Exploits Valley High Drama Group to present Footloose The Musical
The Covid-19 pandemic forced a pause to virtually every aspect of high school life and practically stole the chance for some members of the Exploits Valley High School Drama Group to display their talents publicly.
But, thanks to some hard work during the last few months, the group has pulled together a three-show production of Footloose The Musical, which will hit the stage of the Gordon Pinsent Centre For the Arts on May 13, 14 and 15.
“I believe we are one of only two high school drama groups still presenting a show and it has been a challenge to stage the production even at the tail end of the Covid pandemic,” said director Scott Simms.
“When we started the rehearsal process we were still doing online instruction so we couldn’t do in-person meetings so we were actually rehearsing over Google … and singing and dancing over Google meets is not an easy process,” he added. “So, we did a lot of character work and the acting fundamentals in that time and that really helped us get a jump start on things.”
This extracurricular venture involves a cast of 45.
“We have a really great group of students - a nice mix of dancers and singers, and the energy here is amazing,” said Simms, adding the choice of show was purposeful.
“Footloose is a really great show for a high school group because all the major characters are high school students, which is very rare with big musical numbers like this,” he explained. “Also, for us, we have such a strong dance squad as part of our cast we knew it was going to be a dance heavy show …
“And also it’s a great nostalgia show … I guarantee all of (the) parents (know it) so they’re going to get a little extra enjoyment singing along to Footloose and songs like Holding Out For A Hero and Let’s Hear It For The Boys.”
And there’s a sense of relief students will display their talents to a live audience, with many of the cast doing so for the first time.
“A few of them were in Mamma Mia but that production ended up getting shut down before it was actually able to take the stage,” Simms said.
“We have some incredible talent,” he continued. “Declan Tibbs, the lead, is an amazing dancer and he has a much better voice than he would ever give himself credit for before this. And with the girls, all of our dancers and all of our leads, some of these voices are absolutely gorgeous. Some of the songs in this musical are so beautiful, so powerful because it’s all about challenging society… . and it’s something that they can connect to and something they can understand.”
The return to a live show this year will help set the stage for next year.
For co-choreographer Jen Oldford this production will be her last as she graduates this June.
In Grade 9 she helped with some choreography on Rock Of Ages and in Grade 10 she was in the Mamma Mia show that was never presented publicly.
“Mama Mia was a good experience and I wasn’t too disappointed,” she said. “We still got to practice and make lots of memories … But, I’m glad we got to do this.”
For Tibbs, who intends to pursue a career in the field, this musical is his first big drama production.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” he said during a break from rehearsal.
“It’s crazy what happens behind the scenes…,” he continued.
“With dance it’s just one thing. In this, it’s acting, singing and dancing and it’s just so crazy how fast it came together. We have a great group of people and we have to thank the teachers that put endless hours and the students who worked so hard.”
The group did a production in the fall called All Together Now, Tibbs noted.
“It wasn’t as big, just a bunch of songs from different musicals and that one came together in about a month.”
“For most people it’s their first time and they’re feeling it,” said Oldford, adding that the fall performances were helpful.
“We definitely got our nerves settled and learned how to perform in front of a crowd.”