Catherine Cox
Ethel McCormack

Although Footloose is Catherine Cox's eighth Broadway show, the thrill of opening night still awaits her. Cox told Playbill On-Line, "Because this is so many people's first Broadway show, it makes it very exciting -- the energy and anticipation everyone has. Sometimes you get older casts where everyone is so jaded, but not with this show."

Cox plays Ethel McCormack, a mother who brings her son to the small town Bomont to live with her siblings. Her son Ren (played by Jeremy Kushnier) doesn't fit in with the other town-folk and doesn't really take to small town life, especially when he finds out that the preacher in the town has outlawed dancing and rock and roll. Cox's character not only has to face the disgrace of having to move in with her sister and her brother-in-law, but has to support her son when everyone else is against him.

For Cox, the role is not a huge stretch, having played the "mother" role before and also having a ten-year old son of her own -- who happens to be a huge fan of the show. "He likes the fact that I'm in a hip show," said Cox "He's at the point right now where he doesn't like me to hug him or kiss him or to show any kind of affection in front of other people. But, ever since he's been watching the show -- there's a scene where Jeremy (her stage son) turns around and says "I Love You" to me -- he's been a lot more affectionate. Probably because he thinks Jeremy's cool, and if the cool guy can do it, so could he."

After being in so many different shows (Rumors, Oh, Coward! -- Tony nomination , Whoopee!, Barnum, and In Trousers) Cox finds the Footloose experience ranks with the best of them, telling PBOL, "This show is such a crowd pleaser. It's got such a great message, and I've been having such a great time. I was on a bus riding home after a show (the other night), and a very conservative looking couple in their 50s came up to me and said how wonderful they thought the show was. It's that type of a 'good feeling' show."