Shortly before Christmas 2024, the musical "Flashdance", produced by Showslot, was on tour in Austria. Among other places, the show stopped in the federal capital Vienna and in Linz. Was the production, which is based on the cult film from 1983, able to live up to the audience's expectations?
The German entertainment company's production was shown in October 2024 at the Festspielhaus Bregenz, in October and November 2024 at the Helmut-List-Halle Graz, in December 2024 at the Wiener Stadthalle and in the Tips-Arena Linz. With the two performances in Upper Austria, the Austrian tour is provisionally over. Showslot has not yet announced any new dates for the Alpine republic, Germany and Switzerland. However, this should follow soon. But first, the production “Footloose” is scheduled to tour Austria.
The musical production "Flashdance" is based on a film that was released in 1983. This film has now achieved cult status, which makes it all the more surprising that no remake has managed to make it to cinemas to date. Instead, it has made it to theatres and event venues in the form of a musical. The differences between film and musical are, for various reasons, very extensive.
cult film from 1983 as inspiration
The film was released in the United States in 1983. Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens enchanted the audience with her likeable, innocent, but at the same time seductive charisma. The 18-year-old welder named Alex Owens works in a Pittsburgh steel factory and dreams of becoming a professional dancer.
The title song "what a feeling" by Irene Cara from the soundtrack of the same name reflects her love of dance. To earn a living, she works as a welder during the day. At night, she blossoms as a dancer in "Mawby's Bar". This bar offers her her first stage for her passion, dance.
During one of her countless performances in the small bar, Nick Hurley, her boss, notices Alex. He recognizes her talent and dedication. It is also worth mentioning that at this point she has no professional training in the field of dance, but her heart's desire is to have a professional career as a dancer. But there is a problem.
To do this, she would have to apply to the Shipley Dance Academy, but that is exactly what she is afraid of because she is afraid of being rejected or failing during the training. Nick Hurley, her boss, doesn't miss an opportunity to make advances to her and invite her on dates. At first, he is unsuccessful because Alex is worried about her day job.
But the man remains persistent and they eventually go on a date. The two get to know each other better and she tells him about her application to Shipley. Nick wants to support her and uses his contacts at the academy to ensure that she gets the chance to audition despite her lack of dance experience and previous training. He doesn't want to weaken her already lacking self-confidence any further and doesn't tell her about his influence.
Alex receives a written invitation to audition, which she proudly tells Nick and during the conversation she realises that Nick already knew about it. She realises that she only got the chance to audition because of him and a fight breaks out between the lovers. Shortly afterwards she experiences a traumatic loss which makes her take the chance anyway. In an unforgettable performance she is able to completely convince the jury of her ability. As she leaves Shipley, Nick is waiting for her with red roses. When she sees him, everything is forgotten and she runs into his arms.
The musical "adapts" the basic plot of the film, but allows itself some freedom to appeal to a broader audience. For example, the role of Nick Hurley, who in the musical comes from a wealthy family and becomes Alex's boss as a young career starter, is different, whereas in the film he is much older and has already earned his wealth himself. The supporting roles were also partly portrayed differently or given more emphasis. However, these changes had little impact on the main plot in the musical and rounded it off well.
Film and songs received many awards
The title song “What a Feeling”, sung by Irene Cara and composed by the duo Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey, won an Oscar in the category “Best Song”, a Golden Globe and a Grammy in the category “Best Female Vocal Performance – Pop” in 1984. 41 years later, this song still inspires people of all ages to move to the rhythm of the music.
The film received three other Oscars for editing, cinematography, and for the song Maniac. This key scene inspired and influenced the dance and music industries. In the music video "It's Raining Men" by Geri Halliowell (Spice Girls), a cover of the song "Weather - Girls," Halliowell reenacts the key scene from the film. Many critics believe that this innovative and creative combination of the song and dance steps from Flashdance greatly influenced the success of this artist and the song itself. Other stars such as Jennifer Lopez in the video "I'm glad" and Lee Hyori in the video "Any Motion" are inspired by various film scenes. Of course, every success has a downside, and the key scene is trivialized in the feature film "Super Cute and Super Sexy."
Opinion: Successful adaptation of the cult film?
Although the original film from 1983 already contains many dance scenes, this element is expanded even further, as is typical for musicals. Each musical artist was also given the chance to be in the spotlight with a solo performance, which I find really commendable.
These solo performances are well integrated into the musical. However, fans may find it a little confusing that the lead actress' hair color is different. In the film, Jennifer Beal is brunette, but on stage the role of Alex was shown with blonde hair. During the performance on December 16, 2024, there were repeated brief sound outages.
What really bothered me were the short, recurring flashlight sequences that the audience had to endure. The light was so bright and unpleasant that I had to keep closing my eyes. Perhaps this show effect could be achieved in a different way?
What I really want to praise is the fact that the show is played/sung/spoken in German, but the music classics "Flashdance", "What a feeling", "Maniac", "I love Rock'n Roll" and "Gloria" are all sung in English. The singers' English pronunciation is really very good. When you look at the stage design, you can only say that the modern touch in the stage design has been implemented very well.
Many elements of the sets were reused in various scenes, which was not a disadvantage in this musical. When we look at the performance of the talented artists, I can only praise their performance. Their dance sequences, the technical refinements delighted all fans of the 1990s and attract new musical fans of all ages. The set design and the scene changes associated with it were solved in a practical and creative way. The neon lights were used creatively in the scenes with the bars and in the welding shop.
A must-see musical
The costumes and rousing music took the audience back to the world of the 1980s. The question arises whether, despite the impressive stage experience, the magic of the cult film can be fully transferred to a musical? The production, the dancers and singers and the musical interpretation of the legendary hits gave me goosebumps and made me want to sing and dance along. Kerstin Ried's choreography is exceptional, especially in the second half of the musical, in which the artists captivate the entire audience with precision and passion. The production by Christoph Drewitz and the costumes and set design by Adam Nee bring the charm and look of the 1980s back to life. The live music, under the musical direction of Pascal Kierdorf, captivates the audience. The ensemble of dancers and singers were the diamonds of the musical scenes. I was personally fascinated by how perfectly and flawlessly the main actors sang. Above all, “Alex” is a gifted musical actress and I will be watching closely in the future to see what new roles she takes on and to attend every play. Her dancing was also at the highest level.
For anyone who wants to have an unforgettable experience in 2025, please book tickets for Flashdance as soon as Showslot starts the next tour. In summary, the musical was a firework of music, dance, passion, joy of life and, above all, the artists who give their all on stage. Every single one of them was great.
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