What a Feeling! Emily Padgett and Matthew Hydzik to Headline National Tour of Flashdance

Break out your leg warmers! Emily Padgett and Matthew Hydzik will star in the national tour of Flashdance. The tour will launch on January 1, 2013 at the Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, the city where the musical takes place. Based on the 1983 movie, the production will run through January 6 before heading to St. Louis, New Orleans, Nashville, Seattle, Dallas and other cities. As previously announced a Broadway production of the musical is also in the works to bow in August 2013. 

Flashdance is the story of Alex Owens (Padgett), a working-class girl striving to make her dreams of becoming a professional dancer a reality. She works by day at a steel mill, where she catches the eye of her boss Nick Hurley (Hydzik). By night she works as a “flashdancer” at a local bar, but longs to become a student at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. Rachelle Rak will also be featured in the cast as Tess. The musical will feature hits from the film’s Grammy-winning soundtrack, including “Flashdance—What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “Gloria,” as well as 10 original songs.

Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis), the musical will feature a score by Robbie Roth and Robert Cary and a book by Cary and Tom Hedley. A different musical adaptation of the movie played London's West End in in 2010. 

Padgett's Broadway credits include Rock of Ages and Legally Blonde. Hydzik appearded in the Broadway revival of West Side Story and off-Broadway in Tomorrow Morning. Rak's Broadway credits inlcude Catch Me If You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Look of Love, Oklahoma! and Thou Shalt Not. 

The national tour of Flashdance will hold performances in the following cities:

Pittsburgh (Heinz Hall) - January 1 through 6
Louisville (Kentucky Center) - January 15 through 20
Grand Rapids (DeVos Hall) - January 22 through­ 27
Wilmington (DuPont Theater) - January 29 ­through February 3
Atlanta (Fox Theatre) - February 5 through 10
Baltimore (The Hippodrome Theatre) - February 12 through 17
Tampa (Straz Center) - February 19 through 24
New Orleans (Mahalia Jackson Theater) - February 26 through March 3
Fort Lauderdale (Broward Center)- March 5 through 17
Nashville (Tennessee PAC) - March 19 ­through 24
Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre) - April 2 through 7
Spokane (INB West PAC) - April 11 through­ 14
Seattle (Paramount Theatre) - April 16 through 21
Portland (Keller Auditorium) - April 23 through 28
Tempe (ASU Gammage)- April 30 through May 5
Orange County (Segerstrom Center for the Arts) - May 7 through 19
Houston (Sarofim Hall) - June 4 through 15
San Antonio (The Majestic Theatre) - June 18 through 23
Dallas (Music Hall) - June 25 ­through July 7