Dirty Dancing is movie that I’ve seen A LOT. I was curious to see how the Broadway version would interpret the movie that is loved by so many. I’m happy to report that for the most part the Broadway play stayed true to the movie. I think most of the audience could probably recite the movie line by line and they also recognized most of those same lines and scenes in the Broadway production as well.
Here is a little more about the play incase you are unfamiliar with the plot.
It’s the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is on vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents. Mesmerized by the racy dance moves and pounding rhythms she discovers in the resort’s staff quarters, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle, the resort’s sexy dance instructor. Passions ignite and Baby’s life changes forever when she is thrown in to the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady, both on-stage and off.
The Broadway production did a great job of recreating the scenery that you remembered from the movie with creative sets designs that also used technology. You might remember, Jillian Mueller (Baby) as the leading role in Flashdance on Broadway last season. The cast also did a fantastic job with the dance numbers that were a big part of my favorite scenes from the movie. Samuel Pergande (Johnny) and Jenny Winton (Penny) were so much fun to watch during their scenes because they were mesmerizing as they danced.
“As I learned how many people watched the movie over and over and over,” said Eleanor Bergstein, screenwriter of the film Dirty Dancing and book writer for the musical, “I began to think that what they really wanted was to share more intensely in the event, to step through the screen and be there while the story was happening. And if that was true, then its natural form was the theatre – audiences watching live bodies dancing here and now in the present – on the log, on the bridge, on the dance floor and in the staff quarters at Kellerman’s. Writing it for the stage, I was also able to add more Baby and Johnny scenes, more about the family, more songs I couldn’t afford last time, and, most exciting of all – more dancing.”
You will notice a few scenes that were not in the movie that show off the vocal skills of Jennlee Shallow (Elizabeth) and Doug Carpenter (Billy).
If you loved the movie, I definitely think you will enjoy the play!
The Broadway production made me want to watch the movie again.
Dirty Dancing at the ARONOFF CENTER RUNS SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 5
Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage will play the Aronoff Center from September 23 – October 5
Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30PM,
Friday at 8:00PM,
Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM.
Tickets for Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage start at $29.
They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS.
For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363. Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com.
**DIRTY DANCING Photo Credits Matthew Murphy
For more information, please visit https://us.dirtydancingontour.com/.
Disclosure: I was given tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
