Cameron Loyal and Emily Louise Franklin as Sid and Lynette are in the cast of “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Photo credit Matthew Murphy
“An Officer and a Gentleman” tells the story of love and triumph and is sure to have viewers holding their breath in anticipation of what is to happen next. Based on the 1982 film starring Richard Gere, “An Officer and a Gentleman” highlights Zack Mayo’s journey into the navy when enlists to become an aviator and the Gunnery Sergeant who is determined to make a man out of him. With a bad attitude, Mayo must navigate the path through Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Although the plot centers around Mayo, played by Wes Williams in the live stage adaptation, Sid Worley Jr. is a key player throughout the show. Cameron Loyal, who plays Sid, breathes new life into the role while bringing a level of complexity to the character, unlike the film version.
“Sid in our show is the son of a Vice Admiral. Also in our show, he’s Black so it changes the dynamic a little bit concerning race relations and also relationships within OCS regarding being Black and all of that,” said Loyal.
Confident yet troubled, Sid searches for the reason why he’s enlisted in OCS under his tough father. Finding purpose through love, Sid finds his reason in Lynette Pomeroy, played by Emily Louise Franklin.
“I see Lynette as being Sid’s silver lining throughout this process,” said Loyal.
As Sid navigates his relationship with the main character, Mayo, he is also left to find a way to relate with his father. Choosing to enlist in OCS and follow in his father’s footsteps is the way Sid hopes to regain a relationship and come out from under his father’s shadow.
“A point in the show is that he’s Sid Worley Jr. actually throughout the entirety of the show, he’s not once called ‘Sid’ by his father. I think he’s been a bit of a disappointment to his father for a while and joining OCS and becoming an officer is his way of getting back with him by showing him that he does have purpose,” said Loyal.
The stage adaptation depicts African Americans in the military, specifically the Navy. While Loyal’s character is not the only African American on stage, the show does mention the role and relationship of African Americans in service.
“There’s some moments in the show where that is explicitly mentioned. What I think is very interesting is me personally coming from a military family, kind of taking in the experiences that I’ve heard from my family during their time in the service and checking out what it’s like in the 80s,” said Loyal. “Sid is not the only Black person you see, there are three others.”
Detroit audiences are in for a treat as the show has made some upgrades. One thing remains the same, the musical score still remains true and will feature classic 1980’s tunes related to the original film.
“The show is going through some pretty substantial changes when we get to Detroit. We’ve been doing it for a minute now and the show isn’t set. We’re going in and revamping a few things, making things a little better and all of that. Detroit’s going to be the first audience to see that. I think a lot of it is the show’s got a lot of nostalgia to it so we’ll be checking out this music from the 80s that people really enjoyed but also this movie that kind of took the world by storm,” said Loyal. “It’s going to be a really awesome experience for everyone involved.”
“An Officer and a Gentleman” makes its national tour debut here in Detroit. The film and original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart has been transformed into a Broadway classic, revamped for new audiences and fans of the film. The live production is complete with new twists and turns and is written by the multiple Tony Award-nominee Dick Scanlan, who also serves as director. Scanlan is joined by Patricia Wilcox for choreography.
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