Students are getting ready to take stage for Footloose

This spring students at GHS will be putting on the musical Footloose. The musical is about a town where dancing is prohibited in high school, but a new student comes to the town and fights for the right to dance. 

Opening weekend isn’t until March 10-11, but students are already putting in the work now to make it great. There are many different leading roles, and ensembles for students to showcase their talents. 

Theater director Jeff Schaetzke has directed dozens of shows and is definitely chosen for this show. “I love the show and think it’s a great show for GHS. It’s fun and has tons of teenagers and a ton of dance,” Schaetzke said. “It has great girl roles and great ensemble roles and has rockstar roles and beginner roles.  It’s a fun show to see and it’s a very modern rock musical with songs that a lot of the students’ parents will know.  It’s about celebrating youth and we certainly need to let off some steam right now in the world and be positive and just dance!” 

Senior Tony Galusha will be in his third show at GHS and plays the leading role, Ren. “In the musical I’m playing the role of Ren Mccormack. I’m super excited for this show as it is my first lead role in a show,” Galusha said.

WIth a leading role comes a lot of responsibility to know all the lines and songs by heart.  “I would say there’s definitely more responsibility with being a lead, but it’s very fun being on stage more despite the extra responsibility,” Galusha said. 

Along with Galusha, junior Bryn Richards plays a leading role. “I play Rusty. I am really excited to play Rusty because it is a very high energy part and I get to sing and have fun,” Richards said.

As well as having a responsibility playing a leader role, so does the time these students put in to make this show fun and fabulous. “Rehearsals are right after school mostly and we usually have them till 8:30-9, but you are sometimes not called for all of that time,” Richards said. “We have them every day minus Sundays. When we get closer to the show, we can be there from 3-10 pm getting the show ready for an audience.” 

Another leading role in the show is played by senior Maddy Schepp. “I play the role of Ethel. Ethel is Ren’s mom and after Ethel’s husband leaves she takes Ren back to her hometown of Bomont Texas to live with her sister,” Schepp said. “The entire show she has to be strong for Ren even though, similar to Ren, she isn’t liked by the town.”

Schepp was also super excited to hear the announcement of the musical this year, compared to shows in the past. “I’m just so excited to dance and be a teenager instead of an old lady on stage,” Schepp said. 

Sophomore Liv Vitrano will be  in her third GHS show. Last year she played the leading role, Oliver, in the musical Oliver. This year she is a part of the ensemble and is super excited for the show this year. “This is my third musical at GHS and my ninth show total,” Vitrano said. “Rehearsal for someone in an ensemble is super fun and is mostly choreography or music rehearsals.”