It just can’t be 40 years since the blockbuster film "Footloose." The 40th anniversary will be celebrated with performances of "Footloose The Musical" at the Shoals Community Theatre in Florence.
The movie and the musical celebrated the yutes of the 1980s – and their music and dancing. Now, those yutes are 55 years old and can qualify for some senior discounts.
The music, the dancing, the energy and the footlooseness were all contagious in 1984. Can the Zodiac Players in the Shoals recreate that contagion in 2024?
Show times daily are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 20. Then a matinee is on Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m.
The venue is the restored Shoals Community Theater at 123 Seminary Street in Florence. It opened in 1943, 80 years ago.
Think about the time frame. It was as long from the opening of the Shoals Community Theater to the opening of the movie Footloose – 40 years – as it has been from the movie to the present – another 40 years.
The official announcement of the event is:
THE ZODIAC PLAYERS PROUDLY PRESENT “Footloose The Musical”
“This is our time to DANCE!” This spring fall in love again with the Broadway hit musical “Footloose The Musical” based on the 1984 classic film! This year this motion picture phenomenon turns 40 years old! To commemorate its anniversary The Shoals Theatre and The Zodiac Players proudly present this classic story LIVE onstage! This production is directed by Jacob Adams, assisted directed by Laya Pettus, music directed by Hannah Ross, and choreographed by LaDarius Prince. Show dates are April 18-21, 2024! Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM, and a Sunday matinee at 2:00 PM!
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him.
To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top 40 score, augmented with dynamic new songs, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people while guiding them with a warm heart and open mind.
Tickets are available here.
The cast, the Zodiac Players, is the adult theatre group in Alabama’s Shoals area. They have open auditions. Information here.
“The Shoals” includes the area of Northwest Alabama surrounding Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, Cherokee and St. Florian. It is known as the musical mecca of the South, with Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, FAME studio, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. And the Zodiac Players.
Notice no mention about the 2011 remake of the "Footloose" movie. That’s because no one else did either.
"Footloose" is a fun musical. If you do it right, people should leave wanting to dance.
Jim Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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