PHOTO:Virginia Nikkel’s character Ariel, battles her father, played by Nic Dyke. Her mother is played by Penny Shogan (back left in D.W. Poppy Secondary’s production of Footloose. (Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance)
Ariel Moore is like most kids, she wants to get out from under the yoke of her parents. Hers may be more strict than most, since daddy is a preacher and their own has outlawed dancing and music.
A couple of generations have now seen the tale of this American small town.
D.W. Poppy Secondary presents the musical version of Footloose Feb. 24 to 27.
Virginia Nikkel thought she’d try out for a small part in Footloose.
She wasn’t familiar with the movies – the original from 1984 nor the 2011 remake but had been in previous Poppy shows, such as Legally Blond.
She figured a small role would be fun.
“It’s a really fun production,” she said.
But at the last minute, she auditioned for the lead of Ariel, the teen who defies her parents about boys and dancing and music and back talk and basically growing up.
Nikkel, a Grade 11 student, has always been a member of choir so she’s accustomed to singing in front of others.
“I’d never sung before people as a solo,” she said.
And she once took a ballet class, a single class that is, so she was no Ginger Rogers.
But Nikkel went for it and won the lead. So she decided she had better watch the two movies to bone up on her role, and like the rest of the large cast, has been putting in long hours to ready for the musical.
Joining her in the cast are Grade 12 student Nic Dyke who portrays the antagonist Rev. Shaw Moore whose attempts to ban dancing in a small town only serve to incite young people to dance. Ariel’s mother, Vi Moore, is portrayed by Penny Shogan, Grade 12. The the male romantic lead is Ren McCormack is played by Caelan Chen.
PHOTO: Footloose runs Feb. 24 to 27 at D.W. Poppy Secondary. (Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance)
Shows are at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 to 27 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 27 as well. Tickets are $12 for students and seniors and $15 for adults. Shows are at the school, 23752 52nd Ave., and tickets are at the door.
Despite the original movie being made many years before she was born, Nikkel said it stands the test of time. It is, after all, about the eternal struggle between teens wanting to grow up and parents not wanting them to.
Nikkel, who also enjoys sports and visual arts, plans to keep her hand in the arts as she heads beyond high school but is looking at taking nursing at Trinity Western University or heading to Bible school.
PHOTO: Footloose runs Feb. 24 to 27 at D.W. Poppy Secondary. (Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance)
