FLASHDANCE Comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 5/7-19

Full casting has been announced for the Orange County engagement of FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation. Joining Jillian Mueller as Alex and Matthew Hydzik as Nick are Katie Webber as Tess, Kelly Felthous as Gloria, Dequina Moore as Kiki, Jo Ann Cunningham as Hannah, David R. Gordon as Jimmy, Matthew Henerson as Harry and Christian Whelan in the role of C.C.

Single tickets, which start at $20, are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, May 18 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.

Also joining the company are Holly Ann Butler, Claire Camp, Derek Carley, Ryan Carlson, Natalie Caruncho, Lynorris Evans, Thursday Farrar, Charlene Hoffman, Holly Laurent, Jakob Karr, Dan Kohler, Brandt Martinez, Nicholas McGough, Ariela Morgenstern, Rebecca Riker, Andrea Spiridonakos and Lawrence E. Street. FLASHDANCE launched this year on January 1 at Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall with an official opening on Thursday, January 3 and continues on to more than 25 cities with additional bookings to be announced. In addition to the US national touring company, a Second Company of FLASHDANCE will be assembled on Broadway with performances beginning August 2013 for an open-ended engagement.

With electrifying dance at its core, FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the original Paramount Pictures film was a worldwide smash hit that became a pop culture phenomenon, grossing more than $150 million and featuring a Grammy Award- winning soundtrack. FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL features a score including the hit songs from the movie, all of which became Top Ten hits on the radio around the world including the Academy Award- winning title song "Flashdance - What a Feeling," "Maniac," "Gloria," "Manhunt," "I Love Rock & Roll." In addition to these hits, 16 brand new songs have been written for the stage.

Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family), FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL features a book by Robert Cary and Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original screenplay with Joe Eszterhas).

The production features scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, projection design by Peter Nigrini and sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge. Hair & wig designs are by Charles LaPointe and make-up design is by Cookie Jordan. The production also features music supervision and vocal and incidental arrangements by Jason Howland, orchestrations by Doug Besterman and dance arrangements by Jim Abbott.

Jillian Mueller (Alex Owens). Last seen in the first national tours of Memphis and American Idiot. Broadway: Bye Bye Birdie, two holiday seasons of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. TV: A Gifted Man (CBS).

Matthew Hydzik (Nick Hurley), a Pittsburgh native, is beyond thrilled to be a part of the world premiere of FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL. Hydzik was last seen on Broadway as Tony in West Side Story and Kenickie in Grease, as well as national tours of Rent, Fame and Grease.

Kelly Felthous (Gloria). National Tours/Off-Broadway: Grease (Marty), Seussical (Mayzie), Max and Ruby (Ruby). New York/Regional: Legally Blonde (Elle), Bring It On (Eva), A Chorus Line (Val), Boeing Boeing (Gloria), Singing in the Rain (Kathy), Gypsy (June), Urinetown (Little Sally), Dames at Sea (Ruby). International: Fame (Serena), Trip of Love (Caroline). NYU/ CAP21.

Dequina Moore (Kiki). Broadway: Legally Blonde (Pilar), Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon), Two Gentlemen of Verona (u/s Sylvia), Happy Days (Lola), Hair (AFC). Film: Joyful Noise (Devonne), Madea's Big Happy Family, Ghost Town, Rachel Getting Married, Camp. TV: Law & Order: SVU, Racing For Time, Third Watch (recurring), All Falls Down. B.F.A. NYU/CAP21.

Katie Webber (Tess). Broadway: Rock of Ages, Catch Me If You Can, Memphis, and Wicked. Other favorites: Jerry Mitchell's Peepshow, NBC's Smash, and The Onion News Network (K'Ronikka). This summer Webber can be seen as Britney/Charlotte in Kristen Wiig's Girl Most Likely, July 19, 2013.

JO Ann Cunningham (Hannah). Broadway: The King and I, Anna Karenina. Off-Broadway: The Show Goes On, Night Seasons, Ladies of the Corridor, Edward the King, Swan Song. Tours: Into the Woods, Meet Me in St. Louis, Carousel, A Little Night Music. Regional: Full Gallop, The Dining Room, Follies, Chemin De Fer, Hello Dolly, Kismet, How the Other Half Loves and more.

DAVID R. GORDON (Jimmy). Favorite roles include: Roger (International Tour of Grease), Abraham (Altar Boyz) and Bobby Strong (Urinetown).

MATTHEW HENERSON (Harry). Theatre: Ahmanson, Romeo and Juliet; ACT, Indian Ink; La Jolla Playhouse, Good Person of Szechwan; Marin Shakespeare, King Lear (Fool), Northern Stage, Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), San Diego Repertory, Romance, Brooklyn Boy; South Coast Repertory, Hamlet; Utah Shakespeare, Fiddler on the Roof (Teyve); Film/Television: Hung, Bernie Mac Show, Christmas Carol and Mars Needs Moms.

Christian Whelan (C.C.). Broadway Tours: Mamma Mia! (Sam), Little House on the Prairie (Brewster), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Lawrence), Aida (Zoser), Ragtime (Conklin), Camelot (Arthur). Off- Broadway/Regional: Ministry of Progress (Poole), Portofino [Cast CD], Little Mermaid (Triton), 110 in the Shade (Starbuck). TV/Film: Young and the Restless, General Hospital, Guiding Light, All My Children, Dellaventura, Skindeep, Outlaws, Angel Town, Tomcats and Celebrity.

Sergio Trujillo (Director & Choreographer). Broadway: Tony Award winning Best Musical Memphis (OCC Award, Astaire, Drama Desk Award noms.), Tony and Olivier Award winning Best Musical Jersey Boys (Olivier, Drama Desk, Dora, OCC Award noms.), Leap of Faith (Drama Desk, Astaire noms), The Addams Family, Next to Normal (Lucille Lortel Award nom), All Shook Up, Guys and Dolls (Astaire Award nom.). Off-Broadway: Saved (Lucille Lortel nom.), The Capeman, Romeo & Juliet (Public), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Kismet (Encores!). Regional: White Noise (director/choreographer), The Wiz, Zhivago (La Jolla), Mambo Kings. International: Disney's Tarzan (World Theatre Award nom.); West Side Story; The Sound of Music (Stratford); Peggy Sue Got Married (West End). TV: Judging/ choreographing on So You Think You Can Dance: Canada, Broadway: The American Musical (PBS), The 14th American Comedy Awards (ABC), Triple Sensation (CBC). Ovation Award for Empire. Four Dora Award nominations in Canada. In 2012, Trujillo was chosen by the Colombian government as one of the top 100 Colombians in the world.

Tom Hedley (Book; Executive Producer). Having written the original screenplay, Hedley first coined the title FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL. Additionally, Hedley penned screenplays for Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Jean- Paul Goude, Federico Fellini, David Geffen, Dino de Laurentis, among others. Winner of the Humanitas Prize for the Academy Award winning movie "Iris," starring Judy Dench, Kate Winslet and James Broadbent. Previously, he was the youngest editor of Esquire Magazine during its golden age and the editor/publisher of Duckworth, a distinguished London publishing house.

Robert Cary (Book & Lyrics) is lyricist and co-author of Palm Beach (La Jolla Playhouse, directed by Des McAnuff); co-author with Ben Feldman of Inventing Avi (Off-Broadway, directed by Mark Waldrop); and director of the feature films Ira and Abby, Save Me, and Anything But Love, which he co-wrote.

Robbie Roth (Music & Lyrics). Roth's music has been heard on stage, screen and radio around the world. His songs have appeared on the Billboard charts in America and he has written and produced for countless artists including Tony-nominated Gavin Creel. Roth is currently working on the stage adaptation of the 2002 Fox feature, Drumline.

For more information, visit: www.flashdancethemusical.com.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.