By Jennifer Gusso
Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with 25-minute intermission
Walking into Saint Demetrious Greek Orthodox Church for The Suburban Players of St. Demetrios‘ production of Footloose with music by Tom Snow (among others), the lyrics by Dean Pitchford (with additional lyrics by Kenny Loggins), and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, it is clear that you are stepping into a well-oiled machine Directed by Lauren Spencer-Harris, with Music Direction by Steven Soltow, and Choreography by Amie Bell. Ambience takes center stage during the lovely dinner portion of the evening, complete with exceptional service and a wide variety of food and drink selections. The food and atmosphere are definitely comparable to any of the professional dinner theaters in the area. Things only get better once those familiar opening strains of “Footloose” fill the room, as the audience is transported into a production filled with energy, fun, and a lot of heart.
The live orchestra is becoming more of a rarity in the age of digital tracks, and it was refreshing to hear an excellent live orchestra under the direction of Musical Director/Conductor Steven Soltow. Soltow’s skill as a leader of music was clear throughout the entire production. Often times, harmonies in musicals fall to the wayside when the cast becomes preoccupied with dance moves and other concerns, but, in this production, the harmonies were strong and often the star of the large musical numbers. Better yet, the top-notch focus on vocal competency didn’t slow the cast for a second in their synchronized delivery of the energetic and exciting choreography of Amie Bell. While sometimes in a musical, the acting scenes can see like the things to “get through,” it is clear that Director Lauren Spencer-Harris spent time with actors on timing, pace, and emotional delivery in those scenes. Spencer-Harris also makes a wise decision to keep the momentum moving at all times. The scene changes are quick and seamless, and there is always some action going on during the change to keep the audience engaged in the moment. Even with a large and diverse ensemble, the production team has everyone knowing what they are doing and living each moment of the show with passionate engagement.
Footloose is the story of teenager Ren McCormack (Eric Bray Jr.), whose mother (Caitlyn Soltow) packs him up and moves him from a big city to a small town. Bray is perfectly suited to be the heart of the production with his natural charisma and believability on stage. Bray always seems to live in the moment of the performance with natural reactions to everything that is happening around him. Bray’s beautiful and consistent vocal performance sells the emotional center of the piece. Soltow possess similar strengths, and there is a lovely moment towards the end of the show when Ethel encourages Ren to keep fighting.
What Ren is fighting is a law in town that prohibits dancing. That law was enacted and is held onto fiercely by the town’s preacher, Reverend Shaw Moore (Perry Alexion). Alexion is sometimes inconsistent in his performance. He focuses too much on what and how he is singing without allowing himself to connect with the message behind the words. However, when Alexion allows himself to be in the moment – especially in his final, explosive scene with Ren – he has a powerful presence that can move the audience to tears. As his wife Vi, Tammy Oppel is also similarly inconsistent; however, it sounded as if she may have been fighting illness during this particular performance.
As the reverend’s daughter Ariel, Marina Yiannouris is enchanting. She mixes sweet and mischievous with a perfect balance and carefully plays the subtext between her lines. Yiannouris has a gorgeous and powerful voice. She blends well with Bray, both musically and in their scene work. They have a very easy and natural chemistry on stage.
When Yiannouris joins with Ariel’s three friends – Rusty (Mia Coulbourne), Urleen (Jamie White), and Wendy Jo (Katie Pendergast) – for “Holding Out for a Hero,” it is sheer magic. All four young women are excellent vocalists with commanding stage presence. Throughout the show, the trio of friends brings great moments of hilarity as well as powerful moments of intensity. “Somebody’s Eyes” is several minutes of sheer perfection with their vocal prowess, Bray’s relatable acting, and an intricate blend of staging and choreography. Even within this group of talented actresses, Coulbourne is able to really stand out with one of the most perfect performances ever. Everything she does comes across effortless and exceptional. Her comedic delivery flows off the tongue, and her voice is beyond incredible.
Coulbourne’s counterpart, Willard (Jordan Baumiller) is another role to watch for. Willard is one of those characters written to steal a show, and Baumiller milks that opportunity for all of its potential. He creates a loveable character. His realistic delivery of the lines makes them hilarious. Both Coulbourne and Baumiller effortless avoid the pitfall of overplaying the silliness of their characters. The raw realism is what makes the characters funny, and they both clearly understand that. Baumiller also shines in his rendition of “Mamma Says,” getting a chance to show off his beautiful and powerful classical musical theater sound.
The only slight concerns with this production were technical. There seemed to be some issues with the microphones at first, although the worst of the issues seemed to get fixed after the first few numbers. So, hopefully, they figured out the problem and have it resolved now. The other issue was the lighting at the end of “Almost Paradise.” There were bright flashing lights at the top of the stage, so close to the performances on the platform and so bright, that I actually had to look away during the end section of that number because it was hurting my eyes. Other than that, the lighting was effective throughout.
If you don’t have your tickets yet, you should get them quickly. Because it is a dinner theater, tickets are not sold at the door for most performances. If you are looking for a fun time and a fantastic meal, Saint Demetrious Greek Orthodox Church is the place to be this weekend. The Suburban Players and their Footloose will not disappoint.
This is what I thought of Footloose the Musical at Suburban Players… what did you think? Feel free to drop a comment!
Footloose will play through February 23 at The Suburban Players of St. Demetrios, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2504 Cub HIll Road, Parkville, MD 21234. For tickets, contact Eleni Libertini at 443-390-2981 (text/voicemail) or via email at Suburbanplayers2504@gmail.com.
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In all my years in theatre I have seen countless theatre companies produce Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I myself have been involved in numerous productions of Joseph and each time I am amazed at the creativity that directors and actors bring to the stage. Each production that I have seen and been a part of has attempted to spruce up the familiar tunes, scenes, and characters, usually without success. Fortunately for us, 
When you attend the show, I encourage you to spot the absolutely hilarious props! See if you can find the cheeseburger beret and the razor scooter. The creative team really came together and provided the Baltimore theatre scene with a great production of Joseph. That being said, no show will ever be perfect– as a professional theatre teacher and director I know this. All we can do is ask that the actors put their everything into a role and hope that it works out. Despite some minor criticism, I would consider this production a success. This is definitely a production that you would not want to miss.
The moment I walked into the theatre, something felt different. I’ve been to several productions at Just Off Broadway and the first thing I noticed was that the pit had been moved. When the overture began, I immediately knew that the creative team had made the right call. Under the direction of Patty Delisle, the orchestra’s first notes brought back so many memories for me of waiting anxiously behind the curtain for an entrance. Andrew Vida is also to be commended for his creative light design. I can say with confidence that I have not met a more professional high school student (and I teach high school). He attends Calvert Hall College High School and hopes to pursue technical theatre once he graduates this coming year. Unfortunately, the issues with the microphones took me out of the performance at times. No theatre company is immune to technical difficulties. I recall a time when the microphones completely stopped working during a production that I was involved with. Due to the microphone issues, it was hard to hear every single line and note.
Unless you are familiar with the story of Joseph, it is somewhat hard to follow. The person I came with had never seen Joseph before and was constantly asking me to clarify what was happening on the stage. The chorus was too overpowering when a soloist was taking the lead and the orchestra volume was too intense during certain scenes. One thing that I enjoyed was the ability of the actors to blend their voices together. The harmonies during “Close Every Door” were perfect to the point of giving me goosebumps. I can look past the technical errors to a degree because the entire cast was not only vocally capable, but proved itself able to pull me back into the story with their intoxicating harmonies. While preserving the professionalism and style of the original work, Just Off Broadway has preserved its meaning as well. “Close Every Door”, while Joseph, played by Josh Schoff, is singing the famous lyrics of Tim Rice, “I do not matter. I’m only one person”, words that certainly resonate with anyone who has ever felt alone, cast members turn their back to him, symbolizing his complete neglect and loneliness.
As the cast made their way onto the stage during the overture, it was easy to see which actors were genuinely invested in their role. Most of them were, but a few actors seemed distracted. One great challenge as an actor is to be completely immersed in their character. Jason Crawford Samios-Uy, Chris Thomas, B. Ever Hanna, and Kate Forton were a few of my favorites throughout the performance. Their facial expressions, crisp clear vocals, ability to harmonize, and overall pizzazz on stage kept me engaged and entertained throughout the performance. I legitimately laughed out loud when Hanna and Forton were performing “One More Angel”, they are truly a dynamic duo. Also worth a “ention is the falsetto voice from Micah Rufsvold, which was used both for comedic relief as well as musical entertainment. 
There are lots of reasons to see this show, but the “One More Angel” number really takes the cake. It’s also worth mentioning and the effervescence of Elton Knupp as the Narrator, who skillfully and beautifully keeps the action moving on stage while telling the story with confidence and on point vocal ability.
Despite the small stage, the choreography was effective, creative, and enjoyable. Katie Gertsmeyer is to be commended for her fantastic skill as a choreographer. Each movement appeared natural for the characters, easy enough for all cast members to perform, and yet still appeared complex. The cast obviously worked extremely hard to pull off some of the choreography. One dancer in particular stands out in my mind. Samantha Jednorski, featured as Mrs. Potiphar, was one of the highlights of the performance. Jednorski has been involved in theatre for years; her expertise in the theatre realm shines through. Her facial expressions, reactions, and vibrant attitude was a true pleasure to witness. Speaking of cast members talent, I was extremely impressed by B’Jion Wright, Naphtali and the Butler, As someone who directs shows at a high school level, the first thought that ran through my mind when I saw her take the stage was, “Wow! This is a perfect example of an actress who has all the essential components to be successful! I wish my students could see her on stage!” Wright has the presence about her; total investment in her character and the skills to make it happen. I was also extremely impressed by Patrick Jay Golden’s performance as Pharaoh. Despite the simple costume, his characterization is what sold me on his solo. I even had the privilege of touching the hand of Ramessess *swoon* when he came into the audience to keep theatre goers on their toes.
