Yes.
That’s the answer to the question everyone asks when it comes to the musical Dirty Dancing (the show’s official name is Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage).
That question is: “Does Johnny say ‘Nobody puts baby in a corner?’” He certainly does and the famous line is usually followed by riotous applause and wild hollers from the audience.
The other thing fans want to know about Dirty Dancing the musical is: “Does the production stray very far from the classic 1987 movie starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey?” The answer to that question is no.
The musical stays as close to the film as humanly possible especially in the departments of dialogue, choreography (including “the lift”), setting (Kellerman’s resort), and, of course, the music. You’ll hear all the classic songs from the film including “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” “Hey! Baby,” and “Do You Love Me?”
What this all means is if you loved the film you’ll love the musical adaptation. That’s the show’s main strength as well as its lone weakness. If you’re not a Dirty Dancing fan this adaptation will do nothing to change your mind.
If you remember seeing Dirty Dancing in the theater (especially if you saw it multiple times) then you’ll want to see the musical. It’s just as romantic and sexy as the original, and on some levels, more enjoyable. After all, watching live dancing is always better than watching people hoof around on the big screen.
Dirty Dancing is an American film but the musical debuted in Australia back in 2004. Like the original film, reviews for the musical were mixed. Also like the original film, fans didn’t care. The Sydney production sold more than 200,000 Dirty Dancing tickets during its half-year run.
In 2006, Dirty Dancing opened on London’s West End. It set the city’s pre-sell record, and at the height of its popularity, tickets were sold out six months in advance. The show closed in 2011 before reopening in 2013 for a seven-month run. A version opened in Toronto in May of 2007 with a nearly all-Canadian cast. On the first day of public sale, the musical sold a record $2 million in tickets. Successful productions soon followed in Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles.
The show has never been produced on Broadway, but a national tour launched in September of 2014 in Washington, D.C. Since then, the tour has visited cities all over the United States including San Diego, Seattle, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.