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Stage review: Youths dance, sing through energetic 'Footloose'
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Ms. Hansen and her defender, RE: JOHN, don't have a leg to stand on (no, not even a "broken" one). People in real life don't break into song every 15 minutes either. That, and the fact that most of the characters portrayed on the musical theater stage wouldn't have professional dancing moves hasn't killed the genre. The only time it DOES make any sense is in the sub-genre of "show within a show" where the characters ARE theater professionals (42nd Street, Drowsy Chaperone, The Producers, etc.).
So gimme a break! Let's stop the silly arguing and go watch the show!
Second, if any of you knew anything about storytelling, you'd get the point she's making. I don't find it worth my time to further explain.
As a side note, there were pseudo lifts when Ren and the gang when off to dance at the neighboring town. I say pseduo lifts becuase most of the kids couldn't do them.
One more thing - go watch the movie. Ren didn't do any ballet moves. Great choregoraphy yes. Technical dancing wizardry? no.
Then you persist in looking down your nose at the other posters with your storytelling remark, categorizing this discussion not worth your time. Perhaps not, so why bother at all? What's wrong with this picture? What is your real agenda?
You're certainly no fan of musical theater, or you wouldn't support the notion that a dance show shouldn't have dazzling dance moves (not talking about ballet here, but rhythm, flexibility, presence, energy, athleticism, precision, synchronization--you know, the elements that when they come together bring that WOW factor). As Incredible! points out above, if directors limited themselves strictly to plausible character motivations, the whole musical theater genre would disappear, since everyday people don't spontaneously burst into song and dance routines throughout their day. And if they did, it wouldn't be pleasant to watch or listen to, and wouldn't be in unison with all their family, friends and co-workers!! I mean get real!
So I come back to my earlier question: what's wrong with this picture? What's your real beef with Rodgers?
I agree that most of the shows there aren't very good. They call themselves a 'semi-professional' theater yet I don't know of any performers other than Alex Boye who have been paid. From the quality of shows they are community theater all the way.
I don't know why they even get a mention in the paper since you can find productions of equal entertainment value with every other community arts council that don't get a review.
I have noticed a very aggressive mentality from people involved with Rodgers in the comment sections on this web site. I think the review was probably sugar-coated to not make very young and inexperienced performers feel bad. So you guys whine if you don't get reviewed then you whine about the review.
The underlying problem with this article and most articles that Erica puts in this paper is that she is not interesting to read and is a poor writer. Despite her obvious lack of experience to be giving accurate reviews of musical theater, her writing is disconnected and not interesting. Her juvenile comments and lack of supporting explanations are "pretty" weak and "seem" to lack in confidence and decisiveness. She'll get better over the years; Ivan did, I think.
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I haven't seen the show at Rodger's, but it sounds like the Deseret News needs to get a new theater writer. To say that kids in a backwards town wouldn't know how to dance that way? Let's forget that they break into rock songs, or that when prom comes in the movie (which is not a MUSICAL) all of the kids broke into stunning years-of-dance-training moves.
Welcome to what a broadway show is. I hope that the choreography is stunning, for Footloose is a dance/ rock show.