BWW Reviews: FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL is Lackluster Despite Abundant Dance Spectacles

The hugely popular 1983 film Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals, received a musical facelift and had its world premiere in July 2008 at the Theatre Royal Plymouth. Following a UK Tour, FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL opened on London's West End in late 2010. However, the show closed earlier than expected on January 15, 2011. By December 2011, the musical was slated for a Broadway opening in Fall 2012. Ambitiously, the creative teams also announced a second company that would tour the show starting in 2013. The First National Tour of FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL kicked off in Pittsburgh on January 1, 2013, giving the show it's second World Premiere of sorts because the re-envisioned production of the title features new songs, a new book, a new creative team, and a different physical production. The musical has been on a whirlwind tour and has dates booked through May 4, 2014. Yet, the Broadway opening has been postponed to an unspecified date later in the 2013-2014 Broadway season.

The biggest problem facing FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL is its weak book written by Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original film) and Robert Cary. It doesn't sparkle with the same charm and wit that is overly abundant in films of the 1980s. Instead of warming our hearts with a story about a disadvantaged steel factory girl who risks everything to pursue her grandiose dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, the book rushes from song and dance number to song and dance number. It never develops the characters enough for the audience to emotionally connect to them. Additionally, it makes missteps in the tone of the production, unable to decide if it is a serious musical or a send-up of 80s film and musical theatre clichés. A couple of examples that come to mind is the unnecessary break dancing police officer and seemingly random use of Alex Owens' friends and fellow dancers Tess, Kiki, and Gloria as a pseudo-Greek chorus at various points in the show.

Music by Robbie Roth, who utilizes a plethora of 80s synthesizers, and Lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth don't fare much better than the book. A majority of the original music is completely forgettable and has throwaway lyrics. For example, Alex Owens takes the stage to tell the audience of her dreams near the top of the show with a balled called "Just Out of Reach," singing "It's better to leap and fall/Than to never leap at all," which kind of becomes a mantra for the production. The creative team did it get right on three of the new numbers, as "Remember Me," "Enough," and "Let Go" are ardently gripping numbers that feature well-planned lyrics and soaring vocals. Sadly, the best and most memorable songs in the musical are the five tunes imported from the film, with "Manhunt," sung by DeQuina Moore, serving as the evening's best number.

From the vantage point of the audience, Direction by Sergio Trujillo reads as uninspired. Throughout the second act, I found myself questioning if I should have been having emotional responses to all of the "touching" scenes. Sergio Trujillo was not involved with the London production, but when he joined up with FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL he wanted the opportunity to start the show from scratch. He told Playbill.com, "I told them how I thought the show could work, and they were on board with my ideas." In essence he delivers a series of characters that we do root for, but have no true sentiment for.

The tiny FLASHDANCE Orchestra is perfectly conducted by Nate Patten. They play the music with vigorous and infecting energy. When playing the catchy numbers recognizable from the film score, the audience can't help but tap their toes to the infectious beats.

Sergio Trujillo's Choreography for FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL is dizzying but mesmerizing. He incorporates and blends together the vocabulary of many distinct dance styles, including ballet, modern, jazz, and break dancing. Almost every member of the cast is required to dance, and the stage abounds with copious and laudable dance spectacles. In many ways, the dancing featured in the show is its strongest and most compelling aspect.

Starring as the hero of the show Alex Owens, Jillian Mueller dances with skill and precision. Her vocals are a bit more nasal than I usually prefer, but she lands her notes and does well with the parts of the score she is given. Her performance of the introspective and powerful "Let Go" woke the audience up late in second act, and earned thunderous applause and cheers. Despite flaws in writing and direction, Jillian Mueller beguiles the audience with her earnest portrayal of Alex Owens, and we root for her to succeed.

Pittsburgh native Matthew Hydzik does fantastic work as the male lead, Nick Hurley. He is believable as the boy with all the advantages, unafraid to use his power and money to help the girl he suspects is a damsel in distress. Moreover, he blows the audience away with his thrillingly electric performance of "Enough."

As Kiki, Houston native and HSPVA grad, DeQuina Moore is phenomenal and steals the show every time she is on stage. She spellbinds and impresses on her solo, "Manhunt," which is reminiscent of Rihanna's "Rude Boy" music video. Likewise, Katie Webber's Tess is a fun and captivating character, owning the stage with her powerhouse rendition of "I Love Rock and Roll." Both of these women fascinate audiences during "Maniac," "Put It On," "Put It On (Reprise)," and "What A Feeling."

Dan Kohler and Kelly Felthous play the secondary lovers, Jimmy and Gloria. They each do great vocal work on "Remember Me." Furthermore, Kelly Felthous showed notable range with her portrayal of Gloria. Her arc moves her from a ditzy girl with many aspirations to a drug-addled dancer in a sleazy strip club.

The remainder of the company dances, sings, and acts with a tangible passion for performing throughout the show. Standouts include Matthew Henderson's warm and caring Harry, Christian Whelan's vile and repulsive C.C., Derek Carley's likeable but unlucky Andy, and Ryan Carlson's extraordinary break dancing.

Scenic Design by Klara Zieglerova is wonderfully industrial and captures the look and feel of a steel factory with it's various metallic pieces. Klara Zieglerova's work is surprisingly versatile as well, serving as an appropriate backdrop for scenes in the clubs, in Shipley Academy, on the streets of the Pittsburgh, and inside Hannah's home. It also serves as a great blank canvas for the Peter Nigrini's astoundingly gorgeous and brilliant Projection Design.

Lighting Design by Howell Binkley is bight and vibrant. The color washes dazzle with technical effect and build ambience and tone. Howell Binkley's work pops with pizzazz and keeps the cast in pristinely light and defined spaces for every scene.

Costume Design by Paul Tazewell flourishes with rich extravagance. He expertly recreates iconic looks from the film, while adding in remarkable and memorable pieces of his own design throughout the entire production. Standouts include Gloria's dress that morphs before the eyes into three different outfits, the red Adidas tracksuit worn by the break dancer, and the flashy and overly sexualized outfits worn by the dancers at Harry's and at the Chameleon Club.

Sound Design by John Shivers and David Patridge started off sounding muted; however, it grew into the space and filled the auditorium perfectly by the end of "Just Out of Reach." Their mixing of the small orchestra in the pit, spoken lines, and sung lyrics offers impeccable clarity for a majority of the show.

Make-up Design by Cookie Jordan immaculately recreates ostentatious 80s make-up superbly, especially the designs for the Chameleon Girls which are reminiscent of The Misfits from the TV show Jem and the Holograms. Similarly, Doug Besterman's Wig and Hair Design excellently captures 80s hair fashion in all of its glory.

FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL has had a tumultuous and rocky journey so far, and the kinks aren't entirely worked out. I have never seen the film that the musical is based on, but I imagine that a majority of the musical's cheesier aspects are lifted almost directly from the source material. Now, there's nothing wrong with cheesy sentimentality when it works. Unfortunately, it seems misguided in this production, as FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL seems to really take itself far too seriously. Perhaps the best advice for the musical comes from the character of Hannah. She tells Alex to "lighten up" at a pivotal moment in the second act, and maybe FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL needs to listen to its own sage character.

Theatre Under the Stars is presenting NETworks Presentations' First National Tour of FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL in The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts' Sarofim Hall through June 16, 2013. For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.tuts.com or call (713) 558 - TUTS (8887).

All photos courtesy of Theatre Under the Stars.

Jillian Mueller as Alex. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Jillian Mueller as Alex. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Emily Padgett as Alex Owens in FLASHDANCE â€" THE MUSICAL. (Photo by: Kyle Froman)

Matt Hydzik as Nick Hurley and Jillian Mueller as Alex. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Rachelle Rak as Tess and Dequina Moore as Kiki. (Photo by Kyle Froman)

Jillian Mueller as Alex and Matt Hydzik as Nick Hurley. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

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