It was 80s nostalgia for the audience on Wednesday evening, where most of them, in their late 20s and 30s, came to relive the "Classic Story on Stage". Most of us were familiar with the movie starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, which was about a 17 year old Frances "Baby" Houseman coming of age at a resort in the 1960s. At the resort, Baby discovered the "alternative" dance moves by the resort staff and she was thrown in suddenly to be the dance partner of Johnny Castle, the resort dance instructor.
Dirty Dancing the musical was first performed in Australia in 2004 and it has since sold over a million tickets. The musical in Singapore was presented by Base Entertainment and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions.
The musical was a faithful adaptation of the movie, and the producers and directors seemed to assume that the audience knew the plot well. Thus the dramatic elements were a bit weak and the focus was on the dancing.
The dance choreography was good and definitely the main attraction of this musical. The 3 leads, Luigi Vigliottio (understudy the role of Johnny Castle), Bryony Whitfield (Baby) and Mila De Biaggi (Penny) danced well and gave competent performances. While Luigi may not be like Patrick Swayze, he did give another interpretation of Johnny Castle. Just wondered how the original lead Gareth Bailey would play this role.
In this musical, as in the movie, the leads did not sing. And thus, it was left to the other cast members and also the band to provide the music. I would say the band definitely delivered. The audience on Wednesday agreed too.
In addition, the technical aspects of the musical was strong. The use of multi-media and lighting was a delight and well executed.
Overall, this is an enjoyable production. Audience should not expect to see a Patrick Swayze, and should treat this musical as it is. While the plot may not be strong, the dancing, the band and the technical aspects all made up for a good dance musical.
My only gripe is that the song She's Like the Wind wasn't sung - only instrumentation version was played.
For more information:
www.dirtydancingasia.com.
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