Today we have flash mobs and flash drives, but in 1983 we had “Flashdance,” a blockbuster film starring Jennifer Beals as a young welder who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. The film’s pulsing score and tight editing made it an exciting ride, and we cared about the fate of the adorable Beals. Although the storyline remains the same, the energy that dazzled us in the film is in short supply onstage. The flaws in Flashdanceare so numerable that one cannot imagine this musical transferring to Broadway, as it is supposed to do in December (as of this writing). If it does, New Yorkers and tourists better buy tickets to the opening performances, as it won’t be around for long.
Lets start with the positive, shall we? The musical retains the two major music hits from the film: “Maniac” and “What a Feeling.” Unfortunately, “Feeling” isn’t heard until the show’s end, when all the air has basically gone out of this show. Both numbers sound peppy, edgy and fresh, unlike the 16 songs specifically written for this musical. They aren’t even worth mentioning. The live orchestra makes a full, rich contribution – but not enough to compensate for the songs themselves.
Another plus is the song “Gloria,” which also appears in the film, as well as “I Love Rock ‘n Roll.” The production numbers go as smoothly as the shifting sets and projections. They add dimension, depth and bring production levels up to 21st century standards. Although the dancing is rarely “flashy,” it is very solid overall. Sometimes it is stunning in its more acrobatic moments.
However, too much of the show is set in drab quarters (such as the steel-mill break room where the heroine works, or the office of her nerdy boyfriend). Things improve noticeably when the action is set in the not-quite-a-strip club where Alex, the heroine, dances at night. As the musical opens, an MTV movie screen projects man’s first moon landing. One guesses that the vignette is meant to root us in the 1980s, a time when impossible dreams (landing a man on the moon) became reality.
Another plus is the cast’s supporting actors, which include several of Alex’s co-workers at the dance club: Alison Ewing, Ginna Claire Mason and especially DeQuina Moore as the smart-mouthed Kiki. She sports a full-sized, 1980s afro hairstyle. When the club’s owner decides to go out and buy new costumes for the girls, Kiki emerges from the dressing area with some hilarious lines about hers (“Dressing a black woman as a maid? Are you kidding?”), to which Harry (Matthew Harrison) replies, with exasperation: (“You’re not a maid. You’re a waitress.”) Harrison and rival club owner CC (Christian Whelan) make the most of their minor roles – as one would expect from such seasoned Broadway actors.
Then there’s Alex, the “star” of the film. Although Sydney Morton (Alex in the musical) is about the right age for the part, she is far too short. Almost everyone else in the cast towers over her – including the dancers in the ballet school where she auditions. Morton has a nice shape, but not the long legs, arms, neck and torso that might suggest a future in the dance world. She looks far stockier, like the welder she is during the day. Her voice is adequate – nothing more. As for her dance chops, she manages to hold her own with the other dancers in the production numbers. But when she must “show her stuff” during her ballet audition at the show’s end, the director has decided that she needs to be supported not only by the ballet dancers, but her homies, as well (so how did THEY get into the ballet school?). Of course, Alex is instantly accepted into the school by the stunned but delighted dance committee. Also failing to make sense is the attraction between Alex and Corey Mach as Nick, one of the steel mill’s owners. After spurning his advances (“I don’t mix work and my personal time,” she says), Alex eventually decides to give him a chance. However, she still remains somewhat wary of his intentions. For some reason, the show’s creators decided to make Nick’s character so bland that only his good looks could make Alex notice him. Although he’s slated to become the steel mill’s owner one day, Nick seems far too naïve about the nature of business. He thinks he can come up with some brilliant alternative to laying off workers during a business slump. In contrast, Alex’s training in the hard-knocks school of life (no mother and alcoholic father), gives her a far firmer grasp of reality.
Long stretches of dialogue and unimpressive songs make one yearn for a much shorter show than this full-length musical (at 2 hours, 45 minutes). Flashdance does have moments of both “flash” and “dance,” but it lacks the electricity and pulsing beat of the film. One expects much more from Memphis and Jersey Boys director Sergio Trujillo.
