GARDEN STATE PLAYERS CUT LOOSE WITH ‘FOOTLOOSE’

  Portion of Ticket Sales to Benefit Pediatric Care Center

The Garden State Players concludes its first season with the high-energy rock musical FOOTLOOSE, opening Friday, Aug. 11 and playing through Sunday, Aug. 19 at Raritan High School, 419 Middle Road, Hazlet. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the new Pediatric Care Center at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel.

Inspired by the wildly popular 1984 movie, FOOTLOOSE thrilled Broadway audiences for nearly two years. It is a story of American spirit — a carefree city kid transplanted to a conservative rural town where rock ’n’ roll and dancing are forbidden. He takes on the authorities, makes all the right moves and wins the girl.

FOOTLOOSE bursts onto the live stage with the story of a small town called Bomont, where the memory of a tragedy has caused the ban of rock music and dancing. Ren McCormack moves from Chicago to Bomont and quickly finds himself at odds with the repressive atmosphere of the community lead by the Reverend Shaw Moore. Ren is alarmed to find that dancing is not allowed anywhere in the town after a fatal accident five year before took the lives of four Bomont boys coming home from a dance. Following the accident, Rev. Moore managed to convince the town council to place a ban on dancing. Ren meets Rev. Moore’s rebellious daughter, Ariel, and finds that they have a lot in common, but Rev. Moore forbids Ariel from seeing Ren, deeming him a troublemaker. Frustrated by his new stifling environment, Ren decides to take on the town, throws a dance igniting a revolution among his classmates and manages to bring dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy.

FOOTLOOSE is a classic story of overcoming grief, and experiencing growth and emotional healing — symbolically represented by dancing — as well as persevering with determination to fight for the things you love most. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar- and Tony-nominated top 40 score (the soundtrack album reached number one on the Billboard charts and has sold more than 15 million copies), and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, FOOTLOOSE celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

FOOTLOOSE, the stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. The musical features all the chart-topping music from the film (including “Almost Paradise,” “Holding Out For a Hero,” and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,”) mixed with new material written specifically for the stage musical. The score contains music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford, with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman.

The cast of FOOTLOOSE is led by John Kyle Conway of Keyport as Ren McCormack and Gabriella Concepcion of Hazlet as Ariel Moore. Also featured are Christopher Lubrecht of Toms River (Reverend Shaw Moore), Erica Kostyz of Wanamassa (Vi Moore), Dorothy Gallop of Old Bridge (Ethel McCormack), Trevor Cahill of Keansburg (Willard), Brittany Boardwick of Keyport (Rusty), Lelise DeMieri of Keyport (Wendy Joe), Samantha Price of Middletown (Urleen) and Danny Puma of Red Bank (Chuck Cranston).

FOOTLOOSE is produced by Lauren Matthews Raad, Esq. of Hazlet (Garden State Player’s Founder and Managing Director) and directed by Chuck Cutaia of Asbury Park (Garden State Player’s Artistic Director. Musical direction by Frank Slater (Circle K Productions) with choreography by Lynn Scheps (Bayshore Academy of Dance, Holmdel), additional choreography by Donovan L. Cruz (Los Angeles) and musical staging by Julia Zgola of Keansburg. Production stage manager is Melanie Taylor of Atlantic Highlands and assistant director is Laura Herr of Fair Haven.

Tickets are $10 for children under 18 and seniors and $20 for general admission. Performances are Aug. 11-19, Fridays and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.GardenStatePlayers.org or at the box office one hour prior to curtain. For more information, please call 732-497-2998.