Shortly before Christmas 2024, the musical “Flashdance” produced by Showslot was on tour in Austria. Among other things, this was done in the federal capital Vienna and in Linz train station. Was the production, based on the 1983 cult film, able to live up to audience expectations?
The German entertainment company’s production could be seen in the Festspielhaus Bregenz in October 2024, in the Helmut-List-Halle Graz in October and November 2024, in the Wiener Stadthalle and in the Tips-Arena Linz in December 2024. With the two appearances in Upper Austria, the Austrian tour is temporarily completed. Showslot has currently announced new dates for the Alpine Republic, Germany and Switzerland. However, this is likely to happen soon. First up is the production “Footloose” for the Austrian tour.
The musical production “Flashdance” is based on the film that was released in 1983. This now has real cult status and it is all the more surprising that no remake has managed to successfully reach cinemas to date. But in the theaters and event halls in the form of a musical. The differences between film and musical are sometimes very extensive for various reasons.
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. An 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. In order to make a living, they work as welders during the day. At night she thrives as a dancer in “Mawby’s Bar”. This restaurant offers her a first stage for her passion, including dance.
During one of her countless appearances in the small bar, Nick Hurley, her superior, becomes aware of 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 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 she is afraid of doing that because she is afraid of being rejected or failing during her training. Nick Hurley, her boss, never misses an opportunity to make advances to her and invite her on dates. At first he is not successful because Alex is worried about her main job.
But the man persists and the date finally takes place. The two get to know each other better and she tells him about her application for Shipley. Nick would like to support her through his contacts with the academy and encourage her to get the chance to audition despite her lack of dance experience and no prior training. He doesn’t want to further weaken her already lacking self-confidence and keep her influence quiet.
Alex receives a written invitation to the audition, which Nick reports proudly and in the course of the conversation realizes that Nick already knew about it. She realizes that she only got the chance to audition through him and an argument breaks out between the lovers. Shortly afterwards she experienced a traumatic loss that made her take the opportunity. In an unforgettable performance, she completely convinced the jury of her skills. As she leaves Shipley, Nick waits 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 takes some freedom in order to appeal to a wide audience. For example, the role of Nick Hurley, who comes from a wealthy family in the musical and becomes Alex’s boss as a young professional, is different, whereas in the film he is much older and has already earned his wealth himself. The supporting roles were also sometimes portrayed differently or given more weight. However, this change had little impact on the main plot in the musical and rounded it off well.
The film and songs received many awards
The title music “what a emotions”, performed by Irene Cara, composed by the duo Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey, won an Oscar in the “Best Song” category, the Golden Globe and the Grammy in the “Best Female Vocal Performance – Pop” category in 1984 “. . 41 years later, this song still encourages people of all ages to move to the rhythm of the music.
The film received three more Oscars in the areas of editing, cinematography and for the song Maniac. The pivotal 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 recreates the key scene from the film. Many critics believe that this innovative and creative combination of Flashdance’s songs and dance moves greatly influenced the success of this artist as well as 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 also has a downside and the key scene is trivialized in the feature film “Super sweet and super sexy”.
Opinion: Successful adaptation of the cult film?
Although the original film from 1983 already contains many dance scenes, this element is, as is typical for musicals, expanded even further. Every musical artist with a solo performance was also given the chance to be in the spotlight, which I really appreciated over the weekend.
These solo performances are well integrated into the course of the musical. However, it might be a little confusing for fans that the main actress’ hair color is different. In the film, Jennifer Beal is brunette; on stage, the role of Alex was shown with blonde hair. During the performance on December 16, 2024, there were repeated brief blackouts.
What really annoyed 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 differently?
What I would really like 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 scenery were reused in various scenes, which was not a disadvantage in this musical. If we look at the performance of the talented artists, I can only praise their performance. Their dance sequences and technical refinements delighted all fans of the 1990s and attracted new musical fans of all ages. The stage design and the change of scenery associated with it were solved in a practical and creative way. The neon lights were used creatively in the scenes with the bars and the welding shop.
A must-see musical
Through the costumes and stirring music, the audience returned to the world of the 80s. The question arises, despite the impressive stage experience, can the magic of the cult film be fully transferred to a musical? The production, the dancers and singers and the musical implementation of the legendary hits give me goosebumps and the urge 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, as well as the set design by Adam Nee, vividly bring back the charm and look of the eighties. Thanks to the musical direction of Pascal Kierdorf, the live music captivates the audience. The ensemble of dancers and singers were the diamonds of the musical scenes. Personally, I was fascinated by how perfectly and flawlessly the main actors sang. “Alex” in particular is a gifted musical actress and in the future I will keep a close eye on what new roles she takes on and attends each piece. Her dancing skills were also at the highest level.
For everyone who wants to have an unforgettable experience in 2025, please book tickets for Flashdance as soon as Showslot launches the next tour. In summary, the musical was a fireworks display of music, dance, passion, joy of life and, above all, the arts that give their all on stage. Every single one was great.
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