It had to be done… I had to see Dirty Dancing on stage while we were here in Toronto over the Christmas holidays.
Although I’d heard a couple of reviews from friends that were less than enthusiastic and found the opening song just a touch off-key, overall I thought the production was fabulous.
The flow was true to the original movie, the set was amazing and I loved the costumes. After the first song, the music and dancing were perfect… just as you’d expect.
Although the Royal Alexandra Theatre (more commonly refered to as the ‘Royal Alex’) in Toronto feels ‘tight’ with less room between the seats, we love it for the fact that there are no bad seats in this theatre. The views from the balconies are just as good as they are from the orchestra. (See the pic above left… we were seated in the first balcony in the middle of the theatre).
If you haven’t seen the movie, Dirty Dancing is a 1987 romance written by Eleanor Bergstein, featuring Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The story details a teenage girl’s passage into womanhood, through a summer relationship with a dance instructor.
Dirty Dancing was a massive hit and has earned $US300 million worldwide. It was also the first film to sell over one million copies on video. Two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles which won the Golden Globe and Academy Award, as well as a Grammy Award were generated by the movie.
In 2004, the movie was translated into a stage musical produced by Jacobsen Entertainment at a cost of $6.5 million. The stage version was also written by Eleanor Bergstein to have the same songs as the film, plus a few extra scenes. The stage version of Dirty Dancing first opened in Sydney, Australia, in November 2005.
Dirty Dancing is now running in cities such as Toronto until August 2008 and Chicago until January 2009. You can source Dirty Dancing tickets online through TicketsNow. And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, click here to order Dirty Dancing from Netflix
[tags]Dirty Dancing,Royal Alex,Toronto,Royal Alexandra Theatre[/tags]
I thought Dirty Dancing at the Royal Alex was simply AMAZING!!! I have seen it on 2 sperate occasions and in different areas of the theater. I was on the upper balcony first and it was still good seating. The theater is small so you don’t need the best seats in the theater to have the best seats. At the end when they do the final dance i thought the vocals in the (I’ve Had) The Time of my Live was amazing. So powerfull and strong. The dance at the end i don’t think was made to the same affect as it was in the movie. Just one question what was the name of the song that opened the show? The one that grabbs your attention and everyone screams?
“what was the name of the song that opened the show? The one that grabbs your attention and everyone screams?”
Good question, Marissa.. and I wish I knew the answer to that one.
Anyone else know?