Flashdance The Musical

Sydney Morton as Alex Owens in Flashdance –The Musical Photo by Denise Truscello.

Fans of the iconic 1983 film Flashdance have the chance to see the movie's popular scenes come to life this month in the touring stage production of Flashdance - The Musical, now playing at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre.

Featuring popular hits such as "Maniac," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," "Gloria" and "What a Feeling," as well as 16 new songs that have been written for the show with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth, Flashdance - The Musical is an entertaining tribute to a time when films about dance were all the rage (Dirty Dancing, Fame, Footloose), and leg warmers were the height of fashion.

The story centres around Alex Owens (Sydney Morton), a Pittsburg steel mill welder by day and bar dancer by night with dreams of becoming a professional performer. With no family to help her, the disadvantaged Alex relies on the support of her best friend Gloria (Ginna Claire Mason), a fellow dancer at Harry's night club, and her older friend Hannah (Madeleine Doherty), a former ballerina, who pushes her to apply for an audition at a prestigious dance school. At the same time, Alex is approached by Nick Hurley (Corey Mach), the steel mill owner's grandson, who wants to take her on a date. Alex is distrustful of his advances at first, thinking she couldn't possibly fall for a guy with such a privileged upbringing. However, Nick proves to be an honest man with a good heart who sacrifices his family's legacy to do right by his employees.

Meanwhile, Alex is determined to stand out at the audition. On the big day she surprises the judges with a modern dance routine unlike anything they've ever seen, which, despite the odds, impresses them enough to take a chance on her.

Risk taking is a major theme in Flashdance, as is following your dreams. All of the characters are chasing a dream of some kind: Gloria wants to be a dancer on MTV, so much so that she is tricked into working for Harry's sleezy competitor C.C. (Christian Whelan). Gloria's boyfriend Jimmy (David R. Gordon) is an aspiring stand-up comedian who leaves her behind for New York City. In the end, both characters realize that some dreams are just not meant to be.

Inspiring and sentimental, Flashdance - The Musical is a lighthearted romance that transports audiences back to a vibrant decade. While the added songs and various side plots make for a rather long show, the lead performances are solid, and the music and dance sequences are fun to watch (especially the famous water/chair scene). Morton doesn't disappoint as the strong willed Alex, her energetic stage presence carries the bulk of the production alongside the vocally talented Mach.

Flashdance - The Musical runs until June 8 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. Visit mirvish.com for more information and to buy tickets.