‘Flashdance — The Musical’ comes to Kennewick on Jan. 22

Ryan Neal Green grew up performing.

The Sterling, Va., native took the stage in elementary, middle and high school.

And during a high school choir trip to New York City, something solidified for him.

“I got back and said to my teachers, my parents, ‘I’m going to be an actor,’ ” he recalled.

Green followed through. He earned a degree in musical theater and is on tour with Flashdance — The Musical, which stops in Kennewick on Jan. 22.

Showtime is at 7 p.m. in the Windermere Theatre at the Toyota Center.

The stage show follows the plot of the classic 1983 film starring Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens.

Owens works in a Pittsburgh steel mill by day and is a club dancer by night. But “she wants to apply to ballet school,” said Green, who stars as Owens’ love interest, Nick Hurley.

The stage show features hit songs from the film, including the Academy Award winning Flashdance ... What a Feeling.

“This is a really awesome show. It’s going to remind people of the movie,” Green said. “It’s very ’80s, in the best way possible.”

Green and the cast have been on the road since last fall, performing across the U.S. and Canada.

They’ll continue with North American dates into the spring, and then take the musical to New Zealand.

Jam Theatricals is presenting the show, which is part of the 2015-16 season of Broadway at the Toyota Center.

Next up is The Illusionists — Live from Broadway on Feb. 12, followed by The Producers on March 4 and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on April 18.

For Green, there’s something special about musical theater.

The singing, the dancing, the acting — “all those elements together create a really unique art form that allows you to be happy, sad, afraid,” he said. “Every emotion (can be) in one show.”

As for Flashdance, Green said to expect a fun time.

“The energy we bring to the show, along with the nostalgia, music, dancing — there are a lot of reasons to come,” he said.

Tickets start at $27. They’re available through the box office and Ticketmaster. Tickets purchased through the box office avoid service charges.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "‘Flashdance — The Musical’ comes to Kennewick on Jan. 22."