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× Expand Andrew Itaga Footloose

Footloose has been let loose on Oakville. If your weekend has been missing some high-kicks, high energy, foot stomping fun, look no further than the fancy footwork happening right now at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Oakville Players (TOP) has brought the stage adaptation of the 80s sensation to town. By the end of the night, you’ll have a harder time sitting still than Ren McCormack himself.

“The movie Footloose premiered in theatres in February 1984,” says show producer Alex Ragozzino. He also jokes, “If you grew up in the 80s like I did, you might’ve been sitting in a movie theatre 36 years ago watching it!”

That blast from the past is part of what makes seeing Footloose on stage so much fun. The story is about teen Ren McCormack (Mark Jones), a teen who’s moved from Chicago to the middle of nowhere Bomont. When he learns there’s a law against dancing, he sets about changing people’s minds.

Yes it’s an iconic story from the silver screen that’s a major party of nostalgia, but its the revisiting of what made the movie so interesting back then that makes it more fun to see again today.

And seeing it in person is what director John Galbraith is counting on to make the most of that experience. “It’s easier to bring the audience into the town of Bomont,” says Galbraith. “The audience can be invested like they’re a member of the town themselves.”

Galbraith means that literally - in some scenes, the cast comes and sits in the audience, as if they too are in the town council meetings and Sunday service. He also couldn’t be more excited to make Footloose his full-length directorial debut.

“It’s a high energy show and a fun escape for a night,” he continues. But Galbraith also has a focal message of attentive understanding on his mind. “That’s what the show is about. It’s important to listen different perspectives and not be afraid of change.”

Both Ragozzino and Galbraith agree the best part of the production process on bringing the show to life has been working with their TOP team. They both mention how in four months they’ve gone from strangers to close friends.

Maybe that’s really the secret in Footloose’s beating heart. When asked what he wants people to feel leaving the theatre, Galbraith says “I want people to see different kinds of love. We can lean into change and it can help us grow as individuals and a community.”

Footloose really comes alive when the cast explodes into dance. But like Ren finally explains to Reverend Shaw, “It’s not really about the dancing.”

Footloose is presented by the Oakville Drama Series and The Oakville Players. It plays the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy Street, until this Sunday, March 8th. Tickets are available online here or at (905)-338-4161.