BWW Reviews: FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL Shaped by 'Experience'

Karli Dinardo (Alex Owens) in the National Tour of FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL
Photo Credit: Chad Bremerman

The Morrison Center at Boise State University offers great touring shows each year in a series they call BROADWAY In BOISE. Opening the 2014-2015 season is FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL. Having never seen the movie, all I could expect as I headed to show was great dancing.

Even before the opening number, I was highly intrigued by the use of lighting on the scrim and the set behind it. As the show went on, I became more impressed with the massive moveable set that allowed for no-waiting scene changes. Furthermore, I was delighted by most of the costumes, particularly the welders. Being married to a welder, I know what they come home looking like, and every single one of them was believable. Additionally, I loved the gold dresses in "Put It On" and Gloria's changeable pink dress in "Chameleon Girls."

Although the music was often louder than the singers, the songs were generally very good. Brianna-Marie Bell (Kiki) and Jacob Tischler (Jimmy) had surprisingly stunning voices for secondary characters. The consistent expressions offered by Heidi Friese (Gloria), Ryan J MacConnell (Andy/Ensemble), and Andrés Acosta (Joe/Ensemble) really kept my attention even when the chemistry of the others fell flat. But, by far, the three best actors/characters of the entire show were Patricia Bartlett (Hannah), Michael Kingston (Harry), and Randy Charleville (C.C.), not surprisingly the most seasoned three.

No fault of the performers, I never did fall in love with the storyline, and for a professional show the choreography was unimpressive. You could see that the dancers were giving it their all, but the moves weren't sharp enough and were simply pedestrian. If you liked the movie, I am sure you will enjoy the show. There are two more performances October 22 & 23.

Karli Dinardo (Alex Owens) and Ensemble in the National Tour of FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL.
Photo Credit: Chad Bremerman