St. John Theatre’s ‘Footloose’ hits the stage this week
Published 4:40 pm Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Trey Lowry hangs the Footloose sign, which was originally used in St. John Theatre’s 2003 production.
Sara brooks and Conor Pecoul
Brody LeBlanc, Trey Lowry, Taye Drake and Caylee Drexel are pictured.
Mike Brooks is directing “Footloose.”
The actors and orchestra find harmony during the first sitzprobe rehearsal.
Rehearsals took place throughout the week at St. John Theatre, leading up to the July 21 opening night.
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RESERVE — There’s nothing small about St. John Theatre’s 2023 summer production of “Footloose.” With intricate dance numbers, fast-paced costume changes, complex set pieces, and a live orchestra performing ‘80s hits that cross all genres, this year’s summer show is bigger and better than ever.
While St. John Theatre’s most recent summer show was “Once Upon a Mattress” in 2019, COVID-19 restrictions did not allow for a full audience, and the theatre went dark for more than a year when Hurricane Ida struck soon after. This year, the performers are looking to recapture the energy of 2019’s summer show, “Grease.”
“A summer production is normally around a month and a half or two months’ worth of work. This has been a year and a half, two years in the making,” said Trey Lowry, who plays Willard in Footloose. “I think audiences are really going to see what that type of work looks like on stage with the dedication that has been put in throughout that time.”
Director Mike Brooks said this year’s cast is a mix of familiar and new faces from all three of the River Parishes. The performers have put in a lot of hard work and sweat, practicing sometimes until 11:30 at night. It’s been all hands on deck, with actors taking on multiple roles on and off the stage. Lowry has assisted with set building and rigging, while Keri Clement directed choreography with assistance from Dominic Joseph. Clement and Sadie Kelly have led social media marketing efforts in advance of the show, which premieres Friday, July 21 at 115 W. Fourth St. in Reserve.
Taye Drake will play lead character Ren. He said it has been a rewarding experience to reunite with friends and pick up right where they left off.
“For me, it’s like a big family reunion,” he said. “The gang is back together again.”
Kelly said being able to give back to the community again has been very exciting.
“As we’re all getting a bit older, everyone’s got their hands on somebody, somehow, so this really felt like a big family event that you put your heart and soul into,” Kelly said. “No matter how long it’s been, we pick up right where we left off. I’m really proud of the work that has gone into this, and that’s why I’m excited for people to come see it. It looks phenomenal. It’s definitely going to be that big bang coming back from the break.”
Clement and Joseph had a big task on their hands when it came to directing choreography in a dance-heavy show. They aimed to give each cast member a moment to be featured and feel appreciated.
“I think what makes this production so special is the fact that we’ve had a year off because of Ida, so now we are coming back harder,” Joseph said. “We are pulling all kinds of stops that we have never pulled before. I think our main goal is working to advance the Theatre and push us forward, and kind of push the envelope a little bit without being so stagnant. It’s a new era of rebirth for the Theatre. We still have a lot to offer, and we are definitely showing that this summer.”
For the first time, St. John Theatre conducted a sitzprobe rehearsal where the orchestra and actors focused on integrating together.
Sara Brooks, who plays Ariel, said live music always elicits a stronger emotional response compared to recorded music and allows for more personalization.
“It gives us more freedom to play the character the way they feel they need to be played, and it helps bring the audience into the show,” Brooks said.
Show dates will be July 21, 22, 23 and 26 – 29, and tickets are available at stjohntheatre.com. Call 504-676-4700 or email sjtreserve@gmail.com for more information.
“There’s a lot of buzz in this building around this show,” Lowry said. “We are very excited to be putting on another affordable, high-quality show for people in the River Parishes to come see.”
Cast List
REN MCCORMACK …………………………
ARIEL MOORE ………………………
ETHEL MCCORMACK ………………………………..
REVEREND SHAW MOORE ………………………………
VI MOORE ……………………….
WILLARD HEWITT …………..
RUSTY…………………….
WENDY – JO ……………………………………….
URLEEN …………………………
CHUCK CRANSTON………………….
PRINCIPAL CLARK…………………….
LULU/BETTY BLAST …………………………
COACH DUNBAR …………………………
ELEANOR DUNBAR …………………………
WES/COWBOY BOB………………………
JETER …………………………
BICKLE …………………………
LYLA …………………………
TRAVIS …………………………
GARVIN …………………………
COP …………………………
COUNTRY FIDDLER…………………..
ENSEMBLE:
Karlie Wombles, Nia Adams, Jaden House, Ty Anae Gordon, Co’Lynn Duhe, Tammy Johnson, Tiernie Brock, Brad Wilson, Kori Williams, Kaci Williams, Jillian Cazes, Natalie Reeves Dantin, Tracie Palma, Adele Cooper
Director – Mike brooks
Assistant director – Danielle ordoyne
Choreographer – Keri clement
Assistant choreographer Dominic Joseph
Choral director – Kristen brooks
