Review: Footloose The Dance Musical at Liverpool Empire

When I learnt that ”Footloose” the dance musical wasn’t going to be set in the 80s I was disappointed to say the least... for me the show was the quintessential 80s film and more importantly Kevin Bacon was the archetypal 80s heartthrob. Never mind, the leg warmers and ra ra skirt would need to stay in the wardrobe for yet another night. Shucks. I was looking forward to showing off my legs on a cold March evening.

This version of the musical is more or less set in the present day and the story is similar to the movie. A kid called Ren from the big city of Chicago ends up in a small town where dancing, along with just about everything else that’s any fun, is illegal. And so the plot thickens, he’s got to fight the local minister and plead with the town council for the high school kids’ right to throw a school dance and, dammit, cut loose a little.

For those die hard fans of the film out there you will already recall that Kevin’s Ren never got permission to hold a dance in the town, but that doesn’t stop the kids in this version from strutting their stuff and demonstrating that, for a bunch of teens who have never danced a day in their lives until he came on the scene, they sure have some pretty fancy moves. Especially Max Miller (Ren).

Footloose the musical simplifies things a bit and has a more traditional ending, and has even dropped some of the subplots (fans will be gutted that the fight scene at the end where Chuck Cranston gets his comeuppance has been removed).

But of course, as in the movie, the plot is secondary to the music and the dance. And the dancing is incredible, some of the most athletic I’ve ever seen on stage. Not bad for a group of amateur school kids from a small town.

The songs include most of the ones from the film, as well as a few new numbers. Of the familiar classics, “Let’s hear it for the boy”, sung by Rusty (Jodie Jacobs) and “Heaven Helps the Man who fights his fear” (sung by Ren – Kevin Bacon in the movie, and played here by an energetic newcomer, Max Milner) are the tunes that had the whole audience cheering and clapping enthusiastically.

The tune I was most looking forward to, “Holding out for a hero”, didn’t disappoint with Ariel (Lorna Watt), Rusty (Jodie Jacobs), Urleen (Keisha Amponsa Banson) and Wendy-Jo (Tanya Robb) executing it with wonderful harmonies and performed like the Supremes complete with all the glitz and glamour – something Diana Ross herself would have been proud of had she been in the audience. I’m sure.

My only disappointment it turned out was the lack of action – or indeed dialogue - from Chuck Cranston (Matt Willis from the pop rock band Busted) given that he was billed as the lead he had a very small part. Still good eye candy though.

In summation, despite it not being set in the 80s, this is a real trip down memory lane. The show had the scouse audience on its feet and roaring its approval for this feel good family show.

7/10

Footloose: The dance musical runs until Saturday March 12

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