My Idea for a Prequel

I don't like the idea of a Dirty Dancing sequel where Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle get together again. That couple has no future. Their four-day romance happened only because of an odd situation where Baby had to substitute-dance for Penny Johnson, who had a schedule conflict between a dance performance and an abortion.

The only situation that might bring them back together for a long time would be if Baby got pregnant from that romance. If that happened, though, then she would get an abortion for sure. Baby is going to attend college for at least the next four years. 

The romantic story of Baby and Johnny has been told in the movie Dirty Dancing. You can tell that basic story many times more. The story already has been re-told in the ABC re-make and in the stage musical and can be re-told more times. In comparison, the Pride and Prejudice story has been told in about a dozen movies and television series. 

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I suggest a Dirty Dancing prequel, which would tell what happened at the Kellerman hotel in the weeks before the Houseman family arrived there. A prequel would tell:

* the history of the relationship between Johnny and Penny

* the arrangement of their performances at the Sheldrake Hotel

* the sexual affair between Penny and Robbie Gould

* Johnny's sexual liaisons with Vivian Pressman and other women

* New aspects of Billy Kostecki, Neil Kellerman, Tito Suarez, the magician, the Schumachers, Johnny's entertainment crew, etc.

During those weeks, Max Kellerman could have his heart attack, and Jake Houseman could come to the hotel to provide medical treatment. Marjorie Houseman could accompany Jake on that trip. Perhaps they could have some phone conversations with their daughters Lisa and Baby.

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Here are some political and cultural events during those weeks:

June 1
Lesley Gore's song "It's My Party" reaches #1.

June 10
President Kennedy signs an equal-pay-for-equal-work law for men and women.

June 11
Federal troops compel the University of Alabama to accept Negro students.

June 11
A Buddhist monk burns himself to death in a political protest in Saigon.

June 12

The movie Cleopatra premiers.

June 12
Negro leader Medgar Evers assassinated.

June 15
The Sound of Music closes on Broadway after 1,443 performances.

June 16
The Soviet Union sends a female cosmonaut into orbit.

June 26

President Kennedy gives his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in West Berlin.

August 3
Allan Sherman releases his song "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda".

August 13
Another Buddhist monk burns himself to death in Saigon.