BWW Reviews: FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL Spins, Leaps and Pirouettes its Way Through Minneapolis Run

The Minnesota debut of Flashdance the Musical is a dance spectacle with all the moments from the 1983 film you want to see in all its unabashedly 80s glory. Emily Padgett plays Alex Owens, the welder by day, exotic dancer by night, who wants to train as a classical dancer. The heart and soul of the show, as you'd expect, is a solid dancer and has the looks of the movie version. When she opens the show welding and later pulls the water over her silhouetted form, the audience oohs and aahs.

The music from the film includes "What a Feeling," "I Love Rock and Roll," "Maniac" and "Gloria." Those well-worn hits are the more thrilling parts of the stage show. The other 16 songs written for this version are solid Broadway storytelling fare. The songs that stand out are those sung by Alex's fellow exotic dancers Kiki (Dequina Moore) and Tess (Rachelle Rak), who are also extremely strong dancers.

Perky sidekick/best friend Gloria (Kelly Felthous) and love interest Nick (Matthew Hydzik) are talented singers. Character actors Jo Ann Cunningham (Hannah) and Christian Whelan (C.C.) were obviously cast for their acting chops over their voices and both fit their parts well.

If you are a lover of dance, the 80s or a sappy love story, head over to the Orpheum Theatre quickly so you don't miss this homage to leg warmers, big hair and break dance. Playing through April 7, tickets are available at 1-800-982-2787 or www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

Photo credit: Kyle Froman

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