Footloose Backstage
A Behind the Scenes Blog from Wolverhampton Musical Comedy
Company’s production of Footloose
12th-16th March, Wolverhampton Grand
Last week I was fortunate to appear in Wolverhampton Musical
Comedy Company, affectionately known as Muscom’s production of Footloose at the
Wolverhampton Grand. Footloose is a high energy and fun family show with an
explosion of 80’s classic tunes such as ‘Holding out for a Hero,’ ‘Let’s hear
it for the boy’ and the title track ‘Footloose.’
Footloose is based on the hit movie starring Kevin Bacon as Ren
McCormack who moves from Chicago, to a small farming town and finds it hard to
adjust to the local laws – one of which is a ban on Dancing! Ren, self-admittedly
‘Can’t Stand Still’ and finds it hard to settle into his new lifestyle. He
eventually manages to bring music and dancing back to the town of Bomont and in
true musical theatre style falls in love along the way. Footloose has a
simplistic plot but is jam packed with energetic dance routines that will get
your feet tapping!
Muscom have been rehearsing their production for Footloose
for over six months and we have had great fun preparing for such a fun and feel
good show. Full Company Rehearsals are usually once a week and principals and
dancers rehearse additional evenings in the run up to the show to ensure that
scenes and routines are slick and polished. It can be a heavy process nearer to
the production week as the company deal with additional rehearsals in order to
get used to costumes, props and scenery. After a week of fake tan, sequins and 80’s
back combed hair I am relived this week to be returning back to the 21st
century!
 |
| My Opening Costume |
Our Footloose week began early Sunday morning and the
company met at 10am for a Band Call in The Grand Theatre foyer. This is the
first glimpse of how the show will sound during the week and is a really
exciting morning. After weeks of learning harmonies and lyrics this is the
company’s first chance to test out their vocals accompanied by a full band.
Although a bit of a squash for our 40+ strong company, the ensemble mark
through all of the production numbers in the theatre foyer within the
surroundings of the box office and confectionery counters! After the Band Call
we all went our separate ways for a spot of lunch in Wolverhampton City Centre
and had a quick dash around the shops for last minute costume accessories and
toiletries for the week ahead.
 |
| Niamh Allen (Urleen) Lindsey Grant and Claudia Gilmore (Wendy Jo) in Dressing Room 3 |
Meeting back at the Theatre mid afternoon we started our technical
rehearsal. While we had been wining and dining the stage crew had been hard at
work assembling the Footloose set, rigging lighting and plotting the show and
wow it looked good!! The technical rehearsal is the company’s first time on
stage with the scenery and is a walkthrough checking entrances and exits and
that everything and everyone is in the right place. After a long day of
rehearsing, the cast were pleased to have an early night ready for the long week
ahead.
 |
| Technical Rehearsal - Lindsey Grant and Aaron Perry |
Monday night is the first performance of the week and
although we don’t have an audience it is the final rehearsal for the show in
full costume and makeup. Our last chance to iron out any mistakes! The show
runs as smoothly as it can for a final rehearsal and the crew get used to
moving sets and scenery as quick as possible. One of my favourite parts about
the Dress Rehearsal is moving into your Dressing Room (Ours was #3) and making
it homely with all your comforts and supplies you will need for the week. The
Dress Rehearsal is the final piece in the puzzle as it’s the first chance of
being dressed as your character. Costumes can make you walk and talk
differently and they are the finishing touch in the characterisation of your
role. Dressing Room Three was this week home to characters Rusty, Wendy Jo,
Urleen and Cowboy Bob’s Girlfriend (me) and we all enjoyed travelling back to
the 80’s with big hair and donning our cowboy boots and hats!
 |
| Wendy Jo, Rusty and Urleen (Claudia Gilmore, Franchesca Fogoe and Niamh Allen) |
 |
| Chuck and Ariel (Tye Harris and Holly Stringfellow) |
Tuesday night was opening night and prior to the show we had
Director and Musical notes from the Dress Rehearsal and these were the
finishing touches in order to get the show spot on! On show performances the
cast arrive at the theatre from 5pm to get into character with hair and makeup.
At 6.45 every evening the company come together for a vocal warm up and receive
notes from the previous performance, ensuring we are in fine tune for the
evening ahead. Prior to the show everyone goes through their own regime to
check they are fully prepared for the production and individuals go through
their own pre show rituals before going onstage. The opening of Footloose has a
very quick change so performers pre set their costumes side of stage before the
performance starts. Overall Tuesday night’s performance went well and ran
smoothly and the technical hitches were smoothed out from the previous
performance. Tuesday night is very nerve wracking as the theatre critics
are in... You can read some of their reports here...
On Wednesday Matinee we had to re-plot some of the numbers
from the show. One of the dancers had suffered an injury from the previous
performance and was unable to perform, so at 2pm prior the 2.30 performance
understudies stepped in to learn her dance plot. Although in a lot of pain, we
were pleased to have her back on stage for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday
performances – What a Trooper!!
 |
| Heaven helps the man |
 |
| Somebody's Eyes |
On Thursday and Friday evenings after the show, socials were
organised to local restaurants for the cast to wind down and reward their hard
work with some yummy food!! On Saturday between the matinee and evening shows
the dancers and principals on floor one (Dressing Rooms 2-6) always bring a
buffet to share, and this is a nice way to chill in between shows. After the
buffet the girls do a Dancer’s present swap. Each Dancer buys a show related
present and almost like a secret santa the presents are distributed so we all
each have a keepsake to remember the show by. I received a lovely “Somebodys
Eyes” make up bag complete with sunglasses, eyelashes and various eye products.
A really thoughtful gift! It was then time for the final show.
All of the performances seemed to run smoothly and were well
received by numerous audiences who clapped and cheered throughout the show. In
particular on Saturday night I feel that everybody stepped up their game to
ensure that Footloose 2013 went out with a bang! After the bows our leading
lady, Director and Assistant Choreographer were presented with flowers before
performing the final Megamix! As the curtain went down for the final show there
were a lot of tears and hugs and kisses as we packed away our cowboy boots and
what has been our life for the last week!
 |
| Lindsey Grant & Aaron Perry (Cowgirl and Cowboy Bob) |
 |
| Alec White and boys (Willard Hewitt) |
 |
| Alec White and Fran Fogoe (Willard and Rusty) |
The company then met in the Dress Circle bar to toast the production and what had been a fantastic show week. Each Dressing Room then performed a skit/parody song about the week of the show and funny events and backstage gossip they have experienced. Myself and Claudia (who played Wendy Jo in the show) performed our Dressing Room song and we’d managed to use snippets from different songs in the show and changed the lyrics to jest about the production and cast members who all take it on the chin in good fun! As MusCom tradition we end the show week singing the old faithful song “We’ll meet again” and then for some of us it was home to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep!
 |
| David Walters and Holly Stringfellow (Ren & Ariel) and Company Photographs courtesy of Chris Wolverson, Lindsey Grant and Express and Star |
