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Fleet of foot

A musical based on the movie Footloose features almost nonstop singing and dancing, proving popular with both local talent and audiences.

LARGO - Judy Becotte has some advice for anyone pondering whether to attend the musical Footloose which opened at the Largo Cultural Center Thursday.

"The play is much better than the movie," she said. "It has more music and more adults in it."

Becotte, the production manager, said the Eight O'Clock Theater production is high-energy and features almost nonstop dancing and singing.

Audience members will hear familiar songs such as Footloose, Almost Paradise, Let's Hear it For the Boy and The Girl Gets Around, plus a host of others during the 2 1/2-hour show.

The 44-member cast, made up of kids in their early teens to adults in their 50s, is directed by Jason Tucker, 30, who first saw Footloose on Broadway in 1999 and said he never dreamed he'd ever direct it.

Some people may not recall the 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon. (The lead actors of this production were only 2 years old when the movie was released). If you don't remember, the story goes like this: A young man named Ren McCormack, played by David Baylor, 20, leaves Chicago with his mother and moves to an uptight fictional town called Bomont, Ill., to live with the mother's brother and his wife.

"When they get there, they find it's strict and conservative, and the minister rules the town with an iron fist," Tucker said. "There was an ordinance drawn up outlawing dancing. It stems from the fact four young men were killed several years before coming from a dance. One of them was the minister's son. He said dancing led to bad things, and the town went along with him on it."

The play delves deeper into the minister's - and the town's - grief than the film, Tucker said.

"This has torn him (the minister) apart," he said. "He was cutting himself off from his wife, and his daughter turned into a tramp, practically. "This is about a town learning to deal with the past and move on, and a family wondering if they can love each other again like they used to," Tucker said.

Ren decides to talk to the adults and to rid the town of the ridiculous law.

"And then the kids put on a big display in front of the town council," Tucker said.

The musical is hugely popular with local talent. Eighty-five performers auditioned for the 44 parts despite the big time investment and physical effort involved.

"They've been rehearsing for six weeks, four to five times a week," said Tucker. "It's very demanding."

He said Fadi Akhtar, the choreographer, "spends a lot of time perfecting the kids."

But Tucker worries some people may avoid the play, thinking it's too wild for their taste.

"This isn't the Sound of Music," he said. "Will people be willing to accept this?"

Apparently, they will.

According to the box office, more than half the seats were gone before opening night and the remaining tickets are selling fast.

Eileen Schulte can be reached at 727 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com

Eight O'Clock Theater's Footloose starring David Baylor and Amanda Elend, opened Thursday and runs tonight-Sunday, Thursday-July 20 and July 24-27 in the Tonne Playhouse at the Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive. It starts at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $18 general, $10 for students and $14.50 for groups of 10 or more. For information, call (727) 587-6793.