Photograph by Paul Myers

Shauna Urratio (left) and Ali Hasha rehearse a song for 'Footloose, the Musical,' which Los Gatos High School students will be performing March 1-9.

'Footloose' clicks heels at school musical premiere

By Shari Kaplan

Like many teenagers, Ren McCormack is footloose and fancy-free. He enjoys music, dancing and expressing himself and hates being stifled. That's what happens, however, when he moves from a bustling big city to a small town that frowns on change, free-spiritedness and--most of all--dancing.

That town is Bomont, a fictional Midwestern locale. And the town of Los Gatos is the venue for its local incarnation in Footloose, the Musical, a stage production adapted by original author Dean Pitchford from Footloose, a hit movie in 1984. After a two-year run on Broadway, which closed in the spring of 2000, production rights were restricted to professional theater organizations only--until March 1, 2002.

That date is now the opening night of Los Gatos High School's production.

"This musical was made for us," says Diana Pleasant, director of the LGHS Performing Arts Department. "I knew when I first saw it performed at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in December 1998 that it was a perfect fit for our students, and I could hardly wait for the rights to become available!"

"Los Gatos High School truly is the first nonprofessional group to perform this show onstage. Other groups in the South Bay will be presenting it later this year and would also have liked to make that claim for this area," adds Los Gatan Chita Edlund, a parent volunteer whose son Steven Edlund stars as Ren McCormack, the young man who "takes on this town" by throwing a dance.

Along the way, Ren also falls in love with Ariel, the daughter of Bomont's repressive Reverend Shaw Moore and his kind wife, Vi Moore. Shawna Downs--who also designed the program and poster art--stars as Ariel, with Eddie Carignan as Shaw and Katie Worley as Vi. In all, the show comprises 40 student actors, a 12-student stage crew and a 12-person orchestra of students and professionals. Co-producers and co-directors are Diana Pleasant and Jeff Hicks, with choreography by Kathleen Wehr.

Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $12 for reserved seats, with the exception of Student Night on March 7, for which students get discounted seats. The LGHS Alumni Association will be on hand for Alumni Night, March 2. The LGHS New Millennium Foundation is sponsoring the March 8 performance. Together with the LGHS Performing Arts Department, the foundation is fundraising for the school's Theatre Improvement Project, which will provide additional upgrades to the theater during its Measure B-funded basic renovation in 2004.

For tickets or more information, call 408.356.8470.

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