Dirty Dancing Musical Dances Off-Screen and On-Stage
Fans of Dirty Dancing, the 1987 low budget film turned blockbuster hit, were thrilled when writer Eleanor Bergstein finally decided to adapt the story for live theater. The first live production of Dirty Dancing opened in Australia in 2004, and since that time it has been selling out in major cities across the globe, including London, Chicago, Hamburg, Toronto, and Utrecht. This classic love story with just enough edge is the perfect tale to tell on stage.
The plot of the story itself is a fairly popular one in movies and theater. Boy meets girl, only one of them, in this case the boy, is from the proverbial “wrong side of the tracks.” They fall in love, overcome obstacles, and eventually either end up together or apart, depending on the way the stakes fall.
Dirty Dancing is also a classic coming-of-age tale. The main female character, Frances “Baby” Houseman, is just 17, beginning to enter womanhood, but yet still very much a child in her own right. She is swept away to the mountains with her family for one last vacation before she headed to college. There she meets Johnny Castle, the dance instructor at the resort, and instantly develops a crush.
At a party a staff member invites her to, the clumsy and somewhat sheltered Baby sees for the first time the dirty dancing that the resort’s staff enjoys and Johnny teaches. She is hooked, and asks Johnny to teach her. As Johnny begins teaching the challenged dancer, they have their share of fights, but romance nonetheless blooms. In the end, Johnny is accused of both a theft and an unwanted pregnancy, but when Baby stands up for him to prove his innocence, he realizes that their love was meant to be.
The story is classic and appealing in many ways, but what makes Dirty Dancing such a success is, in fact, the dancing. The screenwriter turned musical writer intended dance to be the main focus of the movie, and thus it is even more so in the musical. Audiences revel in watching real dancers perform the sensuous moves and daring leaps that made the dance scenes in the film so incredibly popular. Every night they hold their breath as Baby makes her daring leap into Johnny’s waiting arms.
Part of the reason for the success of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage is the cult following of the movie. The film, which appealed to adults as much as it did teens when it was released in the 1980s, is still one of the most popular movies of all time, particularly among women. By keeping many of the classic lines intact, the musical appeals to these fans and a new generation of young adults who are discovering it for the first time. Popular tunes like “Hungry Eyes,” “Do You Love Me?” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” keep audiences singing long after the curtain falls. Theatergoers can expect to see this new musical take off and thrill audiences in even more cities in the very near future.
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- » Comments
This movie is the 1st movie that I ever spent my money on. I keep showing to all my friends too and they all like it. Nice post.
Yup it is a great movie with a different story. Thanx for posting this good little post about it. I recommend it and one should see it in theatres.
I simply love this movie. Good post.
I’ve never been to the play, but the movie was fantastic. I wish I could move like Patrick!
That was a low-budget movie which became a massive box office hit on those days! I would love to watch it again.
u kno that movie really gr8 !!! and btw I like that kind of dancing
There was no one that could move like the Patrick I am telling you man he is a legend. Patrick R.I.P. They better get someone who can dance like Patrick did.
This film is entertaining, the dance featured in this movie very sexy