When I think back to the 1980’s there’s only one film that never leaves my mind: Dirty Dancing was the highlight. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” are words that never date. Patrick Swayze as Johnny was my hero. We all wanted a man who would stand up for us. Johnny was he! A few years ago I saw the West End production of Dirty Dancing in Glasgow’s West End. It was outstanding. I’ve been waiting patiently for it to come to Derry, never expecting it to do so. Earlier today I heard that my waiting was about to end. Dirty Dancing is coming to Derry. It’s a bit of a wait but it’s coming. Mid February 2017 is going to be one exciting time at The Millennium Forum in Derry.The West End hit musical, Dirty Dancing, arrives in the city for the very first time from Mon 13th to Sat 18th Feb 2017. The classic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, bursts onto the Millennium Forum stage following two blockbuster West End runs and two hit UK tours. Tickets go on sale from the Box Office on Fri 4th Dec.
Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, the record-breaking musical is even better than before in this all new production created by an innovative new creative team; directed by Federico Bellone, Artistic Director of Milan’s Teatro Nazionale, choreographed by Gillian Bruce and with design re-imagined by top Italian set designer Roberto Cometti. The production premiered in Milan in July 2015, subsequently packing out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona, and will play a season in Rome this autumn before embarking on a major Italian tour. To mark the tenth anniversary of the original stage show, a new Australian tour was launched last year, and to date has sold a record 416,000 tickets since October 2014.Since its Australian debut in 2004, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, has become a worldwide phenomenon, with productions staged in New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout Europe, consistently breaking box office records. After sell-out seasons in Paris and Vienna the show continues to tour in France and German speaking territories. It’s also currently wowing audiences in Italy, with each individual production using local French, German, and Italian speaking companies; the French tour alone has played to 500,000 people since it launched in January.
It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year- old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, she shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles across an all-night dance party at the staff quarters. Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor. Her life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off, and two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.
Dirty Dancing –The Classic Story On Stage originally opened at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2006 with a record-breaking advance of £15 million, making it the fastest ever selling show in West End theatre history. The production became the longest running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre and played to over 2 million people during its triumphant 5 year run.
The first ever UK tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, which launched in 2011, took an unprecedented £42,000,000 at theatres across the country. In 2013, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage returned to the West End and played at the Piccadilly Theatre in London until 23 February 2014, prior to launching a second UK and Ireland tour.
Produced by Karl Sydow, Joye Entertainment and Paul Elliott, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions, and written by Eleanor Bergstein, script writer of the phenomenally successful 1987 film, the production features the much-loved characters and original dialogue from the iconic film, with exciting extra scenes added in.
Dirty Dancing performs at the Millennium Forum from Mon 13th to Sat 18th Feb 2017. Tickets go on sale from the Box Office on Fri 4th Dec. Telephone 71 264455 or visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.
North West Culture Gal 