Footloose is hard to separate from Kevin Bacon, but Penn State Thespians will debut their rendition of this musical tonight.

Director and choreographer Theo Lencicki (sophomore-theatre) said the show centers on moving on from tragedy, not forgetting the past, and embracing the future.

Footloose tells the story of Ren, a teenager from Chicago who moves into a small farming town. The town government has banned dancing and rock music; the show is about Ren's crusade to bring dancing and music back into the town, while changing the attitudes of its residents.

"It's not just about having a dance party -- there's more depth to the show. The characters, like Ren, are striving to bring the fun back into their lives," Lencicki said.

Lencicki said the show is also based heavily around dancing, and that, hopefully, the audience will become as involved in the show as the performers are.

"They'll be singing and dancing in their seats," he said.

He said he's had a great time directing the show, and the cast has come together nicely. As choreographer, his own dance background has enabled him to relate to the cast through dancing, he said.

Lencicki said he applied to direct and choreograph the show in the fall, and was excited when he learned that Footloose had been chosen as the spring musical.

"This was a show I did in high school, and I really loved it then and wanted to do it again," he said.

Cast members share Lencicki's passion and said the entire process has been a fun experience.

George Heigel (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) plays Ren's best friend, Willard Hewitt.

Heigel said he enjoys his role and believes the audience will find his character humorous.

"I play the goof; I provide the comic relief," Heigel said.

Heigel also said working with the cast has been a lot of fun, and he was overwhelmed with the talent of everyone involved in the production.

"The cast is extremely talented. We're also so ready to open -- we're so excited," he said.

Lencicki said the rehearsal process has gone smoothly, and the cast learned the show quickly, making his job easier.

"We've been ready for a few days. We can't wait to perform," he said.

Another cast member, Megan Ringeling (freshman-hotel restaurant and institutional management) echoed the same sentiments as the show's director.

"It's going to be really good. We learned it pretty fast and kept improving each day," she said. Bright costumes and lots of dancing should keep audience members bopping in their seats to the familiar '80s music everyone enjoys, Heigel said.

"Everyone knows the music -- everyone loves the '80s," he said.

Ringeling said the enthusiasm of the cast will hopefully shine through to the audience, and if nothing else, they will have a great time watching the performance.

"Everyone's going to have a lot of fun," she said.