I love being up here with you, Ashlea And we are getting ready to footloose.

Footloose?

How do I do that?

I have no idea.

I got this one, but Kevin Bacon is like.

Yes, yes.

Okay.

Footloose is coming.

We're so excited for this.

You guys recently had your Footloose junior production.

Harper.

You were a part of that one, right?

Yeah.

Awesome.

And, mom Ali, you are also going to be in the show this week.

Yes I am.

Is this your first time on stage?

Not my first, but with Phoenix.

Yes.

And it's been probably about 20 years since I have done anything.

I feel like elementary school right now.

I did all over again.

Oh, and do you like doing musicals?

Yeah, it's been a blast.

It's been bringing me so much joy this summer.

That's awesome.

No.

Okay.

Footloose originally came out, what, 1984?

Something like that.

Perfect date.

Yes.

Yes.

Nice.

It's been a while since that.

A couple of years.

He's done a remake of it, too.

You know how you think it got from the the movie fanatic into a on stage production?

I honestly think they did such a great job of capturing the nostalgia and the heart of what people grew up loving about Footloose, the movie.

But then one of the things that I love, I don't know that every movie too musical adaptation does that, but I feel like Footloose does that, evolved it and adapted it so well to keep the heart of it, but expand so all the music you know and love from, you know, Kevin Bacon's time?

Yeah, it's there.

But then they added extra songs which are they don't feel like they don't fit.

You know, sometimes it feels like, oh this was added.

It doesn't feel that way.

It's it flows seamlessly and it's it's just beautiful I love that.

Okay.

Now this production that you guys have coming up, how many people do you have in the cast for this one.

So we have just about 60.

So between the youth last weekend and now we had about 120.

We'll have about 120 people on the stage.

I mean, what does it like to be a part of a cast like this?

Oh my gosh, it's so much fun.

There's such a huge age range of everybody here and so much talent on the stage, and people who have been in multiple shows and people who are doing their first show for the first time.

And so it's you feel like you belong no matter, like, you know, you're around people with a lot of talent and you just feel like you, you fit in no matter where you are in your life.

Do you feel the same way, too?

Harper?

Did you make some new friends while you were part of the cast?

Yeah, yeah, I bet you did.

I think that's one of the cool things about it.

Right?

I just made a new friend here yesterday.

Just yesterday.

Just love that.

New friendships are blossoming all around us, I love that.

How long is the rehearsal schedule for you guys here at Phoenix?

So we actually lucked out with our summer schedule because things kind of kind of open up in those two months.

So this one was about 8 to 9 weeks ago.

Take depending, you know, in the school year sometimes they run around 6 to 7.

So we all feel like we got a lot of extra time together in Beaumont.

So yeah, it was we started it at the end of May and then we'll finish out at the end of July.

Okay.

So for those people who don't know what Footloose is about, well, what's the synopsis?

Go to the YouTubes.

Yeah.

All right.

So let me see if I can do it fast.

Forwarded version.

So it's about, a student named Ren and his mother are moving here from Chicago.

So, you know, like, a lot of city urban life, and they find themselves with family in Beaumont, which the best way to describe that is just, you know, town, small town, Midwestern.

Yeah.

It's nothing to do with everything closes at five, and he finds himself in a town that has, put a law against dancing and music.

And he's a big dancer.

He loves, you know, that kind of expression.

And so he finds himself, throughout the process of figuring out why that is.

And then in turn, he kind of shares some stuff with the town, and they kind of find themselves and have a resurface or a resurgence, some policies and some heart, I love that.

So there's obviously, like a lot of dancing.

Oh, from start to finish and of all ages, which I love.

Okay.

So okay, Ali had to tell me about that.

Like, what's it been like to be dancing?

You probably are like, are you a singer dancer in the shower?

But like, now you're up on the stage hundred percent and then I cannot say no, I actually I am in dance, towards the end, in the finale and it takes my breath away as I work.

And also total at the end there, huffing and puffing.

I can't imagine to be like one of the, you know, people who are dancing and singing the entire time, and they are working really hard from start to finish.

Yeah, your show and you're singing and dancing at the same time too.

Oh yeah.

You have for sure.

Is that what you did to.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

You did.

You love it.

You did.

Okay, okay.

I just love that she's a lot less shy on stages, aren't you?

Right.

It's so fun for me.

Actually, this is a perfect example.

I.

One of the things I love about the kids on stage is to see how maybe reserved they are.

Or shy just in regular conversation, but you would have no idea.

When this one gets up on stage and the lights turn on.

It's a totally different person, and I just love that they have that avenue and that form of expression.

Yeah, just feel free to be themselves and to to shine as brightly as they can.

Absolutely love that.

Harper.

What is it like when you're on the stage?

Like, what do you what do you feel when you're on the stage happy?

You feel happy I love that.

Anything else.

No, no I just Happy honestly.

That's all you need.

Now we have to talk about the set because I mean everything that you guys do at Phoenix is just always phenomenal.

And looking at this I know a lot went into this.

Tell me about it.

Yeah I mean I he's staring back here.

He won't talk about it because I can't talk about someone being shy.

But our technical and artistic director Zac, I get to share a home with him.

My husband, he is the vision behind everything, and I'm just always.

I mean, you think Footloose has been done so many times, you're like, okay, it's just cookie cutter.

It's what Footloose But he just.

He always expands.

I don't know how his brain works, but I'm thankful I told you.

I'm thankful it does, because there just be chairs out here.

If it were me.

Exactly.

It's not my talent or my skill set at all.

So he just comes up to it.

I mean, hours and hours and it's even more than just the building.

The schematics he makes on his computers and things that he draws up and just.

I swear, sometimes we're at home at night, and he'll sit up and he's like, oh, this.

And then he, like, writes it down.

And so his brain is just constantly going, I like that with music, but not all with this.

I mean, this bench here, I yeah, how cool is that?

And we've been so great grateful for our community partners and things like that.

We have.

Yeah.

Let's talk about your community partners because you guys have.

Great.

So we yeah, we have just been blown away by the people that want to be involved on stage, but off stage as well.

And so we have people we've worked with in antique shops and stuff to procure some really true to the time items.

But then also we have a community partner that we are working with this weekend for Footloose, which is Ryan's place.

So we try to highlight a nonprofit in our area at each production that we do.

And so we did a workshop with their students in June.

Some of our staff went there and did some theater workshops.

It was our second year in a row.

So we work with children who are grieving a traumatic loss.

And so we were able to use theater to help them express themselves and just find a way to use their voice, but in a way that didn't feel super heavy, right?

They really didn't realize they were opening up and learning things because they were just playing.

Right.

Yeah.

And so they will have a table here.

Their staff will, this weekend in the lobby and they'll be have pamphlets and things up to talk about their services, how they can help you if you are interested or a need.

But then they will also have information that you can take home about how you can support their mission.

And it's just like a give back and and you can take some.

I love the community partnerships with us too.

Yeah.

It's amazing.

Okay, Ali, you're back on the stage.

Yeah, it's been a while.

Yeah.

Okay.

As it does it come back to you naturally.

I've needed a lot of direction and I'm super thankful for that because I'm open to whatever feedback.

I can get it.

And to get better because it is an art to be on this stage.

It is like about like, what does it mean to be up on the stage?

Because I know, like when you audition for something, it is nerve wracking.

It is so the hardest part people believe me, but it's the hardest part.

I think the hardest part is mic check.

I haven't been there yet so I'll come back to her if you if you get it.

Yeah you do, but it's great.

It's great to be back up on the stage.

Okay.

Everybody's got to come see the show.

We can fill 999 seats.

So we want to fill this up.

New place.

Let's talk about that.

Yeah.

So we are in Middlebury for this weekend at Northridge High School.

But there's tons of parking so you won't have to walk very far at all.

Thanks.

I say that with a school parking lot, you can park right by the door.

And so when you enter, there are permanent signs for the schools.

So I'll tell you where.

I think it's called the natatorium, I think.

Or there's something on, it's on, there's like, there was a sign for the okay, there was okay, I think there was a school is like a campus.

I will tell you.

It's like a college campus.

There are buildings everywhere.

There are so blessed.

Yes, but there are signs there.

And then we'll also have additional signage to let you know where to head.

And then, honestly, if you can't find that sign, I would just look for all the cards.

There you go.

That's always a key for it, but I believe it's door 23.

They're all numbered.

I think it's door 23 that you'll enter.

How can people get the tickets?

What time are the shows?

So Friday and Saturday, 25th 26th, 7:30 okay.

And then our matinee on Sunday is, 3 p.m. on the 27th, trying to remember all the numbers.

And you can get all the information on our website, which is the Phoenix arts.org.

If you forget for that, it'll take you somewhere in Arizona.

So don't do that unless you want a vacation.

I guess I'll do that after July 27th and you can head to you can go somewhere else, but they'll have to be here for those tickets on our website, right when you head to the home page.

But we'll also have tickets on sale at the door.

That's awesome.

All right, you guys break a leg and let's you footloose.

Footloose, kick up your Sunday shoes.