Long-dormant ‘Footloose’ Broadway cast album being resurrected

Face it – “Footloose” is all about the music.

As with the movie version of the melodramatic teen-spirit saga, the most memorable aspect of the Broadway stage adaptation of “Footloose” was the musical score.

The stage show based on the 1984 movie opened on Broadway in 1998 and ran for 709 performances, a garnering lukewarm critical reception but earning Tony Award nominations for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. The original cast album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

While that album has been out-of-print for several years, the apparent hoopla over a big new movie remake and the release of a Blu-ray edition of the original movie hasn’t been lost on marketing mavens. Call it synergy. This month, Ghostlight Records is resurrecting the cast album for the Broadway show and bringing it out in digital forums and on CD in updated and re-mastered versions.

“Footloose the Musical” became available from digital sources earlier this month, and the CD will be released in stores Oct. 25.

The Broadway show – co-written by screenwriter Dean Pitchford and stage veteran Walter Bobbie – features music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Pitchford. Additional music was provided by Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, Eric Carmen and Jim Steinman.