REVIEW: Flashdance The Musical. Liverpool Empire Theatre
Monday's performance of Flashdance The Musical was the productions first appearance in the UK since 2011. Part of a full UK tour, it is playing the Liverpool venue until Saturday 21st October. Starring Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton as Alex Owens and Boy band A1's singer Ben Adams, the show is a 2 hour and 35 minute musical based on the 1983 Paramount picture film.
True to the film , the story unfolds about Alex Owens an 18 year old welder by day and exotic "flashdancer" by night. She dreams of becoming a student at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy fulfilling her ambition of becoming a professional dancer. She develops a relationship with Nick Hurley, owner of the steel mill where she works.
I've only seen snippets of the original film so knew the broad premise of the story. The choreography was excellent throughout and whilst I was impressed by the technical ability of the cast, something was missing from the show in my opinion. There were a few technical hitches with the microphones in Act one which detracted form the performance as the lines and parts of the songs were inaudible.
Hits such as Flashdance, Gloria, Maniac, I love Rock & Roll and What a feeling got the audience revved up.
Ben Adams was absolutely superb in his role as Nick, exceptional in fact. Joanne's dancing was excellent but her vocals were inconsistent. Perhaps this was due to mic issues.
Overall, something did not quite connect with me, I felt that the scenes did not flow as fluidly as they perhaps could have and my engagement levels waned unfortunately. There is no doubt that this was a talented cast and each cast member is worthy of strong commendation. In my opinion, the story-line did not translate onto stage as powerfully as I would have envisioned.
The classic scenes where Alex auditions and also immerses herself with water were glimpses of undeniable brilliance. Carol Ball who played Hannah was endearing and performed great vocally. The set design was underwhelming and seemed low budget. I may be a harsh critic but having seen a plethora of musical productions on the stage, I did not leave the theatre feeling inspired or with a sense of excitement over what I had just watched. This was a valiant effort however with some high points but overall not in my top five list of shows to watch.
Great music and a nostalgic trip back to the 80's with an enthusiastic and talented cast.
Tickets can be purchased here
Upcoming shows at the Empire will be a 2:30PM Matinee and evening performance at 7:30PM
PR Rating 2/5
True to the film , the story unfolds about Alex Owens an 18 year old welder by day and exotic "flashdancer" by night. She dreams of becoming a student at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy fulfilling her ambition of becoming a professional dancer. She develops a relationship with Nick Hurley, owner of the steel mill where she works.
I've only seen snippets of the original film so knew the broad premise of the story. The choreography was excellent throughout and whilst I was impressed by the technical ability of the cast, something was missing from the show in my opinion. There were a few technical hitches with the microphones in Act one which detracted form the performance as the lines and parts of the songs were inaudible.
Hits such as Flashdance, Gloria, Maniac, I love Rock & Roll and What a feeling got the audience revved up.
Ben Adams was absolutely superb in his role as Nick, exceptional in fact. Joanne's dancing was excellent but her vocals were inconsistent. Perhaps this was due to mic issues.
Overall, something did not quite connect with me, I felt that the scenes did not flow as fluidly as they perhaps could have and my engagement levels waned unfortunately. There is no doubt that this was a talented cast and each cast member is worthy of strong commendation. In my opinion, the story-line did not translate onto stage as powerfully as I would have envisioned.
The classic scenes where Alex auditions and also immerses herself with water were glimpses of undeniable brilliance. Carol Ball who played Hannah was endearing and performed great vocally. The set design was underwhelming and seemed low budget. I may be a harsh critic but having seen a plethora of musical productions on the stage, I did not leave the theatre feeling inspired or with a sense of excitement over what I had just watched. This was a valiant effort however with some high points but overall not in my top five list of shows to watch.
Great music and a nostalgic trip back to the 80's with an enthusiastic and talented cast.
Tickets can be purchased here
Upcoming shows at the Empire will be a 2:30PM Matinee and evening performance at 7:30PM
PR Rating 2/5
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