Habersham Central High School’s spring musical Footloose debuted Thursday to an enthusiastic crowd in Mt. Airy. Nearly 300 people turned out for opening night and they weren’t disappointed. The talented young cast was cheered throughout the evening and received a standing ovation at the end of the two-and-a-half hour long performance.
Director Jeremy Bishop says he’s thrilled with the turnout and performance. “I’m exhilarated! This has been a very difficult, very difficult, show to put together and there were times I didnt’ think it would make it to stage.” Thursday’s audience was larger than the number of people who attended the entire four-show run of the high school’s spring musical three years ago.
Footloose boasts some sixty cast and crew members and a live band under the direction of well-known local pianist and conductor Donna James. The show features music by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford and includes hits from the popular 1984 movie of the same name – hits like “Holding Out For A Hero” and the title score, “Footloose”.
Upping the ante for high school theater
Bishop says neither he nor choreographer Carrie Elrod had worked with this many 14-18 years old in one show before. “The music, the blocking and choreography ended up being a lot more difficult than we had imagined.” Still, the high school drama teacher says he’s glad they did it. “We need challenges like this and it upped the ante for the county. I love having a big cast. I like a big tent. I like to get as many kids involved as possible.”
That approach sat well with many parents in the audience who came up after Thursday’s performance to thank Bishop for giving their children this opportunity. “I’m proud of them, ” he says referring to the more than five dozen cast and crew members in Footloose. To emphasize his point he says it again, “I’m proud of them.”
This is the last time some of these Stage Raiders will walk the boards at HCHS. Footloose is the last production of the school year and for seniors it’s the last performance of their high school career.
Three more shows are scheduled through Sunday.
HCHS Junior Juliana Ward plays Ethel McCormack. She says working with the entire cast of Footloose has been fun. “It is crazy but you get to form a huge family and you make so many close friends. It’s incredible!”
Opening night jitters weren’t noticeable on stage but some cast members felt them. “I’m definitely nervous but, on top of that, I’m excited just to see what happens,” says HCHS Sophomore McCall Aycock who plays the role of Lulu Warnicker. “I hope they see how talented everyone is and how hard we’ve worked on it. I hope they really get a sense of the story and see how it was meant to be shared.”
Audience reaction
The audience did see the cast’s talent and hard work on display last night on the stage. Habersham Community Theater veteran Jack Molnar told Now Habersham during intermission, “I’m enjoying the heck out of it. I just love it! There are so many of the performers including Lawson (Lewallen) and Cami (Scofield) that I’ve worked with at HCT and I just love seeing them on stage shining and developing and growing. It just brings a tear to my eye.”
Here’s what another theater goer, Sandra Meeks, had to say about the musical in a post on social media:
A friend and I just got back from Habersham Central where we saw ‘Footloose’ and let me tell you, it was so great I forgot I was still in Habersham. Some of those kids were the same ones I had in my classrooms at Clarkesville Elementary and I was blown away with the talent. I have seen big productions that were not as well performed as this was. Makes me proud to know that Habersham has some awesome teenagers that are making a difference instead of making destruction like we have seen all over the news. Happy in Habersham.
There were many people who were “Happy in Habersham” last night thanks to this high energy, engaging and finely produced high school production. Footloose is a show the whole family can enjoy. It’s sure to have you rockin’ out in your seat and singing those catchy tunes on the way back home. Molnar calls it a must see. “There’s energy, there’s fun, they’re talented…yes, absolutely, come out and see it!”
Everybody Cut Footloose!
You can cut Footloose at the Habersham Central High School Fine Arts Auditorium in Mt. Airy on Friday, May 1st at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 3rd at 2 p.m. Tickets are sold at the door. Cost is $5 for students and seniors and $7 for adults.
