Flashdance musical Hamilton: Riverlea Theatre stages 1980s classic

The Riverlea Theatre Flashdance troupe during a rehearsal.

Flashdance – one of the most iconic romantic dramas of the 1980s – will burst on to the Riverlea Theatre stage this month under the leadership of new director Noelle Savill.

Starring Jennifer Beals as lead Alex Owen, Flashdance was the third highest-grossing movie in the USA in 1983.

Hamilton director Savill, an actor and singer herself, has an almost genetic connection to the movie. An American, Savill arrived in New Zealand aged 18 on a study gap year where she developed a relationship with a local lad.

The pair returned to the US where Noelle studied in Chicago earning a Bachelor in Music - Vocal Performance, graduating with honours, before returning Downunder, settling in Hamilton in 2017.

Since then she has put her talents to work in local theatre including Hunchback of Notre Dame for Hamilton Operatic, Legally Blonde for Morrinsville Theatre and Young Frankenstein for Hamilton Musical Theatre. Flashdance for Riverlea Theatre is her first directing role.

Auditions for the action-packed song and dance show opened in June and received an outstanding response with most performers coming from Hamilton and the Waipa region.

“It’s a very active show, it has the triple treat – acting, singing and dancing. We auditioned a wide range of performers from backgrounds including ballet, modern dance and street dance to hip-hop and pole dancers,” Savill said.

The show revolves around the character Alex Owens, an aspiring ballet dancer who juggles two jobs and works really hard to get where she wants to go in life.

“We have two cast members, Lily Burgess-Munro and Olivia Turner, sharing the leading role of Alex Owens,” Savill said.

“Both are extremely talented performers and dancers. Nick, [played by co-lead Andy Derby] is Alex’s on-stage boss and lover, supports and encourages her to fulfil her dream. There’s lots of variety, it’s very cool.”

Lily Burgess-Munro (left) and Olivia Turner (right).

Another notable fact about Riverlea’s production of Flashdance is that it’s an all-female production team including Savill as director, choreographer Stephanie Balsom from Taranaki, vocal director Lilli Taylor from Morrinsville, director of the six-piece on-stage band Katie Wigmore and photographer Stacey Smith from Te Awamutu.

Alex Smith, who plays understudy to Andy Derby as Nick, and Sean Hapi, who plays Jimmy, hail from Cambridge.

Flashdance opens at the Riverlea Theatre, Riverlea Rd, Hamilton on Saturday, November 23 and runs until Saturday, December 14, 7.30pm, with options for Wednesdays depending on demand. Tickets online via iTicket.