Mahaney portrays Willard and ends up completely stealing the show. Then again, I’m a sucker for cowboys, especially ones that wear Atari T-shirts throughout the second act.
Though it’s a comedy and a musical, there are also some very touching dramatic moments, particularly the Rev. Moore’s issues in dealing with his son’s death and the personal relationships between him and his wife and daughter.
The play ends like you think it will, the same way every episode of “Full House” ended: with a group hug. But I thoroughly enjoyed this production and it did help with the seasonal affective disorder-ness (S.A.D.) of the winter months. I left the theater with a smile on my face, singing the main song all the way to my car.
“Footloose” is on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre through March 21. For ticket information, visit the website at www.beefandboards.com.
charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com
