[NEohioPAL]FOOTLOOSE -'A tent full of talent' Star Beacon Review.

Fri Jul 12 14:58:02 PDT 2002

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 There's a tent full of talent with 'Footloose'
By ROGER SMITH
A REVIEW

ASHTABULA - Oh, my! What a tent full of talent is singing and dancing on the 
Straw Hat Theatre stage in "Footloose," the second summer production on the 
grounds of the Ashtabula Arts Center.
The story takes place in Beaumont, Texas, amid a town full of Bible thumping 
"Bubbas" and one apparent city slicker, smart alec kid from Chicago. The 
church involvement leads to choristers singing out their praises on a regular 
basis. Good stuff to hear.
In a town where dancing is banned, teenagers look for something to do other 
than church-going. But somewhere along the line, Mama Hewitt must have said 
that laws can be changed. Therein lies the plot of the play - finding God's 
intended joy in what we do.
I was particularly impressed ("overwhelmed" is a better word) by the voice of 
Robert Godfrey. Godfrey, cast in the role of the Rev. Shaw Moore, delivered 
what I consider to be the best song in the show, "I Confess."
       Godfrey often performs with the Cleveland Opera and has recorded 3 
CDs. On hearing his vocal performance in a song about leading with love, one 
is not surprised by his other accomplishments.
In the best impressions column I also would like to include the names of 
Melinda Smith and Adam Kapis. Smith, as the title singer for Irene & her 
Country Kickers, was so Tammy Wynette, Reba McIntyre and Loretta Lynn rolled 
into one that listeners could think they were at the Opry in Nashville or 
waiting for a postcard from the edge. Kapis, in the role of the town's 
biggest "Bubba," was absolutely delightful in his character portrayal and 
even more applause demanding with his rendition of "Mama Says," probably the 
overall vocal hit of the show.

       The Straw Hat Theatre advertises its auditions over a large geographic 
area, this summer three students from the greater Cleveland snagged leading 
roles in this production. Wes Wilson as Ren, the city slicker from the Windy 
City, had the looks, the attitude, the energy and the moves to carry off this 
role. He was a crowd pleaser.
       Meryl Murman, preacher's daughter Ariel, was cast opposite Wilson - 
sort of Romeo and Juliet with a twang and a happy ending. The two 
complemented each other's role to perfection, with Murman mirroring the 
enthusiasm, energy and talent of Wilson.

       Another Murman Clevelander appeared in this production of "Footloose." 
Eryn Murman played the role of Rusty with every part of her being. This young 
lady, too, embodies a multitude of talents and they were always evident on 
stage. 

       Jim Hunter as Chuck Cranston, the boy mothers warn their daughters 
about, was evil from the beginning and held that pose throughout the entire 
evening. Martha Sorohan as the wife of the minister, and Anne Anne Kelly as 
Ren's mother, deserve mentions for their performances in their respective 
roles. Each was believable and steady as a woman singing about "Learning to 
be Silent.". 

       The entire cast of this show was right on the money every moment, 
whether singing or executing the excellent choreography or just being a part 
of the crowd.
The orchestra, under the direction of youthful Alex Lowe, was an absolute 
integral part of the show - and it performed well. The lighting for this 
production was realistic; that is to say, evening looked like evening rather 
than looking like someone dimmed the lights. Special effect lighting for some 
dance numbers enhanced, enhanced and enhanced.
"Footloose" runs weekends through July. It's a show well worth seeing. Call 
the box office at 440-964-3396 for tickets. 


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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"> </FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">There's a tent full of talent with </FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Lucida Handwriting" LANG="0">'Footloose'</FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
<B>By ROGER SMITH</B><BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><B><I>A REVIEW
</FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></B></I><BR>
ASHTABULA - Oh, my! What a tent full of talent is singing and dancing on the Straw Hat Theatre stage in "Footloose," the second summer production on the grounds of the Ashtabula Arts Center.
The story takes place in Beaumont, Texas, amid a town full of Bible thumping "Bubbas" and one apparent city slicker, smart alec kid from Chicago. The church involvement leads to choristers singing out their praises on a regular basis. Good stuff to hear.
In a town where dancing is banned, teenagers look for something to do other than church-going. But somewhere along the line, Mama Hewitt must have said that laws can be changed. Therein lies the plot of the play - finding God's intended joy in what we do.
I was particularly impressed ("overwhelmed" is a better word) by the voice of Robert Godfrey. Godfrey, cast in the role of the Rev. Shaw Moore, delivered what I consider to be the best song in the show, "I Confess."
       Godfrey often performs with the Cleveland Opera and has recorded 3 CDs. On hearing his vocal performance in a song about leading with love, one is not surprised by his other accomplishments.
In the best impressions column I also would like to include the names of Melinda Smith and Adam Kapis. Smith, as the title singer for Irene & her Country Kickers, was so Tammy Wynette, Reba McIntyre and Loretta Lynn rolled into one that listeners could think they were at the Opry in Nashville or waiting for a postcard from the edge. Kapis, in the role of the town's biggest "Bubba," was absolutely delightful in his character portrayal and even more applause demanding with his rendition of "Mama Says," probably the overall vocal hit of the show.
<BR>
       The Straw Hat Theatre advertises its auditions over a large geographic area, this summer three students from the greater Cleveland snagged leading roles in this production. Wes Wilson as Ren, the city slicker from the Windy City, had the looks, the attitude, the energy and the moves to carry off this role. He was a crowd pleaser.
       Meryl Murman, preacher's daughter Ariel, was cast opposite Wilson - sort of Romeo and Juliet with a twang and a happy ending. The two complemented each other's role to perfection, with Murman mirroring the enthusiasm, energy and talent of Wilson.
<BR>
       Another Murman Clevelander appeared in this production of "Footloose." 
Eryn Murman played the role of Rusty with every part of her being. This young lady, too, embodies a multitude of talents and they were always evident on stage. 
<BR>
       Jim Hunter as Chuck Cranston, the boy mothers warn their daughters about, was evil from the beginning and held that pose throughout the entire evening. Martha Sorohan as the wife of the minister, and Anne Anne Kelly as Ren's mother, deserve mentions for their performances in their respective roles. Each was believable and steady as a woman singing about "Learning to be Silent.". 
<BR>
       The entire cast of this show was right on the money every moment, whether singing or executing the excellent choreography or just being a part of the crowd.
The orchestra, under the direction of youthful Alex Lowe, was an absolute integral part of the show - and it performed well. The lighting for this production was realistic; that is to say, evening looked like evening rather than looking like someone dimmed the lights. Special effect lighting for some dance numbers enhanced, enhanced and enhanced.
"Footloose" runs weekends through July. It's a show well worth seeing. Call the box office at 440-964-3396 for tickets. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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