If you haven’t seen Dirty Dancing before then you’re either a lot younger than me or you are not my kind of person – it’t literally one of my favourite films of all time!
About Dirty Dancing the Musical
Released in 1987, “Dirty Dancing” depicts the Houseman family embarking on a family holiday full of organised fun. “Baby”, keen to join the Peace Corps, is disappointed at the reality of a fortnight with her family in the sleepy resort; however, this disappointment is short-lived. Baby meets the resorts dance instructor, Johnny, who quickly enlists Baby as his new dance partner and the love story begins to unfold between two unlikely partners. Due to societal differences, Baby’s father forbids this relationship, but Baby is determined to make Johnny’s final performance one to remember.
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Dirty Dancing was one of the highest-grossing films of 1987 and it was also the number one video rental of 1988 becoming the first film to sell a million copies on video. Following such huge success, Dirty Dancing initially hit the stage in 2004 in Australia. The hit show dutifully used the much-loved same songs as the cinematic version.
My Review of Dirty Dancing the Musical
I’ve had the night of my li-iiiife.
This performance did not disappoint in technicality, emotion or nostalgia. I was instantly taken back to 1995 in my living room devotedly watching the VHS of Dirty Dancing on repeat. Sat on the brown floral carpet, in a dusky green room I would recite word for word and dance a long not too dissimilar to the original awkwardness of Baby.
The musical took a little while to warm up, but once it did, it was fabulous. The audience were spoilt with the display of a blossoming romance between Baby and Johnny, the affection amongst the entertainers and delightful injections of humour throughout. Stage transitions were flawless.
The performance of the famous first kiss and their final dance along with that lift was executed to perfection.
Considering audience engagement, the cast were absolutely superb. Michael O’Reilly and Kira Malou showed electric chemistry and were incredible castings, representing the romantic duo we all know and love. O’Reilly embodies the intensity of Swayze and hits the dance moves to perfection, while Malou’s innocence beautifully depicts the process from her awkwardly moving to executing the most magical ending performance.
There is some truly exceptional talent displayed throughout and it would be remiss of me to not mention Lydia Sterling. Playing a character, Elizabeth, written purely for the stage performance, Sterling very almost stole the show. Her vocals, alongside the band and highly talented cast warranted her standalone appreciation and were truly impressive.
The stage performance of Dirty Dancing stays true to the original movie, and I couldn’t have loved it anymore. It was the perfect dose of nostalgia and left me with a real buzz.
Where can I see Dirty Dancing the Musical
Dirty Dancing is on at The Liverpool Empire until Saturday 17th June and tickets are still available on line or by calling 0844 871 3017.
You can buy tickets here.
Please note I was gifted these tickets in return for an honest review. See more theatre reviews here.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.