The Montezuma-Cortez Middle School’s theater and choral departments will present “Footloose” this weekend.
The play will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 in CMS’s main gym.
The play follows a teenager named Ren McCormack, played by Costner Hernandez, and his friends Willard, Shaw, Ariel and Rusty, who set out to make changes in a town where dancing and many forms of music have been banned after a tragedy.
“Willard, Ren, Shaw, Ariel and Rusty lead a talented group of rock stars and deliver a powerful message of embracing change, respecting our communities and dancing to your own beat,” said theater director Angela Gabardi.
The production features many high-energy song and dance numbers by Hernandez with his fellow co-stars Grace Noyes as Ariel, Devin Aster as Willard and Addalynn Nielson as Rusty and the many other cast members that are made up of students in grades six through eight.
This is a high-energy, emotional show with lots of love and humor,” Gabardi said.
In total, Gabardi and choir teacher Marla Sitton said there are 75 students who are part of the cast and crew, and they have been preparing for this show for a little over 10 weeks.
According to Gabardi and Sitton, the students have put in more than 75 hours of work in rehearsals, set days, dance calls and music intensives.
This is the ninth year putting on a musical in the middle school, and “Footloose” will be added to the lengthy list of musicals that include “Pirates of Penzance,” “Adventures of a Comic Book Artist,” “Into the Woods Jr.,” “Emma! A Pop Musical,” “Singin' in the Rain Jr.,” “Oliver Jr.,” “Willy Wonka Jr.” and “A Musical Variety.”
“Come out and support the arts at MCMS and see kids doing something great,” Sitton said.
“This is a great chance to see the creativity and talent of our wonderful youths,” Gabardi added. “These epic humans have put in so much time, dedication, teamwork, passion and creativity. They truly are delightful and wonderful. This is a beloved story and our students have honored that legacy while adding their own ideas.”
General admission is $10 per ticket and non-CMS students and seniors aged 65 and older can purchase tickets for $6.
MCMS staff, MCMS students, MCHS drama students and children two years old and younger will have free entry.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at mchsdrama.booktix.com.
Sitton thanked supporters for their encouragement throughout the process.
“This has been a challenging process with so many kids, but we are very grateful to the help and support of our parental units and staff and administration,” she said.
