CasiNotes: Tropicana's 'Flashback' a flash in the bland

TROPICANA CASINO and Resort can probably find some measure of pride in knowing " '80s Flashback" is the only all-new extended-run production show being staged this summer in an Atlantic City casino. But there really is nothing novel about the revusical that runs through Sept. 3.

True, this marks the first time pop music from the decade of Ronald Reagan and MTV has received a casino musicale tribute. But it's as predictable and uninspired as this sort of affair gets.

The program follows producer Mario Bazinet's tried-and-true format: A youthful, enthusiastic and competent, if unexceptional, cast of singers and dancers rips through what is essentially a 75-minute medley of the most enduring songs of a particular era or genre - in this case, the mega-smashes of the 1980s. It's a concept that likely took all of 30 minutes to devise, as the set list consists of such no-brainers as "Billy Jean" by Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper's iconic "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (written, of course, by Philly's Robert Hazard), Madonna's "Like A Virgin" and such soundtrack signatures as "Maniac" and "Flashdance (What a Feeling)" from "Flashdance," and the title track from "Footloose." (But where's "I Had the Time of My Life" from "Dirty Dancing"?)

There's no debating the smaller-than-usual, 11-person troupe of singers and dancers works hard, as does the fine four-piece band, and there's an abundance of energy in the ballad-free proceedings. But staging is all but an afterthought - no sets at all, and the costumes tend toward jeans and workout clothes. Nor is a single video clip screened - a particularly egregious oversight given that the 1980s saw the music video reshape how pop music was marketed.

It was obvious from the response that the audience at Wednesday evening's performance overlooked these issues. That, of course, is far more important than the opinion of a cranky old critic. But if Atlantic City's gaming industry is serious about presenting itself as a world-class entertainment capital, creativity-challenged, lowest-common-denominator offerings like " '80s Flashback" must be replaced by something more original and interesting.

Tropicana Casino and Resort, Boardwalk at Brighton Avenue, showtimes vary, $35 and $25, 800-736-1420, ticketmaster.com.

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