UK's FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL to Tour US?

FLASHDANCE is currently touring the UK and is expected to transfer to the West End next year after the tour closes. Sources reveal that the producers are so confident with the successful production that they are planning to tour it around the states as soon as 2009.

FLASHDANCE - The Musical is produced by Christopher Malcolm, David Ian and Transamerica in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth and Paramount Pictures.

The World Premiere production of FLASHDANCE - The Musical stars Bruno Langley (Coronation Street), BErnie Nolan (The Bill, Brookside), Noel Sullivan (Hear'Say) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Alex.

Set in Pittsburgh, FLASHDANCE tells the story of 18 year old Alex, a welder by day and ‘flashdancer' by night, whose dream is to obtain a place at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy.

Based on the Paramount Pictures film (Screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley) FLASHDANCE is described as a "musical about holding onto your dreams and love against all the odds". The show features an iconic score including the smash hit ‘Maniac', along with ‘Manhunt', ‘Gloria' and the Academy Award winning title track ‘Flashdance - What a Feeling' as well as 10 original songs created for the musical.

Choreography by Arlene Phillips (Strictly Come Dancing, Grease, Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever), FLASHDANCE - The Musical promises to be the theatrical event of the year - so take your passion and make it happen!

Kenny Leon is the Founding Artistic Director of True Color's Theatre Company in Atlanta. He has directed three Broadway productions including the 2004 Broadway Revival of "A Raisin in the Sun". The production won two Tony Awards as well as a nomination for Kenny for Outstanding Director by Boston's Drama Desk Awards. He has also directed the film of "A Raisin in the Sun" featuring the original Broadway cast, including Sean P. Combs, that will air on ABC this February. His other Broadway credits include August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean" (five Tony Award nominations) and "Radio Golf" (four Tony Award nominations).

Arlene Phillips appears as a judge on BBC1's hugely popular "Strictly Come Dancing" and is currently touring the country as a judge on "Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour". She has choreographed the West End musicals "Grease", "We Will Rock You", "Starlight Express" and most recently "The Sound of Music". As director and choreographer her credits include "Starlight Express - The Tour", "Saturday Night Fever" and "EFX" at the MGM Grand.

David Ian is the producer of the West End hits "Grease", "The King and I", "Saturday Night Fever", "Guys and Dolls", "The Producers" and "The Sound of Music". He was also a judge on BBC1's "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" and ITV1's "Grease Is the Word".

Christopher Malcolm is the producer of the hit West End plays "Steaming", "Single Spies" by Alan Bennett, Steven Berkoff's "Decadence" and "Metamorphosis", the legendary musical "The Rocky Horror Show" and the new production of the musical "Our House". As an actor he has appeared with the RSC and created the role of ‘Brad' in "The Rocky Horror Show". He is probably best known to TV audiences as Saffy's father ‘Justin' in the hugely successful "Absolutely Fabulous".

The musical/romance film was released in April 1983, and was one of the most successful films of the early 1980s. The film was the first collaboration of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and its presentation of some sequences in the style of music videos was an influence on other 1980s films including Top Gun, Simpson and Bruckheimer's most famous production. Flashdance became the 3rd highest grossing film of 1983 in the USA. Its soundtrack spawned several hit songs, among them Maniac performed by Michael Sembello and the Academy Award-winning "Flashdance... What a Feeling" performed by Irene Cara which was written for the film.

The soundtrack album of the original film Flashdance sold 700,000 copies during its first two weeks on sale and has gone on to sell over 6,000,000 copies in the US. In 1984 the album won the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for A Motion Picture or a Television Special.