Dirty Dancing
In 1987, Whitney Houston led the music charts with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Rick Astley also dominated with "Never Gonna Give You Up," while The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian" was the year's overall number one song. One of my favorite movies from that year became an iconic sensation and grossed over $200 million at the box office. The song that captured my heart was "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," written and recorded specifically for Dirty Dancing by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz, and sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. It became an enormous hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award. Now, Dirty Dancing isn't just about the fabulous songs, such as Hungry Eyes, These Arms of Mine, She's Like the Wind, In the Still Of The Night, and the film favorite "(I've Had) the Time of My Life. It's about prohibited romance, class, defiance, and dancing- lots of dancing and expression. The movie enthralled audiences with the famous performances of Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle and Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. This moral, gritty coming-of-age story is set in the summer of 1963 at Kellerman's Resort. The story follows the "Baby" as she discovers her independence, passion, and love through her relationship with Johnny Castle, a magnetic dance instructor from the other side of the tracks.
For fans of the movie, Dirty Dancing returns on stage at the Nederlander Theater as Dirty Dancing: The Musical. However, this play isn't actually a musical; more like a play with music. It offers no fresh take on the pulse, romance, and youthful urgency that have marked Dirty Dancing for nearly four decades; it's a carbon copy of the movie. What it did have was the nostalgic feeling of turning the clock back in time and how it made you feel. It captured the treasured story of the iconic 1987 film, and we got to tag along with 17-year-old "Baby," played by Annalese Starzec, who did a good job taking us into her unforgettable summer adventure at Kellerman's Resort- we witnessed her growth throughout the play in some poignant, memorable moments. Like the film, the plot expertly balances her naive beginnings as she becomes the temporary mambo partner for the talented dance instructor Johnny Castle (Blake Zelesnikar); his dancing skills will bring you back to Patrick Swayze. A few other actors deserve mention: Octavia CeCe (Penny Johnson); her skillful dancing was momentous. Ashley Lalonde (Elizabeth) and Ethan Peterson (Billy Kostecki); their voices were amazing.
At times, the acting felt a little robotic, certain scenes needed more dialogue, and the stage didn't seem big enough for the anticipated lift in the final scene. However, what makes this production work, despite where it fell short, is the director's (Lonnie Price) skillful transition from film narrative to live theater, with a dynamic ensemble performing the songs on stage and from the sidelines that made you reminisce along with the live soundtrack.
The scenic design (Brett J. Banakis) was creative, with innovative staging for the most part. The rapid-paced script features and the impressive choreography (Darrell Grand Moultrie) were excellent, especially since the stage adaptation wisely uses dance as its own form of narrative expression, giving the lead actors a stronger dramatic voice. This team's combination created a nonstop, high-energy show that recognized every iconic storyline beat fans craved, with a breathless pace only live theater can provide.
⭐⭐⭐ STARS
Nederlander Theatre
Dirty Dancing
Written by Eleanor Bergstein
Directed by Lonnie Price
Now Through September 20
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