Kevin Bacon will bring some "Footloose" energy to prom night at the famed high school where his popular movie was filmed.
The actor made a surprise announcement to students at Utah's Payson High School, home of some of the filming locations of the iconic movie. He made the announcement on "Today" to attend the school's final prom during an appearance.
This follows a campaign led by students at Payson to invite Bacon, 65, to the school, which will be torn down. The #BacontoPayson social media campaign saw students re-creating movie scenes and crafting choreographed videos with the aim of capturing Bacon's attention.
"I have been so impressed with everything that's been going on there with this crazy idea to get me to come back," Bacon said. "I've been amazed at the work that all of you have been putting into this, with the musical and the flash mobs and the re-creations.
"It hasn't gone unnoticed by me, not to mention the fact that you tied in SixDegrees.org, our foundation, and are trying to figure out ways to give back to your community. It's really inspirational, so thank you. Thank you. And I'm gonna come. I gotta come."
Addressing a cheering crowd, Bacon added, "Thank you, guys. Let's dance."
Payson High School, built in 1967, will be torn down because of dated infrastructure, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The school has 1,600 students in a building originally designed for 900.
Last year, during an appearance on KSL NewsRadio, the school's Student Council Adviser Jenny Staheli, said the campaign to get Bacon to attend the school's prom was a way to "not only celebrate the high school as a way to give the school a big send-off, [but] celebrate 'Footloose' all at the same time."
"Footloose" was released in 1984.
"People in the community are so proud of this thing," Staheli said. "Some of them were extras in the movie or remember when it was being filmed."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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