The audience can expect a fun time when the Windsor Musical Theatre Department stages “Footloose: The Musical,” director Lisa Honz said.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-25, at the Windsor High School Performing Arts Auditorium, 6208 Hwy. 61-67, in Imperial.
In addition, a “sensory-friendly” performance will be at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is $5 for the 7 p.m. performances, and it’s free for the sensory-friendly version.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or through showtix4u.com/events/whsmusicals.
Honz said a lot of people are familiar with the story because of the movie “Footloose,” which was released in 1984, but it was fun introducing her young students to the musical, which was released in 1998 and is based on the film.
She also said it was fun introducing her students to some trends from the ’80s.
“I grew up in the ’80s and one of the girls (in the Windsor cast) tried on a blazer and said, ‘It’s got shoulder pads!’ I said, ‘Perfect.’”
Honz, who teaches French at Windsor High, said the cast members are enjoying rehearsals.
“They’re having a lot of fun,” she said. “They’re working really hard with our choreographer, Liska Hromnak.”
She said people will recognize the show’s music, like the songs, ‘Footloose,’ ‘Holding Out for a Hero,’ ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boy’ and ‘The Girl Gets Around.”
Honz said the plot is fun, too.
“(The show) is about a young man who comes to a small Texas town from Chicago with his mother and finds the town has outlawed dancing,” she said. “He challenges the town council to have a dance at the high school.”
Honz believes the musical will have wide appeal.
“I think it’s for all ages,” she said. “I think everybody will enjoy it. It’s high-energy.”
Joe Buhlmahn, a senior who plays the lead character, Ren McCormack, agrees.
“I saw (the movie) recently and enjoyed it,” he said. “I think people will definitely enjoy the music (in the Windsor show), like ‘Holding Out for a Hero.’”
Alayna McCulley, a senior who plays Ariel Moore, said she likes the show’s dance numbers.
“I really like all the dance in this show,” she said. “They’re hard, but really fun to do.”
The rest of the cast includes seniors Graham Brinley, Demetrios Dubis, Amelia Evans, William Glanert, Matilda Kramer, Ethan Meece, Lindsay Schneider, Emily Weidner and James Weidner; juniors Katie Boyster, Payton Brown, Wyatt Graham, Griffin Graves and Lily Harrison; sophomores Blane Johnson, Beverly Miloscia, Savanna Pena, Hope Ragsdale and Sarah Winters; and freshmen Audrey Clouse, Gabby Kraatz, Brayden London, Gianna Portell, Rebecca Rabbitt and Caitlyn Sullivan.
Tech crew members include seniors Gwen Byerley and Jacob Comia and junior Aidan Reimann.
Ellen Mueller is assistant director, Deanna Michel is rehearsal assistant and Jody Buchanan handles costumes. The set design crew includes Chris and Angie Bulmahn, Christina and Jeff Boyster, Pat McCulley and Seth Weidner.
For more information, call Honz at the high school at 636-464-4429.