Footloose:
The Musical
Sunderland Empire
Tuesday
11th – Saturday 15th October 2016
NEW PRODUCTION COMES TO
WEARSIDE
WITH GARETH GATES AS WILLARD
AND MAUREEN NOLAN AS VI MOORE
Worldwide smash hit musical Footloose: The Musical will burst back onto the stage in
2016, playing at Sunderland Empire
from 11-15 October 2016 as part of a major new UK Tour.
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Gareth Gates as Willard.
Photo: David Ellis
|
Based on
the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical
tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in
America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and
soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits
including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let's
Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose:
The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again in
this brand new production, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and
electrifying music.
 |
Hannah Price as Ariel Moore and
Luke Baker as Ren in
Footloose.
Photo: Matt Martin
|
When the film was
released in 1984, it became the highest-grossing February release in US film history.
The soundtrack album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number one and went on top
album charts all over the world, eventually selling in excess of 17 million
copies. Footloose was nominated
for a Golden Globe, and both the title song and Let’s Hear It for the Boy received Academy Award nominations. Footloose: The Musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran
for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006, opening at the
Novello Theatre following a UK Tour.
The cast
includes Gareth Gates as Willard and
Maureen Nolan as Vi Moore.
|
Gareth Gates as Willard.
Photo: Matt Martin
|
Gareth
Gates
rose to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, going on to sell over 5 million records worldwide
and have hits across the globe. His version of Unchained Melody sold over a million copies in the UK and is the 3rd
best-selling single of the Noughties. Gareth is also
the youngest ever-male solo artist to debut at number 1. More recently
Garethhas enjoyed a successful career on stage, with credits including Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolour Dreamcoat. In 2014
Gareth appeared in the final series of Dancing
on Ice, and joined boyband 5th Story as part of ITV’s second
series of The Big Reunion, touring
arenas with bands including Blue and Five.
 |
Maureen Nolan as Vi Moore
Photo: Matt Martin
|
Maureen Nolan has been singing with
her sisters since she was nine years old, when they became one of Europe’s first girl bands, The
Nolans. Best known for their smash hit single I’m in the Mood for Dancing, The Nolans enjoyed phenomenal record
sales worldwide, and worked with some of the world’s most respected artists
including Frank Sinatra. On stage, Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood
Brothers in the West End and on tour to critical
acclaim. She was the fourth Nolan sister to play the role, earning them entry
into the Guinness Book of World Records. Other credits include
Sadie in Girl’s Behind, Jill in Mum’s the Word and
Sarah in The Naked Truth.
 |
Gareth Gates as Willard.
Photo: David Ellis
|
Gareth Gates said, “I have been so
lucky to perform in some of the greatest musicals over the years, from Joseph
to Les Misérables and Legally Blonde, and I am so excited that Footloose is my next. It’s such a high energy show full of
incredible dance and music, and this brand new production is a fresh and
exciting new take on it. I can’t wait to bring the show to Sunderland; we’re going to
absolutely blow the roof off Sunderland Empire in October!”
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Hannah Price as Ariel Moore and
Luke Baker as Ren
Photo: Matt Martin
|
Luke Baker will play Ren McCormack, the role immortalised on screen by
Kevin Bacon. Luke recently finished playing Theo in Green Day’s American Idiot in the West End, with other West End credits including the
Olivier Award-winning Sunny Afternoon,
Beautiful Thing and I Can’t Sing.
 |
Luke Baker as Ren
and the cast of Footloose
Photo: Matt Martin
|
The
cast also features Hannah Price as
Ariel Moore, Nigel Lister as Reverend Shaw Moore, Nicky
Swift as Ethel McCormack, Joanna Sawyer as Rusty, Matthew
Tomlinson as Chuck, Natasha Brown as Wendy-Jo, Miracle Chance
as Urleen and Scott Haining as Bickie. The cast also includes Lauren
Storer, Natalie Morton-Graham, Luke Thornton and Alex
Marshall.
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Scott Haining as Bickie
and the cast of
Footloose.
Photo: Matt Martin
|
Footloose: The Musical has music by Tom Snow and
lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and is adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and
Walter Bobbie. It is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. It is
directed by Racky Plews (American Idiot,
West End) with
choreography by Matthew Cole, design by Sara Perks and musical supervision by
Mark Crossland. It is produced by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree for Sell A Door Theatre Company,
Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Jason Haigh-Ellery and
Stephen McGill Productions.
It is
presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.
Read the North East Theatre Guide review from earlier in the tour: REVIEW LINK
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Hannah Price as Ariel Moore
Photo: Matt Martin
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Tickets on sale now and available in person at
the Box Office on High
Street West,
from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* or online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*
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