Second Round of “Footloose” Almost Paradise for Mesa Couple

Mesa Encore Theatre Presents Footloose at Mesa Arts Center

Mesa, AZ – This spring, Mesa Encore Theatre cuts loose with the popular foot stomping, musical “Footloose” March 26^th through April 5^th at the Mesa Arts Center.  The occasion is particularly sweet for the show’s featured actors, husband and wife team, Edgar and Niki Torrens of Mesa. You see, they met during Hale’s 2007 production of Footloose, and after a year of courting which looked a little like the old Kevin Bacon film good-girl-meets-bad-boy storyline, they tied the knot.  Niki is sentimental about their love story.

“Edgar and I first met two years ago when we were cast in Hale Centre Theatre’s production of Footloose, she says.  “Ren (Kevin Bacon’s bad-boy character) was Edgar’s favorite role and though he had already performed it twice before, he hadn’t performed it in the round. So, even though it wasn’t on his professional to-do list, he decided to take the role anyway.” 

At the time, Edgar had Broadway ambitions and had been traveling all over auditioning on a regular basis. He had recently had a callback audition for “Spring Awakening” in New York, and he was also performing and rehearsing two other productions and working full-time

The couple first laid eyes on each other at the Hale Footloose read through in March 2007.  For ‘Romeo’ Edgar, it was love at first sight, but his ‘Juliet’ was much more skeptical.

“We came from two completely different backgrounds and had very different outlooks on life, “Niki says. However, fate had something different in mind.  

“After the classically awkward phase that every new couple goes through I realized the “rough, edgy, rebellious guy” I was looking at had another side, too.  He was passionate and respectful, and knew exactly what he wanted. We dated for several months and the relationship soon became serious.”

There was just one problem: Niki grew up a conservative family girl and wanted that more than anything. She knew it would be difficult for him to juggle a family and life as a performer.  Actors are often on the road and pulled away from their families for months at a time.  Niki called it off.  She had a long talk with Edgar and told him exactly what she expected and what she wanted.  She figured that would be it. 

 ”At that point, I expected him to bolt, but again he proved me wrong. He told me I was his life now, and that he would do whatever it took to make me happy even if that meant giving up the dream of Broadway.” 

After that night, the couple started talking rings and weddings and planning for the future.  Edgar proposed to Niki onstage in the theatre where they met with a song he wrote special for the occasion. A few months later on February 1^st, 2008 they were married in Mesa.

Since then, Edgar and Niki have been working full time and performing whenever they can on the side. It wasn’t until after the wedding that Niki found out through the “gossip chain” that Edgar had indeed done very well at that call back audition for Spring Awakening.  A producer from the show had called and offered him a lead role, but he graciously declined and proceeded with the wedding, without telling Niki what had happened.

“When I asked him why he hadn’t told me about it, he simply replied, ‘You didn’t need to know’. He had made up his mind and had stuck to his promise. There was no need for me to get upset over it.”

The MET production of Footloose is the first time the now-married lovebirds play across from each other as love interests. Niki is thrilled to be doing the show which sparked their initial attraction. “It makes it all so much more exciting!” she says.  The two are indeed believing, the couple that “plays together, stays together.”   

“Footloose” is produced by the Mesa Encore Theatre. Performances are March 27^th, March 28^th, April 1^st, April 2^nd, April 3^rd, April 4^th  at 7pm and March 28^th, March 29^th, April 4^th and April 5^th at 2pm.  Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students/teachers/seniors. 

Advanced purchase is recommended for Footloose, as seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased through the Mesa Arts Center Box Office at 480.644.6500 or online at https://boxoffice.mesaartscenter.com/   Directions to the theatre can be found on the MAC website as well. 

Mesa Encore Theatre was founded in 1937, making it Arizona’s longest, continuously -running community theatre. 

Photo credits – Cat Hartmann

About Footloose and Cast
Footloose is a Broadway show based on the 1984 film that made a star out of Kevin Bacon. In it, a hip Chicago teen relocates to a Bible-belt farming community where rock music and dancing have been outlawed.  Of course he falls in love with the preacher’s daughter and tries to convince her father that dancing and having fun is no crime. 

In addition to an Oscar nod for best musical score, the film (and subsequent stage version) featured an unprecedented number of top forty hits and audiences will remember almost every word of the ’80′s classics: “Let’s Hear It For The Boy,” “Almost Paradise,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” “I’m Free (Heaven Help the Man”) and the title song, Kenny Loggin’s “Footloose.”

The cast is rounded out by David Rogers (Phoenix) and Diane Senffner (Mesa)  as the fire and brimstone Reverand Moore and his compassionate wife, Vi.  Jimmy Shoffman (Phoenix) plays Ren’s buddy Willard, the cowboy with two left feet, while Jessica Renalli (Gilbert) plays Rusty, Willard’s sweet, naïve girlfriend.  Michael Bryce (Mesa) is featured as Ariel’s bad-boy boyfriend Chuck, accompanied by an energetic cast of adults and young singers and dancers busting loose on the MET stage.

Director Mickey Bryce (Mesa) loves the show’s themes.   ”Footloose is a unique combination of the vibrant willful energy of young people and the bittersweet maturing experience of grown-ups.  Sometimes the former wins out over the latter and we have a community that is all the better for it.  Such is the town of Bomont, and the vehicle is a rebellious, but idealistic young man named Ren who can’t stand still.  I absolutely love this show!  Every song, every scene, every dance combines into a non-stop celebration of life.” 

Debra Jo Davey (Mesa) is the show’s musical director and Brent Mills (Phoenix) has taken on the chore of creating the show’s signature choreography. 

Other cast members include Stephani McDonald as Ethel- Ren’s mom (Mesa), Cat Hartmann as Lulu (Mesa), Bill Woodfin as Wes (Mesa), Tim Pittman as Coach (Chandler), Corin Grimm as Eleanor (Chandler ), Nicole Park as Betty Blast/Irene (Chandler), Justin DeLong as Jeter (Mesa), Rebecca Bryce as Urleen (Mesa), Kim Sheperd as Wendy Jo  (Mesa), Julian Pena as Travis (Mesa),   Mitchell Vantrease as Garvin/Cowboy Bob (Phoenix),   Dustin Loehr as Lyle (Mesa), Anthony Chavez as Bickle/Chris (Mesa), Keilani Akagi, ensemble (Chandler) , Don Corbin, ensemble (Glendale), Brittany English, ensemble (Mesa) Alexandra Odneal, ensemble (Phoenix-Ahwatukee), Sarah Rodgers, ensemble, (Mesa).

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