Dirty Dancing is one of those experiences that you never forget. NETworks Productions LLC. brings the movie to life with the stage production that is playing now through May 24th.

The show itself takes right after the movie (as it should) using the same lines and scene progression. There are some variances from the movie, such as the addition of some lines and scenes to address The Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am torn about the additions. While Civil Rights are still on the foreground of topics to this day, I feel like the writers are trying to give the show more depth. The subject matter builds on Baby’s character. However, the actress playing the role has very little depth, so the translation gets lost a bit. There are also some bits added about Dr. and Mrs. Housman’s relationship that seem superfluous.

Gillian Abbott (Baby) is a Julliard trained dancer does a phenomenal job at “bad” dancing, transitioning into professional dancing. Samuel Pergande as Johnny Castle is another extraordinary dancer, but his acting is very choppy and Shatner-esque. The true standout is Jenny Winton as Penny; unbelievable skill and talent as a dancer and she and Emily Rice (Lisa) are the best actors in the show.

Everyone in the ensemble does an amazing job of executing the choreography. From the dances that are added and the choreography direct from the movie, they surpassed my expectations. Special mention has to be made of the two singers in the show. This is primarily a dance musical, but the addition of the two singers, in this case, is terrific. Jennlee Shallow and Doug Carpenter are exceptional vocalists and for me, really made the show.

If you love Dirty Dancing, you will not be disappointed and yes, you will have, “The time of your life”!

About The Author

Denise A.

Theatre/Concert Reviewer

A member of the Actors’ Center since 2000, she is a professionally trained actor, singer and dancer, she has graced stages all over the country with various musicals and plays, receiving many awards and accolades. She was an award-nominated host for Eclipse Magazine TV and has also been seen on such shows as The Mickey Mouse Club, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and Ally McBeal. She is a professional magician’s assistant, who has worked with Carnegie and Bradley Fields. Denise has also done her share behind the scenes with many projects. Aside from choreography, she’s been doing costuming and makeup (award winning) for more than a decade. She has been a writer since middle school, mostly short stories and poetry. As English was a favorite subject always, she easily took to journalism courses in high school, followed by college. Her writing has spanned many different markets. In recent years, she has been co-authoring an original musical that she hopes gets to see the light of day 🙂

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