From left, Nick Collins plays Ren McCormack, Mia McGrady plays Ariel Moore and Jacob Scanlon plays Willard Hewitt in Sing Hosanna!'s upcoming production of “Footloose.” Submitted Photo

Capitalizing on a raft of former Top 40 songs and a storyline that’s both recognizable and relevant, Sing Hosanna! brings a high-energy production of “Footloose: The Musical” to the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11.

Thanks to the original 1984 film and the 2011 remake, the plot and much of the music of “Footloose: The Musical” is immediately familiar. A young man, Ren McCormack (played by Nick Collins), moves from a Chicago high school to the rural town of Bomont where, following a tragedy, dancing has been outlawed. There, he meets and falls for Ariel Moore (Mia McGrady), the daughter of the reverend who spearheaded the ban, and Willard Hewitt (Jacob Scanlon), a classmate Ren teaches to dance to win the heart of local girl Rusty (TommyLynn Kilian).

The storyline isn’t Shakespearean, and it’s not supposed to be. Sing Hosanna! has crafted a sweet treat of a fast-moving musical performance that hits the ground running with the chart-topping hit “Footloose” and only occasionally lets up to let the actors and audience catch their breaths. Director Ralph Christy Jr., who also choreographed the show with Michael Traverso and Mia McGrady, has his actors use every inch of stage as they shimmy and sing at a pace that pushes their exuberance out into the audience.

Christy and his crew manage to do a lot with a simple set. The main piece is believable as a church, a railroad bridge, a barbecue joint, and an overgrown lot behind a gas station. In a clever design choice, the citizens of the town of Bomont start dressed only in black and white, but as Ren makes his case for a school dance, color slowly creeps in until, in the finale, a rainbow of colors flashes in costumes and lighting. However, the true center of attention is on the actors as the large company spins, jumps, line dances and reels around the stage with practiced skill

The cast of over four dozen, ranging from adults to elementary school students, works together seamlessly.

Collins plays Ren as a cocky young man always ready with a witticism even after being pummeled by the local toughs.

McGrady’s Ariel is a young woman torn between her love for her family and her desire to see a bigger world.

Scanlon’s Willard is a good-hearted young man who eventually comes to love dancing as much as he enjoys fighting.

Michael Traverso and Heather Check play Rev. Shaw Moore and Vi Moore with a touching pathos. Knowing the story, the audience never really feels like their marriage is in danger of collapsing, but we do feel their pain and confusion as the couple wonders if they are doing right for their daughter and themselves in songs like “Heaven Help Me.”

Check’s performance is touching in “Learning To Be Silent,” where Ren’s mother Ethel (Stephanie Horstman) and Ariel join her in song to express their frustrations and fears.

The ensemble numbers are especially fine with Rusty, Urleen (Haylee Hogan), Wendy Jo (Megan Rockcastle) and the company performing a haunting version of “Somebody’s Eyes” and embodying the show’s energy in “Holding Out for a Hero” which includes some of the best dancing of the show (including a skillful, but perilous looking, jump from a tabletop).

“Footloose: The Musical” is a charming show, heavy on the comfort of the familiar, but still relevant today with its themes of generational conflict and censorship. Sing Hosanna! wraps it all together in a high-energy, fast-moving production that showcases a deep pool of talent, both on and off stage, and leaves the audience wondering not only, “Could I dance like that?” but also, “Would I have the courage to change the world around me?”