Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage is hot, steamy, charming, sweet, and touching. The summer of 1963 story is true to the 1987 movie we all know and love, with some updated social commentary, relevant to the times.

The best thing about the stage performance, now playing at The Fox Theatre through Sunday? Well...I seriously can't choose. There's so much that's fantastic about it! The dancing...the dancing is brilliant! That was my favorite part. Cliche? I don't care...it was that great. 


Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Julie Bookman notes in the program's feature article, "Magic Moments", that the stage version "is designed to put its audience 'in the movie'," and it does. 

Jillian Mueller's (Baby) acting is beyond brilliant. Where you can sometimes tell that an actor is proficient in stage work, Jillian's performance is "real"...you feel like you're right there. I would love to see her in a Hollywood blockbuster! She's Oscar material.

I noticed specifically how technically brilliant Jillian's transition from a non-dancer to exquisite dancer was. You believed whole-heartedly in the beginning that she had never trained, but by the end, you see her professional, classic training come through. She moved beautifully, elegantly, and powerfully.


Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Samuel Pergande's (Johnny) dancing is sublime. I can't imagine there was a person in the audience who didn't wish they could dance like him. Technical execution--perfection. Moves--sexy. Overall performance--put you in the moment. I, too, wish I danced like Samuel.


Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Jennlee Shallow (Elizabeth) and Doug Carpenter (Billy) stole the show with their voices. Characters in the show, and partially storytellers via song, Jennlee and Doug blew the house down with their gloriously imperious voices! Seemingly out of nowhere, their presence as storytellers majestically appeared…a brilliant reveal. Their finale performance was a crowd favorite!


Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

I’d be remiss if I didn't mention the magnificent sets. The use of digital video mixed with some traditional transition elements are amazing, very often queuing the audience’s mood for the next scene. A delighting “Wow!” set moment was the reveal of the live band…just wait until you see what they've done! They’re not where you’d expect them to be, which makes it all the more fun.


Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

I had the most delightful evening with Sharon, who joined me for the performance. Sharon and I are on the same career path—Communications, with a similar career past—U.S. Navy. She's now with Atlanta Streetcar, and the mastermind behind one of my favorite Atlanta campaigns right now: the "Pancake People" safety campaign.

"Thank you!", Sharon, for wonderful dinner conversation (we went to P&P at The Georgia Terrace!) and for sharing a magnificent Fox Theatre experience! 

When departing the theatre last night, I heard one guest who equated his love of action-adventure films (or something stereotypically “manly”) to his wife’s love of the finale of Dirty Dancing, how “everything worked out”.

Had he sacrificed the evening by going to see Dirty Dancing? Is Dirty Dancing a show just for women? No. He hadn't said that he didn't enjoy it. I think that was just his way of saying that he did, without actually saying that he enjoyed a musical.

Gentlemen…treat your lady, make it a date night she’ll remember, do something for her “just because” and go see a musical! And for those who admit to liking musicals, I think you’re going to love Dirty Dancing.

If you do not yet have your tickets to see Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage at The Fox Theatre, now through Sunday, get them soon.


(All photos in this post are courtesy of Brave PR and made by Matthew Murphy.) #broadwayatlanta #bravepratlanta #dirtydancingontour 

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