Midland Center for the Arts Seeks Top Teen Talent for Rising Stars Production of Footloose

Mid-Michigan Teens to Take Outdoor Stage for Upcoming Production with Broadway Creative Team, Auditions April 28

Midland Center for the Arts is searching for the top teen talent in the Great Lakes Bay region, inviting current students in grades eight through twelve to audition for the Rising Stars production of Footloose. Designed for students interested in performance careers, participants will work through an intensive, professional-level rehearsal process with a Broadway creative team and star in a popular musical.

Auditions will take place Friday, April 28 from 6 – 9 P.M., on the Auditorium Stage at the Center. “We are so excited to provide access to professional-level experiences for our local teens,” said Travis Kendrick, Manager of Produced Theatre and Theatre Education at Midland Center for the Arts. “This production will provide rising stars the career-defining opportunity to receive training from industry professionals and perform with like-minded teens from all over the region - while also developing their skills in acting, singing and dancing.”

Adapted from the beloved movie musical, Footloose follows an eccentric teenager as he moves to a small middle-American town where dance is forbidden. He rallies a group of friends to help him defy the town and create a true rock ‘n’ roll prom. To the electric rhythm of its Academy Award® and Tony®-nominated Top Forty score, augmented with dynamic new songs, Footloose celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening from one another and the power of forgiveness.

The production will run for three performances on the outdoor stage at Midland Center for the Arts on Wednesday, June 28 – 30 at 8 P.M. The production team boasts a roster of Broadway professionals including director and choreographer, Katharine Quinn (Broadway’s Shucked, The Public’s Hercules); associate director and associate choreographer, Rachel Perlman (Andy Blankenbuehler’s National Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat); and music director, Curtis Reynolds (National Tour of Spamilton: An American Parody).

“Footloose is the perfect show for any teen performer looking to pursue a career or lifelong passion in theatre,” remarked director Katharine Quinn. “The creative team encourages students of all backgrounds to audition, whether this will be your first time on stage or you are a veteran under the spotlight. Footloose will be an excellent window to the exciting industry of live theatre!”

All participants in the production will be required to be fully vaccinated. Rehearsals begin Wednesday, May 31, and will take place six times per week leading up to the performance, following that of a professional theatre rehearsal schedule. For more information on auditions and what students should be prepared for, please visit www.midlandcenter.org/RisingStars.

Tickets for Footloose on June 28 – 30 are on sale now and available online at www.midlandcenter.org, by calling (989) 631-8250 or by visiting the box office located at 1801 W. St. Andrews Rd., Midland.

The Rising Stars Production of Footloose is sponsored by Great Lakes Loons.

The stage adaption of Footloose was written by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, and adapted from the Original Screenplay by Dean Pitchford. Footloose is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals (www.concordtheatricals.com).

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