Real people's reviews. Very heartening. Now, these are the people we love performing for! God bless them for just sitting back and enjoying every minute.
Clickthe City.com reviews:
September 12, 2005
Cut (foot)loose to feel young
The year that “Footloose” came out on film was the same year I came out of my mother's womb (unless it's true, the story my folks used to always tell me that they just found and picked me up from a dump). It starred Kevin Bacon, who shot to iconic status after that although he had a double for the dance scenes. For the staging of “Footloose the Musical” here, the main performers didn’t need doubles. They may have understudies, but these alternates are what you call triple threats--they can do three things well in equal measures such as dance, sing and act.Now if you get two triple threats, what do you get? Double trouble. (My math has always been poor, but I get this equation.) And trouble comes in the form of the country's R&B prince Jay-R and TV personality Iya Villania, who as threatrical greenhorns make smashing debuts in the 80s-inspired musical.
In "Footloose," the two are seen as troublemakers: he strives to repeal a decree and she repels her father.Ren McCormack encourages dancing which is actually against the law in the churchgoing town of Bomont. This was decreed by the church minister, Reverend Shaw Moore, who wields the kind of power everyone submits to--except his daughter, Ariel.
The girl gets around, says one song; she has been kissed a lot and she sneaks out beyond curfew. In a small town like Bomont, anyone who runs with the motorbike crowd and flirts with the bad boy is fodder for gossip. Needless to say, Ariel is one popular girl. This may be why she gets naturally drawn to the newcomer in town, Ren McCormack, who also craves the limelight. The attraction later proves deeper than hots at first sight. They find out they have more in common: an absent father, a loss in the family, an unquenchable thirst for little freedoms that youth should afford.
Ren, bringing change with him, is unpopular at first (change always meets resistance) but when the other youths see things from his perspective, he becomes their champion. And their cause? Just for the decree to be lifted and they could dance to their hearts’--or feet’s--content. Why, even King David and other Bible characters did it, Ren argues in one of the town council meetings. The council is closed-minded, however, and sticks to their principle of upholding the decree in memory of an unfortunate accident: when four kids veered off the highway to their deaths on their way from a dance on the other town. And one of the kids just happened to be the reverend’s favorite son. Iya Villania isn’t a revelation--not because she wasn’t fetching, but because I already heard proof that she can work her pipes, albeit from a segment on the Myx channel where she belts out that Aegis song with the lines Ang halik mo/namimiss ko/bakit iniwan mo ako…. This isn’t to suggest she is less of a performer than she actually is. Her feet just need to be a little looser, but Iya sings with heart. She proves in this musical that she can render songs into a classier level. “Almost Paradise” certainly doesn’t sound like a jukebox feature anymore.
Jay-R is no doubt the star of the show. With a commanding height, a restless spring to his step, and a smart-alecky ‘tude, he easily gets into the role of a city boy displaced in a stiff small town. And as what have come to be expected of him, his moves make you feel light and his voice even lighter. The grownups are a superb support: Audie Gemora (the executive producer) gets under your skin as the immovable minister who later makes a piercing confession (sings it, actually, in “I Confess”); Agot Isidro, she whose singing sounds richer in theater, is winning as the submissive wife and understanding mother; and you’d wanna hug Carla Martinez for being Ren’s supportive mother.
The soundtrack goes for nostalgia for those familiar with the 80s hits “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” “Holding Out for a Hero,” and “Dancing in the Streets,” besides “Almost Paradise” and the title song. Even for those vaguely familiar with these songs--like me--can’t help but sing along to the catchy beats. As I emerged from the Meralco Theater (yes, in that main Meralco building that would be concave should it fall on its face along Ortigas Avenue where it stands) last Saturday, I detected a little yearning for my early years in that era of pencil-cut jeans, tops in a mishmash of colors still reeling from the 70s’ psychedelic, and perms. But most of all the music--which someone was insisting to me before was the best. Now you know about an alternative to age-defying creams and other goo: watching “Footloose” to feel young again! If you aren't anymore, that is.
curiouser and curiouser
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- Name: The White Rabbit
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"We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection." - Anais Nin
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Year 2!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Young Again
Ya, this is a nice review because I can relate to the feeling of "trying" to turn back time through the music. My ultimate favorite "Let's Hear It For The Boy" has never sounded better especially since it was accompanied by a great visual performance. The best review I got -- was watching Allan clapping wildly and bouncing in his seat to the music (a sight I only saw in my imagination). I've never seen him this excited over a musical... or a play, or a movie! Great, great job, guys! And those front row seats were AWESOME:)