Renton Civic Theatre’s musical version of ‘Footloose’ is a rock n’ roll rollick to kick off your summer. Based on the hit Kevin Bacon-led ’80s movie of the same name, ‘Footloose’ is the latest musical at the theatre, where a Chicago teen named Ren McCormack moves to a small town in the middle of nowhere where dancing is completely prohibited.
A Fun Show with Some Issues
The show was worth the price of admission, with some real powerhouse performances. However, it was also the weakest opening night of the theatre’s 2026 season. Opening nights can be tough for stage productions due to all the kinks not being fully worked out, and it seemed that these realities had hit the RCT stage on the evening of June 5.
One of the issues was the live band sharing the stage with the actors, which was a real joy, but it was difficult to hear the vocals or understand the lyrics through the beginning of the show. Thankfully, the issue was eventually course-corrected. Along with the music volume, there were some rough spots when it came to the ensemble choreography and some of the staging in certain scenes, which made parts of the show feel like a dress rehearsal and not a musical on a professional stage.
Highlights of the Show
Some of the major highlights of the show were undeniably Ren’s love interest and the promiscuous preacher’s daughter Ariel, and her small girl gang comprised of Rusty, Wendy Jo, and Urleen. All four absolutely knocked their roles, their group choreography, and their fantastic performance of ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ out of the park. Mykahla George as Willard Hewitt, a quick-to-fight country boy who becomes Ren’s best friend, was also a standout.
The romantic duet ‘Almost Paradise’ from the original film, where Ren and Ariel confess their feelings to each other, was another highlight of the show. Both Julio Ulloa Jr and Ella Tennant Swenson nailed the intensity and vocal standards of the original song, leaving a light feeling of nostalgia for some stellar ’80s music and young love.
‘Footloose’ runs at the Renton Civic Theatre until June 21. For showtimes and tickets, visit rentoncivictheatre.org. The 2026 season continues with ‘Noises Off’ from Oct. 2-18 and ‘Scrooge!’ from Dec. 4-20.
Original reporting: Renton Reporter — read the source article.
