CHICAGO, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Brace yourselves for “Moving In,” a wild and thrilling musical dramedy starring Max, the sassiest exotic dancer in town. He sashays into chaos when he crashes at his bestie Zoe’s place. But hold onto your wigs because there’s a juicy twist – Max has developed a crush on Zoe’s boyfriend, Ethan! It gets even messier as Max goes to unthinkable lengths to snatch what he wants. “Moving In: A Modern Musical” is the perfect blend of a crazy story, with sexy imagery, and cool music to keep you entertained to the end.
Inspired by the 1992 psychological thriller “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”, Adam Boltz and Mike Spears teamed up to create their musical version with different twists. One of the obvious twists is Rebecca De Mornay’s character as Mrs. Motts is a male exotic dancer and so the love triangle is male-male-female.
Mostly filmed in the Boystown / North Halsted area of Chicago, Moving In offers an aerial tour of the neighborhood and a peak inside the popular bar Charlie’s Chicago, which is where the main character Max works in the film. Max is played by Evan Wilhelm, a real-life pole dance instructor in Chicago. Finding a talent such as Evan “wasn’t easy” says Director Mike Spears. “I make feature-length musical films, which are already tough to do as an independent production company. Casting for Max was even more challenging because I was looking for talent that could act, sing, and dance exotically; thankfully, Evan could do all three. He came to the table fearless with his own swag, ideas, moves, and poise that really brought Max to life.”
Alongside Evan is songstress Susie McCollum playing his best friend Zoe who sings “Murder On North Halsted” which is a favorite amongst early viewers. Moving In is graced heavily by the talented Dekin Walter playing Ethan, Zoe’s boyfriend, and Nina Elam playing Rita, a sassy salon owner.
One of the brilliant gems within Moving In is the telenovela within the film titled “Basic Bitches” starring Bella DeBalle, Avery Cole, and Angel Lopez. It opens with an 80s sitcom-like vibe, and reminiscent, sampled music of the 80s popular show “Gimme A Break”, starring the late Neil Carter. This overly dramatic show adds even more laughs as Bella DeBalle hits us with her unforgettable one-liners like “…you’re yesterday’s Ho-Ho”, in a pearl-clutching moment, which the film’s opening disclaimer states could happen while watching.
That same disclaimer also states that Moving In “is meant to be an interactive experience” where it’s encouraged to “express yourself vocally.” It even offers phrases that you could use while watching like “Yasss Queen,” “Oh No She Better Don’t,” and “Oh Hell Naw.” No matter how you feel before the start of the film that short disclaimer prepares you for the fun you’ll have watching.
Moving In is almost a “homecoming” for Spoltz Productions; you’ll see familiar faces from their first musical film Good Enough such as Michael Oilar, Beka, and Rhashad Washington. You’ll also see cameos of Ben Ruettiger, Trey Mendlik, and Jay Towns who portrayed Nathan, Trevor, and Jamal in ‘Good Enough: A Modern Musical.’
Released in 2023, “Good Enough: A Modern Musical” has won Festival Favorite and Director’s Choice at Cinema Diverse Palm Springs, Best Music in a Feature at Micheaux Film Festival, and Best Comedy or Musical at Merced Film Festival to name a few. The film has gone on to garner recognition on streaming platforms and is now available to watch online via Amazon, Tubi, and its website.
After much success at the film festivals, Director and Writer Mike Spears has this to say about returning with a new film, “I’m excited to showcase more talent from Chicago and to share how we’re evolving in the film world with Moving In—I’ve put a lot into refining the visuals, pacing, and storytelling. In every film, I aim to step up my game, and I hope our audience can see and feel that progress.”
For more details and to stay up to date with the progress of Moving In: A Modern Musical, follow @MovingInTheMusical. To see more projects from Spoltz Productions follow @SpoltzProductions.
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SOURCE Spoltz Productions