EVERYBODY CUT, EVERYBODY CUT.

"Footloose" is playing at a couple of Drayton Theatre playhouses. I was lucky to get the last pair of tickets to the show on the final night in St. Jacob's.  Our seats weren't together but a nice couple did a flipperoo so Janice and I could sit together.

We love plays. Yes, it's an age thing. We've been going to many Drayton productions, a couple every year, from musicals, to "thriller" plays, to documentaries - all very, very good. Dinner and a play - a great combo! (I encourage you to treat yourself to a night out. The Midland theatre is closest to Barrie.)

The "Footloose" performance in St. Jacob's was unfortunately, not up to par.  I expected much more. Here's why.

It's a story about dancing, and the ensemble dancers were quite sloppy. There wasn't a lot of effort. (Now, maybe I'm jaded from watching Dancing With the Stars and have higher expectations!) The actor playing Ren out-shone the rest.

The storyline didn't match the movie. Now, I haven't read the book (is there one?), but it's possible the play imitates the story, not the movie, but I know the movie and there were many sub-plots that were totally different.

Two of the best known scenes didn't happen.

The first is in the warehouse where Ren McCormick takes out his frustration in an athletic dance tear. That scene was deleted in the play.

The other scene is the "Let's Hear It For The Boy" scene. If you know the movie, you know the scene, where Kevin Bacon's character teaches "Willard" how to dance on the steps of the school bleacher. That scene was changed to a group performance, with Willard only one of a dozen dancers. The audience as kind to cheer, but it was a letdown, although the singer gets a "10" for nailing the vocals.

Lastly, there was a surprising amount of profanity. In the Kevin Bacon version - I can't recall any. In the update from a couple years ago, there was a bit. But, in the play, with most 50 and 60 year olds in the audience, I was disappointed.

Hard to believe that "Footloose" is already 30 years old. The songs are great and it's an easy to follow story. I have to wonder if, in 50 years, it will still be around and loved like "The Wizard of Oz" is today. Who knows.

Ok, now a treat. 2014 - just a few months ago, Kevin Bacon dances to Footloose on the Jimmy Fallon Show!  Watch - it's awesome!*!