The velvet seats at the Capitol Theatre have a specific smell. It is a mix of old dust, popcorn and the lingering scent of hairspray from a thousand previous opening nights. Sitting in the third row, you feel the weight of Windsor’s history pressing against the stage. It is the perfect venue for Arts Collective Theatre (ACT) to plant their flag. Once a year, this troupe pulls up its collective socks and heads to the downtown core for what usually ends up being one of the highlights of the local theatre season.
They have tackled the heavy hitters before. We saw them do *Dreamgirls*. We saw the grit of *Hair* and the soul of *The Wiz*. But this time, they are leaning into the neon-soaked nostalgia of the 1980s. They are bringing *Footloose* to the stage on Sept. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15. It is a bold move. Everyone knows the movie, and everyone knows the songs. That creates a specific kind of pressure.
The story is a familiar beat. Ren McCormack is a kid from Chicago with too much energy and a father who walked out. He and his mother land in Bomont, a town that feels like it’s stuck in a time capsule. Ren finds himself at odds with the local law, specifically Reverend Moore. The man has convinced the town to outlaw dancing. It sounds absurd, but in the context of a town mourning a tragedy, it carries a heavy weight. Ren, with the help of the Reverend’s rebellious daughter Ariel and a local named Willard, has to fight for the right to move.
I sat down with Florine Ndimubandi, the Marketing Assistant at ACT, to see how they plan to pull this off without falling into the trap of a mere tribute act. I asked her how this loud, energetic musical fits into the broader mission of the company.
"Footloose falls within ACT’s mandate because the show is actually a celebration of humanity," Ndimubandi says. "It asks us to find ourselves through the spirit of forgiveness and love of dance. This show continues our 2019 season aptly titled 'Home'."
It is an interesting angle. Most people think of *Footloose* as a "let's party" show, but ACT is looking at the bones of the story. They are looking at the grief that caused the dance ban in the first place. But choosing which version of the script to use is the first hurdle. There is the 1998 original and the 2005 revision. ACT went with the latter.
"ACT will be producing the 2005 version of Footloose," Ndimubandi explains. "The updated version was more appealing to us due to the concept being stronger, and the variety of parts giving more voice to the women in the show. For example, in the 1998 version, it’s the men that open the show but in the 2005 version it was the women that opened the show."
That shift in perspective matters. It modernizes the power dynamics. And let’s be honest, the 2005 version tightens the narrative slack that sometimes plagued the original Broadway run. But even with a better script, the logistics of a full-scale production are a nightmare. You have a massive cast, a complex score and the expectations of an audience that grew up on the soundtrack.
The timeline for this production is enough to give any stage manager a migraine. Most professional houses want months of lead time. ACT is doing it on a shoestring of time.
"Footloose is being produced in 8 weeks – which is unheard of in the community of arts," Ndimubandi says. "But all it really takes is vision! And what helps with that vision is leadership and guidance to pull off a big show like Footloose. You’ve got to figure out the motivation, how to attain the week-to-week goals, the scheduling, etc."
Eight weeks is a sprint. It is a high-wire act that relies on every gear in the machine turning perfectly. If the lead gets a cold or the lighting rig glitches, there is no safety net. But that urgency often translates to a raw energy on stage that you don't get with a six-month rehearsal period.
I wondered why *Footloose* still works in 2019. It’s a period piece at this point. But Ndimubandi argues that the setting of Bomont, Texas mirrors the grit of our own backyard.
Footloose falls within ACT’s mandate because the show is actually a celebration of humanity. It asks us to find ourselves through the spirit of forgiveness and love of dance.
"Footloose is the perfect choice for Windsor," she says. "It resonates here because Windsor’s history is represented in the blue-collar town of Beaumont, Texas where the story takes place. Windsor’s identity is deeply rooted in the car industry where people would punch in and punch out, and then have fun to celebrate a job well done. Footloose is a 'let your hair down' kind of show, where you can come in to see the show knowing that you’ll leave feeling happy. The longevity of the music has sustained for so long which is fantastic and will have the audience humming the songs after the show."
There is a valid point there. Windsor is a lunch-bucket town. We understand the need to blow off steam after a shift at the plant. And we definitely understand the tension between the old guard and the new generation.
The shadow of the 1984 film looms large, though. Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer and John Lithgow defined these roles. When you cast a local production, you aren't just looking for actors; you are looking for people who can live up to those ghosts. ACT’s approach to casting is, frankly, a bit wild.
"This show is very inclusive and there are some surprising cast choices that will allow more further development for some of the characters (for example: Vi and Chuck)," Ndimubandi says. "At ACT, it’s a collective decision that’s made by the casting group, but the director doesn’t just stop at the casting process. Usually, he waits it out until he finds the right person for a character. And as some may know from previous shows, he finds talent in most random places like fast food restaurants and local stores which is unheard of in the community of arts!"
Finding your lead at a Harvey’s drive-thru is the kind of industry lore I live for. It speaks to a certain "eye" for natural charisma that you don't always find in a formal audition room. And it fits the character of Ren. He is supposed to be an outsider. He is supposed to have a different rhythm than the rest of the ensemble.
Ren is a character defined by his persistence. He is victimized by the town's small-mindedness, but he doesn't fold. I asked what the takeaway is for a modern audience.
"What we can learn from the character is that everyone is trying to find their place in this world and what’s great about Footloose is that it shows that we’re not alone," Ndimubandi says.
It is a simple message, sure. But in an era where everyone feels siloed off by their screens, seeing a kid fight for physical, communal connection feels relevant. And that connection happens through movement. In *Footloose*, if the dancing is bad, the show is dead. There is no middle ground.
The choreography for this production is a three-headed beast. You have the director, the choreographer and a technical choreographer all vying for space. It sounds like a "too many cooks" situation, but Ndimubandi insists it works.
"It is definitively a collaborative process," she says. "The director, Chris Rabideau, and choreographer, Jolie Katembo, are very visual. They communicate by showing each other what they expect of a dance number. The director will workshop the choreography with the actors to give the choreographer a guide and let her create from there. The choreographer will then finalize the choreography with the help of the technical choreographer, Leslie McCurdy. She will heighten the choreography by making sure each detail of the choreography looks good on stage."
Having Leslie McCurdy in the mix is a major asset. She is a powerhouse in the local scene, and her eye for detail is legendary. If a pinky finger is out of place during "Holding Out for a Hero," she will catch it.
Then there is the look of the show. Do you go full 1980s with the shoulder pads and the perms, or do you try to make it "hip" for the kids? ACT is trying to walk the line between both eras.
"We want the show to celebrate the new and the old by taking moments of the 80s and mixing them with modern contemporary styles of today," Ndimubandi explains. "Keep an eye out to see a spectacular blend of 80s fashion with modern streetwear on stage. It is important to keep the integrity of this Era when dressing our actors because it’s such a widely recognized production."
This is where my critic's brain kicks in. Mixing 80s neon with modern streetwear can be a visual disaster if not handled with a very steady hand. It can look like a costume shop threw up on the cast. But if they pull it off, it bridges the gap between the nostalgia-seekers and the younger crowd.
What makes this specific production of *Footloose* stand out in a crowded theatre market is the age of the people running the show. This isn't a group of veterans phoning it in.
"We make Footloose a little different from others because this whole production is being led by people under the age of 30," Ndimubandi says. "The 30 Under 30 program allows people to put on a professional looking show which is unique in itself."
The 30 Under 30 program is a vital part of Windsor’s artistic ecosystem. It gives youth a reason to stay in the city instead of fleeing to Toronto the second they get their degree. It’s a mentorship program that actually puts the keys to the car in the hands of the students.
And finally, we have to talk about the boots. You can’t do *Footloose* without the footwear. The poster practically demands it.
"Of course! There’s definitely going to be cowboy boots and you might even see just an old pair of roller skates in the show," Ndimubandi says.
Roller skates on the Capitol stage? That is a technical risk. The floor isn't exactly a rink. But that is the charm of ACT. They take the big swings. They don't play it safe.
Tickets are on sale now, ranging from $15 to $25. You can grab them at capitoltheatrewindsor.ca. It is a small price to pay to see if a group of under-30s can make a town dance again.
Arts Collective Theatre remains a non-profit organization that actually gives a damn about the well-being of the Windsor-Essex community. Their 30 Under 30 summer program is more than just a theatre camp; it is a pipeline for local talent. It celebrates the artists who are usually overlooked. It gives them a stage, a spotlight and a chance to prove they belong. And in a town like Windsor, that is exactly what we need.
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