With book by Tom Hedley and Robert Cary, and music by Robbie Roth, Flashdance: The Musical is chock-full of 16 new songs, but its treasures like “What a Feeling” and “Maniac” that the story interplays with, and they did a much better job evoking the nostalgia for these classics than they did with “Gloria.” Ginna Claire Mason as fellow friend Gloria does well in showing what happens when a dancer takes a darker path, but the way they chose to showcase the song “Gloria”-arguably one of the best woman anthems of our time-was gravely disappointing. The two not only deliver some of the best laughs of the evening, but deliver powerful renditions of “Man Hunt” and “I Love Rock & Roll” respectively. More time spent with Dequina Moore and Allison Ewing as Alex’s dance comrades Kiki and Tess would also be a plus. The chemistry Mach and Mueller share on “Here and Now” is palpable and seeing more time devoted to their courtship-especially if done in song-would be welcomed. The stage version caters much more to the romance than the film did with Corey Mach taking on the role of Nick, the wealthy heir to the owners of the steel mill who does his best to win the heart of Alex and prove to her and the workers that he can feel their plight. A true triple threat, Mueller excels at dancing, is a knockout singer and despite seeming a little young compared to the rest of the cast in the beginning, brings out the perfect blend of sexiness, sensitivity and rawness needed for Alex. Jillian Mueller takes on the role made famous by Jennifer Beals and has a star quality that commands one’s attention.
FLASHDANCE SOUNDTRACK REVIEW MOVIE
Jillian Mueller as Alex and Matthew Hydzik as Nick Hurley (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)Īnyone familiar with the movie knows the story: It follows Alex Owens, a steel working girl by day and a club dancer at night, who harbors aspirations for the big league ballet academy and a career as a professional dancer. There are even some fantastic nods to the film in several of the dances-with step-by-step reenactments of some of the movie’s best moves. Whether it’s the energy of a breakdance on the street, or the gracefulness of ballet at the studio, or simply the electric pulsating contemporary movements of the dancing girls, director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo presents one memorable movement after another. Still, the musical, much like the film, works best when there’s dancing-and luckily, there’s plenty to go around. The first two aren’t hard to comprehend the musical was strong on choreography and the songs oodles of fun, but the last represents the story itself, which took too many paths, following too many characters, and seemed to drag on. “Let’s Dance,” “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and “Longest Time” come immediately to mind. I promised myself before seeing the Kennedy Center’s current production of Flashdance: The Musical that I would stay away from any obvious “What a Feeling” puns with the review, but that doesn’t mean I can’t kick out some other ’80s gems to describe this nostalgic treasure-trove of all things ’80s.