Kyle Ahmeer Bethea and ensemble members in Footloose
Editor's Note: With Reader theatre reviewer Roger Pavey Jr. leaving the area following graduation from Augustana College – congratulations, Roger, and a million thanks for your wonderful work! – we're delighted to add the tag-team of reviewers Mischa Hooker and Kitty Israel, who are familiar Quad Cities educators and frequent stage participants. We hope you enjoy their figurative, and literal, conversations on Footloose and future shows!
The musical Footloose, now playing at the Timber Lake Playhouse, is based on the popular 1984 movie of the same title. The plot is familiar: Ren McCormack, a trouble-making, dance-obsessed boy from the big city, moves to a little town where dancing has been outlawed, and through his dance skills and persuasion, starts a revolution.
Mischa: Overall, director James Beaudry's musical was very solid, and if you like the movie, you're pretty much guaranteed to love this.
Kitty: To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the movie, and I really liked Friday's show.
M: I think you liked it more than me, actually. One thing stood out: They did a great job with the dancing, especially the company dancing – everyone in the ensemble was completely on the ball and engaged all the time. Since dance is such a huge element of the story, I guess you have to get that right, or else!
K: True. I was very impressed with the ensemble. The dance numbers were tight the whole time. Maddie Rodrigue’s choreography allowed these talented dancers to shine. And beyond the dancing, I was so happy to see the ensemble actors actively engaged in scenes rather than just taking up space in the background.
M: The plot of Timber Lake's production is the same as the movie, of course, but the supposed main character Ren (Kyle Ahmeer Bethea) has the spotlight a lot less than you might expect. The nominally supporting characters Ariel (the rebellious preacher’s daughter, played by Morgan Milone) and Willard (Ren’s new best friend, a country bumpkin played by Matthew Hommel) attract a lot more attention. Bethea was a good singer and dancer, don’t get me wrong, but he was a little eclipsed by the energy of those others. Maybe there was a choice to make Ren’s character more low-key?
K: I loved Matthew Hommel. Willard was probably my favorite character. Hommel went all out with the physicality and exaggerated facial expressions needed to really sell this role. He was great.
M: It was a lot of fun to watch him transform from clumsy yokel to exuberant dancer. And then his love interest Rusty (Malaika Wanjiku) knocked it out of the park with her rendition of “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” matching his dancing with her singing.
K: Lots of outstanding vocal talent in this show, especially from Ariel and her squad. Milone’s “Holding Out for a Hero” was, by far, my favorite song. That’s a challenging number, and she killed it. And Rusty and Ariel's friends Wendy Jo (Emma Theriot) and Urleen (Gabriela Hernandez) gave great performances in “Somebody’s Eyes.” Loved those harmonies.
M: In terms of design, Spencer Donovan's set was versatile, with big, movable panels and other furniture (such as church pews) the company moved around quickly between scenes. And of course the turntable helped!
K: I love a turntable. Clearly, the turntable is already a part of Timber Lake's stage, but they definitely utilized it well in this production. And it helped them transition between scenes smoothly. Big points for the polished scene changes! I liked the simplicity of the set, but because it was so versatile, sometimes that made me lose Footloose's sense of place a little bit.
M: One place where the panel acted as a great picture frame for the two leads, almost, was during their climactic duet “Almost Paradise.” It was supposed to represent a railroad car, I guess, at that moment? Unfortunately, for me, the square outline also made them seem confined and kind of boxed in rather than reaching for their moment of ecstatic freedom, so it was thematically a bit confused. Their voices, too, were not quite what I wanted in that moment, either. They’re both good singers, but Bethea was more lyrical and Milone more of a belter, so they meshed less well than they needed to right then.
K: Speaking of voices that meshed well, Emily Jewell (as Vi Moore) and K. Bernice (as Ethel McCormack) had a nice duet in “Learning to Be Silent.”
M: Yes! It was a great quiet moment of contact between the two mothers. What did you think about Steve McCoy as Reverend Moore? I liked his voice for the character a lot — strong diction!
K: For sure. He had a great authoritative quality. There were also a few grace notes that I wanted to mention. The first was Nancy Teerlinck as Betty, the owner of Burger Blast. It was such a small role, but I loved the physical comedy she brought to it. She was on roller skates the whole time, and she made a whole bit out of it. It was very Carol Burnett, and I loved it. Next was Beaudry's “freeze frame” moment during “Holding Out for a Hero.” Bethea, Hommel, and two of the ensemble members had to hold their positions for almost that entire song, and they did so perfectly. Last was one particular ensemble member who was doing back flips – an energetic and confident performer who nailed those flips every time. It was a little thing, but I thought it brought a little something special to the group numbers.
M: Okay, one disappointing thing from me, then! I thought the last few scenes before the finale felt too slow and draggy, the energy flagging rather than building up quietly toward the end. In any case, not a huge issue.
K: I get what you mean, but I do think the finale made up for it. Flashy costumes! Big dance number! Balloon drop! Shout-out to costume designer Bob Kuhn.
M: Timber Lake's Footloose was a lot of fun, and if you’re tempted to go see it, go!
K: Definitely worth seeing.
Footloose runs at the Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll IL) through June 23, and more information and tickets are available by calling (815)244-2035 and visiting TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
