The road company of the hit New York musical Footloose will check out of the Pantages Theatre, ending its two-week engagement, Sept. 5. The cast features Joe Machota as Ren McCormack, Niki Scalera as Ariel Moore and Daran Kelly as the minister Shaw Moore.

Footloose on Broadway was nominated for four Tony Awards. Based on the film version which starred Kevin Bacon and John Lithgow, the musical is directed by Walter Bobbie (Chicago). The stage adaptation is by Bobbie and Dean Pitchford, based on the original screenplay by Pitchford. Choreography is by A. C. Ciulla, set design by John Lee Beatty and costumes by Toni-Leslie James.

Footloose is the story of a free-spirited kid who teaches a local minister that it's no sin to be young. The high-energy dance musical draws from the film soundtrack -- written by Pitchford in collaboration with Kenny Loggins, Tom Snow, Sammy Hager, Jim Steinman and Eric Carmen. Six Top 40 songs are featured, including "Let's Hear It For the Boy," "Holding Out for a Hero," "Almost Paradise" and the title song "Footloose." These hits are joined by nine new songs written expressly for the stage show, all by Pitchford (lyrics) and Snow (music).

The L.A. engagement of Footloose followed on the heels of a one-week appearance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Segerstrom Hall, Aug. 17-22.

The Pantages box office is located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd. For Footloose tickets call (213) 365-3500 or visit www.ticketmaster.com. -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent