Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing
By Eleanor Bergstein. Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star, Opening Night, December 3, 2014, then Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from 1 March 2015, the Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 27 May, and the Crown Theatre, Perth from 2 August.

There was enough Dirty Dancing and fleshy beefcake on stage to elicit squeals of approval from women in the audience, who gave the evening the festive feel of a hen’s night.

Even if their husbands/boyfriends found it a more of a ‘chick’s show’ then no doubt they were still pleased to see a big smile on their date’s face.

Throbbing hips, provocative swivels and even the occasional face buried in a  convulsing crutch made it a saucy night out, in a clean cut 1960’s kind of way.

Since Dirty Dancing The Musical premiered in Australia just over ten years ago, it has become more of a filmsical.

Replacing the set in many scenes are video projections. This works very effectively in hastening the transitions around the scenic summer New York summer hotel where the action takes place.

It was most delightful when the leading lady Kirby Burgess (Baby) and Kurt Phelan (Johnny Castle) practised their high lift dancing routine in the water.

The story is not very demanding on the audience. The daughter of a Doctor falls for a working class dancer at the summer holiday. Her father doesn’t like him because he mistakenly thinks he has put another woman’s life in danger. We always know where it is heading.

The unusual aspect of this musical or filmsical is that the leads don’t sing. This is a shame, as we could not enjoy the lead’s considerable singing abilities. Instead backing singers provide all the vocals. In this instance Mark Vincent was the impressive crooner.

How successful the musical is relies on the way the leads communicate their developing relationship through gesture.  In this case, Kirby and Kurt had a sizzling on stage chemistry that steamed up the glasses.

Most of the other principal roles are on the two dimensional side, not giving them a chance to shine dramatically. A stand out, however was Gabrielle Brown as Neil Kellerman, heir to the hotel – making his professional debut. He played the daggy suitor with such aplomb that it was almost like he was made for the role.

Dirty Dancing is a slick fun night out.

David Spicer

Stage Whispers Editor Neil Litchfield was also at opening night, and says:

One of the special pleasures of Dirty Dancing on stage is the way that it taps into so many favourite moments of the well-loved movie. Ripples of recognition pass through the house as the production lands iconic film memories.

Kirby Burgess shines in her breakout role on a major commercial stage as Baby (though perhaps Perth audiences already claim that breakout for themselves when she stepped into the role of Rizzo in Grease). What a delight to watch this true triple threat drawing great laughs as she pretends so deliciously to dance awkwardly when first introduced to ‘Dirty Dancing’, beginning the gradual build toward the show’s finale. While none of us who have seen her great work earlier this year at the Hayes Theatre were fooled, it added an extra dimension to the joy of the moment.

Images: Kirby Burgess (Baby) and Kurt Phelan (Johnny) in the Final Scene; Kurt Phelan (Johnny) and Ensemblein the Final Scene and Kurt Phelan (Johnny), Kirby Burgess (Baby) and Nadia Coote (Penny). Photographer: Jeff Busby

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