Mundelein High goes 'Footloose' for spring play

The auditorium stage at Mundelein High School will come alive with song and dance as the theater department presents its spring musical, "Footloose," this week.

One of the most explosive recent movie musicals, "Footloose" tells the story of a teen, Ren, and his mother who move from Chicago to a small farming town. While Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school, he is not prepared for the rigorous local edict that include a ban on dancing instituted by a local preacher determined to exercise control over the town's youth that he cannot command in his own home.

To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar- and Tony-nominated Top 40 score and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, "Footloose" celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people and guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

Ren and his mother Ethel are portrayed by Michael Cappuccilli and Rachel Freedman, respectively. Other leads are played by Alex Hoffmeyer, Eleni Psihogios and Hayley Hoffmeyer. Jonathan Meier is the MHS theater director. Assistant directors are Casey Bekiaris and Denise Reyes, with stage managers Angie Jorgensen and David Holley and assistant stage managers Bethany Griffin and Sam Reisman. Adam Gohr directs the orchestra.