.... A few weeks ago, with the tacit blessing of her husband, Shakespeare scholar Michael Goldman, [Eleanor] Bergstein and I went dancing at a Toronto nightclub. ... A week or so later, I met Bergstein again, to hear the story of her incredible journey with the [Dirty Dancing stage show] show.Michael Posner is the author of several plays and five books.
Bruce Springsteen's legion of fans will be surprised, I expect, to learn this, but it turns out the Boss is the guy who inspired Bergstein to adapt the movie for the stage. Producers had wooed her for years for just such a project, but she had always declined.
But one year after the attacks of 9/11 [i.e. in 2002], she attended a Springsteen concert at Shea Stadium in New York. It was a cold rainy night and, Bergstein recalls, "we were all feeling pretty awful. He was very tiny -- we were sitting far away from the stage -- but his energy just filled the place with an ecstatic presentness. It was very moving and emotional. And at the end, when the musicians were packing up, he came back on stage to play more and many of us were just weeping, like a community. And I knew at the moment exactly what I wanted to do -- to create a live theatre experience as intimate as a movie, to make it a community experience with all the lines of ecstasy and sorrow."
Bergstein has been in Toronto for the past month [October-November 2007], overseeing the fourth installation of a show that has shattered box office records in all its previous incarnations: Sydney, Hamburg and London. The Toronto advance sale is now more than $17-million ...
A few weeks ago, as it happened, Bruce Springsteen was playing Toronto's Air Canada Centre and Bergstein arranged tickets for about 12 members of the cast. "And I saw again everything that had made me want to do this."
Showing posts with label Stage Musical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stage Musical. Show all posts
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Eleanor Bergstein's Decision to Develop the Stage Musical
Excerpts from an article written by Michael Posner and published by The Globe and Mail website in 2007.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
This post is the fourth in a series, following:
1) My Review of the Stage Musical -- General
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
=====
The program given to the stage musical's audience listed the following songs. I have highlighted the songs that are not in the 1987 movie.
The songs in the 1987 movie, along with their circumstances, are listed on that webpage.
======
The following songs are in the 1987 movie but are not in the stage musical.
A remark in the program highlights two songs:
======
I don't remember, from watching the stage musical, where exactly the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was placed in the stage musical. However, it is early in Act Two, a few songs before "Love Is Strange".
The song's placement in the stage musical and the song's lyrics indicate to me that the 1987 movie was supposed to play the song during a dance in the hotel's ballroom on the night of Friday, August 30. Baby Houseman became sexual with Johnny Castle in his cabin for the first time during the night of Thursday-Friday. On Friday morning, her father said at breakfast that the family was departing a day early, but then changed his mind. During the rainy afternoon, Baby went back to Johnny's cabin to be sexual with him again.
Later that evening, there must have been a dance in the ballroom, where the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was sung.
Still later that night, Baby and her sister Lisa talk in bed about Lisa's decision to "go all the way" with Robbie.
The song's lyrics:
I don't remember exactly where the song "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" was placed in the stage musical. However, the program lists it right after "We Shall Overcome", which was sung at a party singing folk songs around a campfire by the lake.
At the end of that party, Baby gives the $250 to Penny Johnson, and then the decision is made that Baby will replace Penny at the Sheldrake Hotel. So, I think that Bergstein wanted the 1987 movie to play "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" as Baby was walking through the dancers to give the $250 to Penny.
(Click on the below video's image and then click on the words Watch this video on YouTube.)
The song'y lyrics:
The below video clip is from a movie biography of Marvin Gaye.
======
I will continue my review of the stage musical in future posts.
1) My Review of the Stage Musical -- General
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
=====
The program given to the stage musical's audience listed the following songs. I have highlighted the songs that are not in the 1987 movie.
This Magic MomentI have not listed songs that the program says are incidental. When a song is sung more than once, I list only the major occasion.
Merengue
You Do Something to Me
You’re the Cream in My Coffee
There Will Never Be Another You
Johnny’s Mambo
Do You Love Me?
Love Man
Honey Love
Infectious Cha Cha
An Original Waltz/Penny’s Waltz
Viva Ia Quince Brigada
This Land Is Your Land
We Shall Overcome
Stubborn Kind of Fellow
Wipeout
Hungry Eyes
Overload
Hey! Baby
Johnny’s Tango
To the Sheldrake
De Todo Un Poco
Maybe
The Way Life Goes
These Arms of Mine
Cry to Me
[Intermission between Act One and Act Two]
Dawn Interlude
Blow the Man Down
Besame Mucho
Save the Last Dance for Me
If You Were the Only Girl
Magic Hour Serenade
Duke of Earl
Love is Strange
You Don't Own Me
Nunca
Lisa's Hula
Yes!
In the Still of the Night
Nocturando
Someone Like You
She's Like the Wind
Kellerman's Anthem
Time of My Life
The songs in the 1987 movie, along with their circumstances, are listed on that webpage.
======
The following songs are in the 1987 movie but are not in the stage musical.
Be My Baby=====
Big Girls Don't Cry
Trot The Fox
Stay
Some Kind of Wonderful
Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
A remark in the program highlights two songs:
A number of songs Eleanor Bergstein tried very hard and unsuccessfully to obtain for the movie we have been able to obtain for our production and put in the places originally intended, including “Save the Last Dance for Me” (The Drifters) and “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” (Marvin Gaye).Since Bergstein tried to include these two songs in the 1987 movie, I will inform you about them here.
======
I don't remember, from watching the stage musical, where exactly the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was placed in the stage musical. However, it is early in Act Two, a few songs before "Love Is Strange".
The song's placement in the stage musical and the song's lyrics indicate to me that the 1987 movie was supposed to play the song during a dance in the hotel's ballroom on the night of Friday, August 30. Baby Houseman became sexual with Johnny Castle in his cabin for the first time during the night of Thursday-Friday. On Friday morning, her father said at breakfast that the family was departing a day early, but then changed his mind. During the rainy afternoon, Baby went back to Johnny's cabin to be sexual with him again.
Later that evening, there must have been a dance in the ballroom, where the song "Save the Last Dance for Me" was sung.
Still later that night, Baby and her sister Lisa talk in bed about Lisa's decision to "go all the way" with Robbie.
The song's lyrics:
You can dance every dance======
With the guy who gives you the eye --
Let him hold you tight.
You can smile every smile
For the man who held your hand
Beneath the pale moonlight
But don't forget who's taking you home,
And in whose arms you're gonna be.
So darling, save the last dance for me.
Oh, I know that the music's fine,
Like sparkling wine.
Go and have your fun.
Laugh and sing.
But while we're apart
Don't give your heart
To anyone
Baby, don't you know I love you so?
Can't you feel it when we touch?
I will never, never let you go
I love you, oh, so much
You can dance.
Go and carry on
Till the night is gone,
And it's time to go
If he asks
If you're all alone,
Can he take you home,
You must tell him no.
I don't remember exactly where the song "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" was placed in the stage musical. However, the program lists it right after "We Shall Overcome", which was sung at a party singing folk songs around a campfire by the lake.
At the end of that party, Baby gives the $250 to Penny Johnson, and then the decision is made that Baby will replace Penny at the Sheldrake Hotel. So, I think that Bergstein wanted the 1987 movie to play "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" as Baby was walking through the dancers to give the $250 to Penny.
(Click on the below video's image and then click on the words Watch this video on YouTube.)
The song'y lyrics:
I try to put my arms around you,Instead of "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", the 1987 movie in this scene plays the song "Stay".
All because I want to hold you tight,
But every time I reach for you, baby,
Trying to kiss you,
You're just jumping out of sight.
Oh, I've got news for you:
Baby, that I've made plans for two.
I guess I'm just a stubborn kind of fellow --
Got my mind made up to love you
I'm gonna love you in every way.
With other girls I've wanted,
I've made it just a moment.
With you I'll share each day.
Now I know you've heard about me,
Bad things about me,
Baby, please let me explain.
Oh, I have kissed a few.
I tell you,
A few have kissed me too.
The below video clip is from a movie biography of Marvin Gaye.
======
I will continue my review of the stage musical in future posts.
Monday, January 15, 2018
My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
This post is the third in a series, following:
1) My Review of the Stage Musical -- General
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race
=======
In this post I will write about a series of romantic relationships, in which the movie and stage musical differ.
1) Billy Kostecki and Elizabeth
2) Jake and Marjorie Houseman
3) Neil Kellerman and Baby Houseman
4) Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman
Other relationships -- involving Lisa Houseman, Penny Johnson, Robbie Gould, Lisa Houseman and Vivian Pressman -- are essentially similar in the movie and musical.
======
Billy Kostecki and Elizabeth
In my previous article about the musical's race aspect, I pointed out that Billy frequently sings with a Negro female co-worker. I perceived that he looks at her longingly, but I did not notice his saying anything romantic to her. According to the musical's program, the character is called Elizabeth.
In an earlier post titled The Resort Hotel's Employees, I reported -- based on Eleanor Bergstein's commentary in a DVD -- that the an early draft of the movie's story was supposed to include a scene showing that Negroes were allowed to use the resort's swimming pool along with Caucasians.
(In 1963 the polite words were Caucasian and Negro, and so I use them here.)
If there was some relationship between Billy and Elizabeth, then perhaps Elizabeth was involved somehow in Billy helping Penny getting an abortion. Below is my list of speculations.
Years later, when Bergstein had the opportunity to retell her story as a musical, she restored Elizabeth into the story. Elizabeth sings with Billy, and he seems to be attracted to her, but their relationship is not elaborated further in the musical.
=======
Jake and Marjorie Houseman
Marjorie Houseman is much more prominent in the musical than in the movie.
They have a long conversation while they are playing golf. Unfortunately, I did not grasp that conversation's essence. I perceived that there was some tension between them. They seemed to be making biting remarks at each other.
(I did not take notes or record sound while I was watching the musical. I do not have access to the musical's script. Although the musical's sound system was superb, my hearing is becoming worse, and I could not understand every word. My account of the dialogue is based only on my memory and might be mistaken in some details.)
My perception might be based on the ABC original movie, in which they are approaching a divorce.
After Penny recovers from her abortion in the musical, she is so grateful to the entire Houseman family that she takes the initiative to give private dance lessons to Marjorie. During such a lesson, Penny mentions that Jake had treated her after her an abortion. Penny assumes that Marjorie knew about this, but Marjorie knew nothing until Penny mentioned it.
Marjorie is angry that Jake has kept this secret from her, and so she goes and confronts Jake about it.
Afterwards Marjorie confronts Baby. This scene in the musical is similar to a scene that was filmed for the movie but was deleted (8:17 to 9:02 in the following video).
In both the movie and the musical, Marjorie insinuates that Baby's actions have been wrecking the Houseman family. This insinuation makes much more sense when we understand that Marjorie fears that her marriage might be breaking apart.
Since all the marriage problems have been removed from the movie, Marjorie's insinuation is puzzling. How exactly has Baby been "wrecking everyone else's lives"? As far as the movie audience can see, Baby has only disappointed her father by lying to him about the borrowed money. Even in regard to Jake, Baby has not wrecked anything.
In the musical, however, Baby has caused a serious argument between Marjorie and Baby, because Penny unwittingly revealed to Marjorie the secret of Jake's involvement in the abortion. Since Marjorie and Jake have been having marriage problems, this revelation might be the straw that breaks the camel's back of the marriage. In that regard, Baby might have wrecked her parents' marriage.
The scene deleted from the movie was a superb, and it was acted superbly by the actress Kelly Bishop, who played the character Marjorie. Since the marriage problems had been eliminated from the movie, however, Marjorie's insinuation that Baby was wrecking everyone else's lives no longer made sense. That might be why this superb scene was deleted.
The marriage trouble between Jake and Marjorie was removed from the movie but later was restored to the stage musical and to the ABC original movie.
=======
Neil Kellerman and Baby Houseman
During last September and October I wrote a series of articles called Baby Houseman's Inner Conflict about Femininity. In that series' sixth part, I re-evaluated the relationship between Baby and Neil:
During this conversation, they talk about politics. Baby admires Neil for his political activism, for his intention to travel to Mississippi to help promote civil rights for Negroes. Johnny scoffs, saying that he himself never has voted even once in his life. Baby is appalled by Johnny's lack of even interest.
Then, however, Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all, because he as a manager should not be gone from the hotel for a couple of weeks. Now Baby is somewhat disappointed with Neil for subordinating his political activism to his professional career.
This conversation is important in the story, because it gives Baby a reason to shift her romantic affection from Neil completely to Johnny. Although Johnny is not interested in politics, Neil's interest is more talk than action.
In general, I perceived throughout the musical scattered indications that Baby was affectionate and respectful toward Neil. These indications are related to the scattered mentions that Neil intends to travel to Mississippi.
In contrast, the movie mentions Neil's intention only once, when Neil and Baby are dancing in the ballroom during her first night at the resort. In that single context, the mention seems to be merely an empty boast to impress idealistic Baby.
The musical's continuing mentions of Neil's intended Mississippi trip support Baby's affection and admiration toward Neil during the story. Her disappointment in him occurs near the story's end and occurs suddenly.
======
Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman
In the stage musical that I saw, Baby dances more poorly and improves more slowly than in the movie.
The musical's program reports that the actress, Kaleigh Courts, has attended the Houston Ballet Academy and has performed as a member of the Houston Ballet, so the actress can dance superbly. She purposely dances poorly in the musical.
She continues to dance poorly through the "Hungry Eyes" and "Hey, Baby" scenes. Only when she accomplishes the lift move in the lake does she seem to show improvement. Her dancing at the Sheldrake is likewise worse in the musical than in the movie. Her dancing during and after the "Love Is Strange" scene is about the same in the musical as in the movie.
Johnny's apparent affection for Baby corresponds to her dancing skill. In other words, his affection develops slower in the musical than in the movie. I didn't notice this difference in any dialogue. Rather, his coolness -- his iciness -- toward her is indicated by his body movements and voice tone.
Maybe other actors playing Johnny and Baby in other companies play their relationship differently. Maybe other actresses playing Baby dance better and maybe other actors playing Johnny speak more warmly. For the purpose of my article here, I must assume that the performance that I happened to see is the Baby-Johnny relationship that the stage musical is supposed to portray.
In the musical, the relationship develops more slowly, and so their decision to becomes sexual is more sudden and seems to be prompted by their mutual experience of seeing Penny in mortal danger after her abortion.
In the movie, they became gradually more affectionate while they are practicing for their Sheldrake performance. In the musical, they become suddenly more affection after they have become sexual, which they have done because they were upset about Penny.
Even after Baby has become sexual with Johnny, she still feels affectionate towards Neil. Only after Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all, does Baby shift all her romantic attention to Johnny.
======
I think that the musical's portrayal of the relationship among Baby, Neil and Johnny is closer to Bergstein's original concept than the movie is.
In the movie, Neil seems to be merely a tiresome creep, and so it is obvious that Baby should disdain him and prefer the exciting artist Johnny. Furthermore, the movie's Jewish subtext suggests that Baby feels pressured by her family to marry a Jewish man, like Neil.
In the musical, Baby continually admires Neil because of his political activism, which is symbolized continually by his intention to travel to Mississippi. In contrast, Baby is appalled that Johnny is so politically uninterested that he has never even voted. Therefore, Baby's dilemma about whether to select Neil or Johnny as her ultimate romantic interest is more conflicted. Her dilemma is resolved only when Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all.
The removal of most of the racial aspect from the movie prevented the movie audience from understanding why Baby might admire Neil. The movie audience perceived Neil to be merely a tiresome creep.
The character Neil was played brilliantly as a tiresome creep by the actor Lonny Price, who furthermore is a rather short man. Perhaps the character Neil turned out to be more despised by the movie audience than Bergstein intended because of the decision to cast Price in the role and because of Price's brilliant performance of the role.
If my speculation that the musical's portrayal of the Baby-Neil-Johnny triangle is closer than the movie to Bergstein's original concept, then I judge her original concept to be the better story. In the musical, Baby is more conflicted about whether she should pursue a romantic relationship with a man like Neil or a man like Johnny.
=======
Most people love the movie Dirty Dancing so much that they reject reflexively other presentations of the story. This rejection happened especially in regard to the ABC original movie. (I have published two posts praising the ABC version and intend to publish two more.)
However, the movie is somewhat different from Bergstein's original story. The movie was addressed to an audience in the 1980s and had to be kept to a standard length and had to kept rather simple. Therefore, much of Bergstein's story was not included in the movie.
The other presentations -- the stage musical and the ABC original movie -- were for audiences in the 21st century. Those audiences are already very familiar with the movie's story and they live in a more multi-ethnic society. The story can be told more briskly, making time for the racial aspect and the Housemans' marriage trouble to be restored into Bergstein's story. The later presentations are closer than the movie to Bergstein's original concept of the story.
The stage musical has provided new insights into the roles of Billy, Jake, Marjorie, Neil and Johnny -- and therefore into the role of Baby.
=======
This series will continue:
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
1) My Review of the Stage Musical -- General
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race
=======
In this post I will write about a series of romantic relationships, in which the movie and stage musical differ.
1) Billy Kostecki and Elizabeth
2) Jake and Marjorie Houseman
3) Neil Kellerman and Baby Houseman
4) Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman
Other relationships -- involving Lisa Houseman, Penny Johnson, Robbie Gould, Lisa Houseman and Vivian Pressman -- are essentially similar in the movie and musical.
======
Billy Kostecki and Elizabeth
In my previous article about the musical's race aspect, I pointed out that Billy frequently sings with a Negro female co-worker. I perceived that he looks at her longingly, but I did not notice his saying anything romantic to her. According to the musical's program, the character is called Elizabeth.
In an earlier post titled The Resort Hotel's Employees, I reported -- based on Eleanor Bergstein's commentary in a DVD -- that the an early draft of the movie's story was supposed to include a scene showing that Negroes were allowed to use the resort's swimming pool along with Caucasians.
When the producers were selecting a resort as a location for the movie, they looked for a resort with a swimming pool, because the movie was supposed to show that the swimming pool was racially integrated. The author Eleanor Bergstein in her running commentary mentioned that the Jewish-owned resorts racially integrated their swimming pools before the other resorts did so, so apparently her original script included a reference to that fact.Based on the stage musical, I now speculate further that the swimming pool scene was supposed to introduce a subplot about a romantic relationship between Caucasian Billy and Negro Elizabeth.
However, the producers could not find an available resort with a swimming pool (we do see guests swimming in a lake). Therefore none of the movie’s dialogue refers to the racial integration of the swimming pool, although the dialogue refers several times to the Civil Rights movement that was developing in the South in the early 1960s. We can suppose that the African-Americans in the planned swimming-pool scene would have been the orchestra members, who were idle during the days.
(In 1963 the polite words were Caucasian and Negro, and so I use them here.)
If there was some relationship between Billy and Elizabeth, then perhaps Elizabeth was involved somehow in Billy helping Penny getting an abortion. Below is my list of speculations.
* Elizabeth told Billy about the abortionist in New Paltz.The Billy-Elizabeth subplot was eliminated, however, as clutter around the time that the producers failed to find a resort with a swimming pool.
* Elizabeth herself or a close relative or friend had had an abortion.
* Elizabeth remarked that Negroes were disadvantaged in getting legal abortions.
* Elizabeth helped cover for Billy or Penny while they were gone from work for an entire day.
Years later, when Bergstein had the opportunity to retell her story as a musical, she restored Elizabeth into the story. Elizabeth sings with Billy, and he seems to be attracted to her, but their relationship is not elaborated further in the musical.
=======
Jake and Marjorie Houseman
Marjorie Houseman is much more prominent in the musical than in the movie.
They have a long conversation while they are playing golf. Unfortunately, I did not grasp that conversation's essence. I perceived that there was some tension between them. They seemed to be making biting remarks at each other.
(I did not take notes or record sound while I was watching the musical. I do not have access to the musical's script. Although the musical's sound system was superb, my hearing is becoming worse, and I could not understand every word. My account of the dialogue is based only on my memory and might be mistaken in some details.)
My perception might be based on the ABC original movie, in which they are approaching a divorce.
After Penny recovers from her abortion in the musical, she is so grateful to the entire Houseman family that she takes the initiative to give private dance lessons to Marjorie. During such a lesson, Penny mentions that Jake had treated her after her an abortion. Penny assumes that Marjorie knew about this, but Marjorie knew nothing until Penny mentioned it.
Marjorie is angry that Jake has kept this secret from her, and so she goes and confronts Jake about it.
Afterwards Marjorie confronts Baby. This scene in the musical is similar to a scene that was filmed for the movie but was deleted (8:17 to 9:02 in the following video).
In both the movie and the musical, Marjorie insinuates that Baby's actions have been wrecking the Houseman family. This insinuation makes much more sense when we understand that Marjorie fears that her marriage might be breaking apart.
Since all the marriage problems have been removed from the movie, Marjorie's insinuation is puzzling. How exactly has Baby been "wrecking everyone else's lives"? As far as the movie audience can see, Baby has only disappointed her father by lying to him about the borrowed money. Even in regard to Jake, Baby has not wrecked anything.
In the musical, however, Baby has caused a serious argument between Marjorie and Baby, because Penny unwittingly revealed to Marjorie the secret of Jake's involvement in the abortion. Since Marjorie and Jake have been having marriage problems, this revelation might be the straw that breaks the camel's back of the marriage. In that regard, Baby might have wrecked her parents' marriage.
The scene deleted from the movie was a superb, and it was acted superbly by the actress Kelly Bishop, who played the character Marjorie. Since the marriage problems had been eliminated from the movie, however, Marjorie's insinuation that Baby was wrecking everyone else's lives no longer made sense. That might be why this superb scene was deleted.
The marriage trouble between Jake and Marjorie was removed from the movie but later was restored to the stage musical and to the ABC original movie.
=======
Neil Kellerman and Baby Houseman
During last September and October I wrote a series of articles called Baby Houseman's Inner Conflict about Femininity. In that series' sixth part, I re-evaluated the relationship between Baby and Neil:
In the first part of Dirty Dancing, the relationship between Baby Houseman and Neil Kellerman is friendly, even affectionate.That interpretation of mine has been confirmed by my watching the stage musical. In particular, the musical includes an important conversation among Baby, Neil and Johnny in the scene right after the "Love Is Strange" dance. Neil enters the dance room and begins talking about the talent show, the pechanga, and so forth.
In the movie's last part, Neil becomes a rather negative character. Therefore, people who have watched the entire movie develop a false memory that he was a negative character in the first part too. People persist in this mistake even as they watch the movie many times.
Early in the movie, Baby and Neil dance and chat together in the ballroom. A couple days ago, I re-watched that scene three times, looking for indications that Baby felt uncomfortable with Neil. I was surprised to find that she obviously is enjoying her time with him in the ballroom. This realization has caused me to reconsider Baby's and Neil's relationship.
Now I recognize that Baby was using Neil as her practice boyfriend, also known as a starter boyfriend, without his knowing his status.
[....]
Baby decided to use Neil as a practice boyfriend because she is not sure how to be feminine naturally. She wants to see how an interested man talks and acts with her, and she wants to experiment with her responses. For her, this is fun, and she is happy to remain in an elementary flirting stage for a long time.
She strings Neil along slowly. As the week passes, she gradually allows him more freedom to kiss and embrace her. Eventually she even allows him to touch a breast briefly through her clothes during a night's final embrace.
Baby likes Neil as a friend. He has many admirable qualities. After Neil and Johnny argue about the pachanga dance, she advises Johnny to discuss the issue with Neil again. She knows that Neil is a reasonable and accommodating person.
Baby thinks that Neil learned useful lessons about female-male interactions from herself too. She expects that he eventually will become a good husband for some other woman.
During this conversation, they talk about politics. Baby admires Neil for his political activism, for his intention to travel to Mississippi to help promote civil rights for Negroes. Johnny scoffs, saying that he himself never has voted even once in his life. Baby is appalled by Johnny's lack of even interest.
Then, however, Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all, because he as a manager should not be gone from the hotel for a couple of weeks. Now Baby is somewhat disappointed with Neil for subordinating his political activism to his professional career.
This conversation is important in the story, because it gives Baby a reason to shift her romantic affection from Neil completely to Johnny. Although Johnny is not interested in politics, Neil's interest is more talk than action.
In general, I perceived throughout the musical scattered indications that Baby was affectionate and respectful toward Neil. These indications are related to the scattered mentions that Neil intends to travel to Mississippi.
In contrast, the movie mentions Neil's intention only once, when Neil and Baby are dancing in the ballroom during her first night at the resort. In that single context, the mention seems to be merely an empty boast to impress idealistic Baby.
The musical's continuing mentions of Neil's intended Mississippi trip support Baby's affection and admiration toward Neil during the story. Her disappointment in him occurs near the story's end and occurs suddenly.
======
Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman
In the stage musical that I saw, Baby dances more poorly and improves more slowly than in the movie.
The musical's program reports that the actress, Kaleigh Courts, has attended the Houston Ballet Academy and has performed as a member of the Houston Ballet, so the actress can dance superbly. She purposely dances poorly in the musical.
She continues to dance poorly through the "Hungry Eyes" and "Hey, Baby" scenes. Only when she accomplishes the lift move in the lake does she seem to show improvement. Her dancing at the Sheldrake is likewise worse in the musical than in the movie. Her dancing during and after the "Love Is Strange" scene is about the same in the musical as in the movie.
Johnny's apparent affection for Baby corresponds to her dancing skill. In other words, his affection develops slower in the musical than in the movie. I didn't notice this difference in any dialogue. Rather, his coolness -- his iciness -- toward her is indicated by his body movements and voice tone.
Maybe other actors playing Johnny and Baby in other companies play their relationship differently. Maybe other actresses playing Baby dance better and maybe other actors playing Johnny speak more warmly. For the purpose of my article here, I must assume that the performance that I happened to see is the Baby-Johnny relationship that the stage musical is supposed to portray.
In the movie, they became gradually more affectionate while they are practicing for their Sheldrake performance. In the musical, they become suddenly more affection after they have become sexual, which they have done because they were upset about Penny.
Even after Baby has become sexual with Johnny, she still feels affectionate towards Neil. Only after Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all, does Baby shift all her romantic attention to Johnny.
======
I think that the musical's portrayal of the relationship among Baby, Neil and Johnny is closer to Bergstein's original concept than the movie is.
In the movie, Neil seems to be merely a tiresome creep, and so it is obvious that Baby should disdain him and prefer the exciting artist Johnny. Furthermore, the movie's Jewish subtext suggests that Baby feels pressured by her family to marry a Jewish man, like Neil.
In the musical, Baby continually admires Neil because of his political activism, which is symbolized continually by his intention to travel to Mississippi. In contrast, Baby is appalled that Johnny is so politically uninterested that he has never even voted. Therefore, Baby's dilemma about whether to select Neil or Johnny as her ultimate romantic interest is more conflicted. Her dilemma is resolved only when Neil reveals that he will not travel to Mississippi after all.
The removal of most of the racial aspect from the movie prevented the movie audience from understanding why Baby might admire Neil. The movie audience perceived Neil to be merely a tiresome creep.
The character Neil was played brilliantly as a tiresome creep by the actor Lonny Price, who furthermore is a rather short man. Perhaps the character Neil turned out to be more despised by the movie audience than Bergstein intended because of the decision to cast Price in the role and because of Price's brilliant performance of the role.
If my speculation that the musical's portrayal of the Baby-Neil-Johnny triangle is closer than the movie to Bergstein's original concept, then I judge her original concept to be the better story. In the musical, Baby is more conflicted about whether she should pursue a romantic relationship with a man like Neil or a man like Johnny.
=======
Most people love the movie Dirty Dancing so much that they reject reflexively other presentations of the story. This rejection happened especially in regard to the ABC original movie. (I have published two posts praising the ABC version and intend to publish two more.)
However, the movie is somewhat different from Bergstein's original story. The movie was addressed to an audience in the 1980s and had to be kept to a standard length and had to kept rather simple. Therefore, much of Bergstein's story was not included in the movie.
The other presentations -- the stage musical and the ABC original movie -- were for audiences in the 21st century. Those audiences are already very familiar with the movie's story and they live in a more multi-ethnic society. The story can be told more briskly, making time for the racial aspect and the Housemans' marriage trouble to be restored into Bergstein's story. The later presentations are closer than the movie to Bergstein's original concept of the story.
The stage musical has provided new insights into the roles of Billy, Jake, Marjorie, Neil and Johnny -- and therefore into the role of Baby.
=======
This series will continue:
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race
This post is the second in a series, following My Review of the Stage Musical -- General.
======
I did not take notes or record sound when I watched the stage musical three days ago. My following account is based only on my memory. Some details might be mistaken.
======
The biggest difference between the Dirty Dancing movie and stage musical is the racial aspect, which is much more explicit and important in the musical.
Until Baby Houseman borrows the $250 from her father, the musical's dialogue is taken from the movie. Some of the movie's dialogue is missing from the musical, but the only dialogue added into the musical are a few -- maybe three -- remarks related to the Civil Rights Movement. In particular, the March on Washington -- where Martin Luther King would give his "I Have a Dream" speech -- is mentioned.
After Baby borrows the $250, there is an entire scene that is not in the movie. People are sitting around a campfire and singing a series of folk songs that includes "We Shall Overcome". Right after the singing, Baby gives Penny the $250.
Scattered throughout the musical are several remarks about Neil Kellerman's intention to travel to Mississippi with a couple of the hotel's Negro employees to participate in a "Freedom Ride" or some such activity.
Right after the "Love Is Strange" dance, when Neil comes into the dance room to talk with Johnny Castle about the talent show, the musical includes dialogue that is not in the movie. Baby expresses approval of Neil's political activism, but Johnny scoffs, remarking that he himself, Johnny, never has voted even one time in his entire life.
Then Neil reveals that he probably will not travel to Mississippi after all. He wants to go, but he realizes now that, as a manager, he should not be away from his work for a couple of weeks. His grandfather Max would disapprove of such a long absence.
Another important element of the musical's racial aspect is that Billy Kostecki seems to be romantically interested in a Negro woman who works at the hotel. (According to the program, her name is Elizabeth.) He and she sing together frequently during the musical. He never says anything romantic to her, but I perceived that he gazed at her longingly while she was sitting with another Caucasian male co-worker.
(In 1963, the polite words were Negro and Caucasian, so I use them here.)
Elizabeth's Negro race is an essential part of her role. She sings in a Negro manner. Whenever I see Elizabeth in video clips of the musical, she always is a Negro.
======
I speculate that Bergstein had included many or all of those race-related elements in her screenplay for the movie. She has remarked that in her original story the Houseman family traveled to the Catskills in order to prevent Baby from attending the March on Washington. The Houseman parents were afraid that the March might be dangerous for Baby because of possible violence.
In the movie, the only mentions of the Civil Rights Movement are 1) the "police dogs used in Birmingham" and 2) Neil's stated intention to participate in a "Freedom Ride". (Both those mentions are included in the musical.)
I speculate that the rest of the race-related elements were removed from Bergstein's story during the movie's production but have been restored into the musical.
I speculate further that the main reason for removing those elements was that they would have added too much length and clutter to the movie. The movie's politics was reduced essentially to only the abortion issue. Other political issues -- the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War -- were merely mentioned.
======
A resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains in 1963 was not a good setting for stories about racial relations. The local population of that northern, rural, mountainous region was well more than 90% Caucasian. (In 1963 the US population was about 88% Caucasian.)
The hotel's guests were overwhelmingly Jewish. The hotel's employees were overwhelmingly 1) residents of the nearby rural, mountain towns, or 2) college students on summer breaks. Only a tiny number of Negroes or Hispanics might be present at the hotel as employees.
The movie depicts the hotel's workforce as including a lot of Negroes and Hispanics. In fact, those minorities (aside from the Cuban-immigrant orchestra) were just a few specks in such a hotel's overwhelmingly Caucasian workforce.
In such a workforce, only a few oddballs would be fans of Negro rhythm-and-blues music. When the hotel workers had a party, they played mostly recordings of Caucasian singers. They did not do "dirty dancing" -- rather, they danced the twist.
The 1963 movie Palm Springs Weekend shows a resort hotel where no Negros were seen, where no Negro music was heard and where no Negro dancing was danced. That was the social reality in 1963.
So, subplots about Negroes could be -- and were -- removed from the movie Dirty Dancing in order to keep the movie a standard length.
=======
The stage musical adds the elaborated subplot about Neil's plan to travel to Mississippi, adds some relationship between Billy and a Negro female co-worker, adds a campfire gathering where "We Shall Overcome" is sung, and adds Negroes to the hotel's workforce.
Because the entire audience of the stage musical already knows the story well, the musical retells the movie's story briskly, making time for those additions.
I like those additions to the musical, for several reasons.
A stage musical differs as a genre from a realistic movie. A musical's characters sing and dance. A musical's presentation includes fantasy and whimsy. A musical's major goal is continual entertainment.
=======
This series of posts will continue:
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
======
I did not take notes or record sound when I watched the stage musical three days ago. My following account is based only on my memory. Some details might be mistaken.
======
The biggest difference between the Dirty Dancing movie and stage musical is the racial aspect, which is much more explicit and important in the musical.
Until Baby Houseman borrows the $250 from her father, the musical's dialogue is taken from the movie. Some of the movie's dialogue is missing from the musical, but the only dialogue added into the musical are a few -- maybe three -- remarks related to the Civil Rights Movement. In particular, the March on Washington -- where Martin Luther King would give his "I Have a Dream" speech -- is mentioned.
After Baby borrows the $250, there is an entire scene that is not in the movie. People are sitting around a campfire and singing a series of folk songs that includes "We Shall Overcome". Right after the singing, Baby gives Penny the $250.
Scattered throughout the musical are several remarks about Neil Kellerman's intention to travel to Mississippi with a couple of the hotel's Negro employees to participate in a "Freedom Ride" or some such activity.
Right after the "Love Is Strange" dance, when Neil comes into the dance room to talk with Johnny Castle about the talent show, the musical includes dialogue that is not in the movie. Baby expresses approval of Neil's political activism, but Johnny scoffs, remarking that he himself, Johnny, never has voted even one time in his entire life.
Then Neil reveals that he probably will not travel to Mississippi after all. He wants to go, but he realizes now that, as a manager, he should not be away from his work for a couple of weeks. His grandfather Max would disapprove of such a long absence.
Another important element of the musical's racial aspect is that Billy Kostecki seems to be romantically interested in a Negro woman who works at the hotel. (According to the program, her name is Elizabeth.) He and she sing together frequently during the musical. He never says anything romantic to her, but I perceived that he gazed at her longingly while she was sitting with another Caucasian male co-worker.
(In 1963, the polite words were Negro and Caucasian, so I use them here.)
Elizabeth's Negro race is an essential part of her role. She sings in a Negro manner. Whenever I see Elizabeth in video clips of the musical, she always is a Negro.
======
I speculate that Bergstein had included many or all of those race-related elements in her screenplay for the movie. She has remarked that in her original story the Houseman family traveled to the Catskills in order to prevent Baby from attending the March on Washington. The Houseman parents were afraid that the March might be dangerous for Baby because of possible violence.
In the movie, the only mentions of the Civil Rights Movement are 1) the "police dogs used in Birmingham" and 2) Neil's stated intention to participate in a "Freedom Ride". (Both those mentions are included in the musical.)
I speculate that the rest of the race-related elements were removed from Bergstein's story during the movie's production but have been restored into the musical.
I speculate further that the main reason for removing those elements was that they would have added too much length and clutter to the movie. The movie's politics was reduced essentially to only the abortion issue. Other political issues -- the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War -- were merely mentioned.
======
A resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains in 1963 was not a good setting for stories about racial relations. The local population of that northern, rural, mountainous region was well more than 90% Caucasian. (In 1963 the US population was about 88% Caucasian.)
The hotel's guests were overwhelmingly Jewish. The hotel's employees were overwhelmingly 1) residents of the nearby rural, mountain towns, or 2) college students on summer breaks. Only a tiny number of Negroes or Hispanics might be present at the hotel as employees.
The movie depicts the hotel's workforce as including a lot of Negroes and Hispanics. In fact, those minorities (aside from the Cuban-immigrant orchestra) were just a few specks in such a hotel's overwhelmingly Caucasian workforce.
In such a workforce, only a few oddballs would be fans of Negro rhythm-and-blues music. When the hotel workers had a party, they played mostly recordings of Caucasian singers. They did not do "dirty dancing" -- rather, they danced the twist.
The 1963 movie Palm Springs Weekend shows a resort hotel where no Negros were seen, where no Negro music was heard and where no Negro dancing was danced. That was the social reality in 1963.
So, subplots about Negroes could be -- and were -- removed from the movie Dirty Dancing in order to keep the movie a standard length.
=======
The stage musical adds the elaborated subplot about Neil's plan to travel to Mississippi, adds some relationship between Billy and a Negro female co-worker, adds a campfire gathering where "We Shall Overcome" is sung, and adds Negroes to the hotel's workforce.
Because the entire audience of the stage musical already knows the story well, the musical retells the movie's story briskly, making time for those additions.
I like those additions to the musical, for several reasons.
* They enrich our understanding of Bergstein's original concept of her story.On the other hand, I think that the decision to minimize the racial aspect of the movie was wise. The movie intended to tell its story in a realistic manner and to focus on the abortion issue. The movie does have a racial aspect, but not enough to lengthen and clutter the movie.
* They set the story into the circumstances of the Civil Rights Movement.
* They introduce some folk music into the story.
* They broaden the current and future audience for the story.
A stage musical differs as a genre from a realistic movie. A musical's characters sing and dance. A musical's presentation includes fantasy and whimsy. A musical's major goal is continual entertainment.
=======
This series of posts will continue:
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
Sunday, January 7, 2018
My Review of the Stage Musical -- General
Today my wife and I saw the Dirty Dancing stage musical at Long Island University (LIU) in New York. I intend to write a couple of posts analyzing the story, but first I am writing some general comments here.
The play was presented at LIU on Friday and Saturday, January 5 and 6. On Friday there was an evening show, and on Saturday there were a matinee and an evening show. My wife and I attended the matinee show.
The theater -- the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts -- seats 2,242. I estimate that at least 100 seats were empty.
So, if you want to see the play in the theater nearest your home, don't assume that all the seats are already sold out.
======
My wife and I sat in the middle of the "V" row, which I calculate as the 22nd row. The seat on each side of ours were empty. The seven seats directly in front of ours were empty.
The play was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., and it began precisely at that time, even though about half of the seats in the auditorium still were empty. When the play began, my wife and I decided that we would wait for a while and then sneak forward about ten rows.
However, as the play was beginning, large numbers of people continued to come into the auditorium and take their seats. This distracting commotion continued until the watermelon scene. By that time, the auditorium's middle was largely filled, and so my wife and I had to give up our plan to sneak forward.
The decision to begin the play precisely at 2 p.m, even though half the audience still had not taken their seats, was a bad decision.
I think that a lot of people came late because they could not find the theater, which is on the LIU campus. My wife and I drove back and forth on the main highway looking for the theater. I had to stop a FedEx driver and ask him for directions. Fortunately we came to the area early enough that -- despite our difficulty finding the theater -- we arrived an hour before the show began.
=====
When we did come into the the theater building, my first impression was that everyone there was quite old. I am 65 years old (I received the tickets as a birthday present), and most of the people in the lobby looked older than me. I figured that old people have enough sense and free time to arrive very early for such an event.
However, as I looked at the audience during and after the play, I saw that most of the audience was old people. I would estimate that the median age was about 60. I expected to see a lot of teenage girls in the audience, but there were very few.
======
My wife and I both liked the play. I recommend it. In my subsequent posts I will explain why I liked it.
======
The music was played by a live band, which never was seen by the audience. For most of the play, I thought that all the music was recorded. Toward the end, I realized that a band was playing. When the cast was taking their final bows, they all pointed to the stage's side, where the band was playing.
I suppose that the band is seen in theaters that have an orchestra pit (which this theater did not have).
The sound system was superb. The music was clear even though the band was backstage. All the dialogue was clear.
======
The stage's background is a huge painting of a lake and mountains.
That background was visible during most of the play. In some scenes, a pair of stage-high, wooden curtains moved toward the stage's center to cover that background. (In the above video, the curtains are made of fabric, but in the LIU theater's performance, the curtains were made of wood.)
Even during those brief coverings of the background, at least some of that background remained visible, because the wooden curtains did not close completely.
That lake-and-mountains background was a wonderful aspect of the play. The background created a feeling that the action was taking place outside or taking place in a room with a large window overlooking the lake.
In the scene where Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle practice their lift movement in the lake, a transparent fabric was stretched about waist-high across the entire stage, creating a delightful illusion that they were standing in water.
======
Aside from that spectacular background, the scenery and props were minimal. For example, for the scenes that took place in Penny Johnson's cabin, there was just a door frame and a bed. As another example, for the scene at the Sheldrake Hotel, the audience consisted of only two tables.
Several scenes took place on movable scenery. For example, the "Wipeout" scene where Baby practices dancing on a bridge and the "Hey, Baby" scene were Baby and Johnny practice on a log were performed on scenery that was rolled out onto the stage. Johnny cabin was a platform that was rolled out onto the stage.
I liked this minimal, movable scenery. The story moved smoothly from scene to scene without stopping to set up props and scenery. The minimal scenery sufficed for people who have seen the movie many times. A person who never has seen the movie might be mystified, however, by the settings.
======
The intermission happened right after Baby and Johnny got into his bed in his cabin for the first time.
The play's story and dialogue up to the intermission were very similar to the movie's. The story progressed quickly during this first half, but people in the audience who knew the story could follow it. Someone who never had seen the movie probably would have wondered what was happening (especially because of the distracting commotion of audience members coming into the theater late).
After the intermission, the story and dialogue differed much from the movie's.
I'll write more about the differences in my future posts.
======
The female characters playing hotel guests were dressed in the flared dresses that were common in the late 1950s.
These dresses were flowery and brightly colored. These costumes were visually delightful.
The one male character whose costume was visually remarkable was Robbie Gould, in his madras jacket, similar to the movie's jacket.
Other than Robbie, all the male characters wore plain suits. (The actor who played Robbie did a great performance.)
All the glamorous costumes were worn by the female guests.
Baby's costumes in the play were plainer than her costumes in the movie.
=======
In past decades, a successful stage play was converted into a movie. For example, Oklahoma played on Broadway for a few years and then was converted into a movie.
Now the opposite conversion is becoming more common. A successful movie -- for example, Dirty Dancing -- is converted into a stage play.
It seems to me that stories that developed initially as stage plays employed humor more in order to engage the audiences into the stories. The play would make the audience laugh aloud from the beginning. There is more slapstick.
The movie Dirty Dancing includes many amusing moments, but it is not a laugh-out-loud funny movie. Now that the movie has been converted into this stage play, the audience watches the play silently. The first time that the audience reacted audibly was when Johnny said "nobody puts Baby into a corner", when the audience cheered. Then during the "Time of My Life" dance, the audience clapped along to the music.
======
The acting, dancing and singing were excellent.
Of course, you have to get used to the play's characters looking different from the movie's characters.
Baby's hair was brunette but just wavy -- not extravagantly curly and frizzy like Jennifer Grey's.
The actor who played Jake Houseman was too young for the role. He wore a beard to look older, but he looked (to me) to be in his thirties.
There is a Mr. Schumacher, but no Mrs. Schumacher. He is a more prominent character in the play than in the movie.
======
In my following posts about the play, I will write about how it differed from the movie. In general, I liked the differences.
I did not take notes or record sound during the play. I surely will forget or confuse some details as I write just from my memory.
======
Again, I recommend this play. The tour continues through April 29. Don't assume that the performances are sold out. Phone numbers to call about tickets are at that webpage.
This post is the first in a series of posts, which will continue
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race.
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
The play was presented at LIU on Friday and Saturday, January 5 and 6. On Friday there was an evening show, and on Saturday there were a matinee and an evening show. My wife and I attended the matinee show.
The theater -- the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts -- seats 2,242. I estimate that at least 100 seats were empty.
So, if you want to see the play in the theater nearest your home, don't assume that all the seats are already sold out.
======
My wife and I sat in the middle of the "V" row, which I calculate as the 22nd row. The seat on each side of ours were empty. The seven seats directly in front of ours were empty.
The play was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., and it began precisely at that time, even though about half of the seats in the auditorium still were empty. When the play began, my wife and I decided that we would wait for a while and then sneak forward about ten rows.
However, as the play was beginning, large numbers of people continued to come into the auditorium and take their seats. This distracting commotion continued until the watermelon scene. By that time, the auditorium's middle was largely filled, and so my wife and I had to give up our plan to sneak forward.
The decision to begin the play precisely at 2 p.m, even though half the audience still had not taken their seats, was a bad decision.
I think that a lot of people came late because they could not find the theater, which is on the LIU campus. My wife and I drove back and forth on the main highway looking for the theater. I had to stop a FedEx driver and ask him for directions. Fortunately we came to the area early enough that -- despite our difficulty finding the theater -- we arrived an hour before the show began.
=====
When we did come into the the theater building, my first impression was that everyone there was quite old. I am 65 years old (I received the tickets as a birthday present), and most of the people in the lobby looked older than me. I figured that old people have enough sense and free time to arrive very early for such an event.
However, as I looked at the audience during and after the play, I saw that most of the audience was old people. I would estimate that the median age was about 60. I expected to see a lot of teenage girls in the audience, but there were very few.
======
My wife and I both liked the play. I recommend it. In my subsequent posts I will explain why I liked it.
======
The music was played by a live band, which never was seen by the audience. For most of the play, I thought that all the music was recorded. Toward the end, I realized that a band was playing. When the cast was taking their final bows, they all pointed to the stage's side, where the band was playing.
I suppose that the band is seen in theaters that have an orchestra pit (which this theater did not have).
The sound system was superb. The music was clear even though the band was backstage. All the dialogue was clear.
======
The stage's background is a huge painting of a lake and mountains.
That background was visible during most of the play. In some scenes, a pair of stage-high, wooden curtains moved toward the stage's center to cover that background. (In the above video, the curtains are made of fabric, but in the LIU theater's performance, the curtains were made of wood.)
Even during those brief coverings of the background, at least some of that background remained visible, because the wooden curtains did not close completely.
That lake-and-mountains background was a wonderful aspect of the play. The background created a feeling that the action was taking place outside or taking place in a room with a large window overlooking the lake.
In the scene where Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle practice their lift movement in the lake, a transparent fabric was stretched about waist-high across the entire stage, creating a delightful illusion that they were standing in water.
======
Aside from that spectacular background, the scenery and props were minimal. For example, for the scenes that took place in Penny Johnson's cabin, there was just a door frame and a bed. As another example, for the scene at the Sheldrake Hotel, the audience consisted of only two tables.
Several scenes took place on movable scenery. For example, the "Wipeout" scene where Baby practices dancing on a bridge and the "Hey, Baby" scene were Baby and Johnny practice on a log were performed on scenery that was rolled out onto the stage. Johnny cabin was a platform that was rolled out onto the stage.
I liked this minimal, movable scenery. The story moved smoothly from scene to scene without stopping to set up props and scenery. The minimal scenery sufficed for people who have seen the movie many times. A person who never has seen the movie might be mystified, however, by the settings.
======
The intermission happened right after Baby and Johnny got into his bed in his cabin for the first time.
The play's story and dialogue up to the intermission were very similar to the movie's. The story progressed quickly during this first half, but people in the audience who knew the story could follow it. Someone who never had seen the movie probably would have wondered what was happening (especially because of the distracting commotion of audience members coming into the theater late).
After the intermission, the story and dialogue differed much from the movie's.
I'll write more about the differences in my future posts.
======
The female characters playing hotel guests were dressed in the flared dresses that were common in the late 1950s.
These dresses were flowery and brightly colored. These costumes were visually delightful.
The one male character whose costume was visually remarkable was Robbie Gould, in his madras jacket, similar to the movie's jacket.
Other than Robbie, all the male characters wore plain suits. (The actor who played Robbie did a great performance.)
All the glamorous costumes were worn by the female guests.
Baby's costumes in the play were plainer than her costumes in the movie.
=======
In past decades, a successful stage play was converted into a movie. For example, Oklahoma played on Broadway for a few years and then was converted into a movie.
Now the opposite conversion is becoming more common. A successful movie -- for example, Dirty Dancing -- is converted into a stage play.
It seems to me that stories that developed initially as stage plays employed humor more in order to engage the audiences into the stories. The play would make the audience laugh aloud from the beginning. There is more slapstick.
The movie Dirty Dancing includes many amusing moments, but it is not a laugh-out-loud funny movie. Now that the movie has been converted into this stage play, the audience watches the play silently. The first time that the audience reacted audibly was when Johnny said "nobody puts Baby into a corner", when the audience cheered. Then during the "Time of My Life" dance, the audience clapped along to the music.
======
The acting, dancing and singing were excellent.
Of course, you have to get used to the play's characters looking different from the movie's characters.
Baby's hair was brunette but just wavy -- not extravagantly curly and frizzy like Jennifer Grey's.
The actor who played Jake Houseman was too young for the role. He wore a beard to look older, but he looked (to me) to be in his thirties.
There is a Mr. Schumacher, but no Mrs. Schumacher. He is a more prominent character in the play than in the movie.
======
In my following posts about the play, I will write about how it differed from the movie. In general, I liked the differences.
I did not take notes or record sound during the play. I surely will forget or confuse some details as I write just from my memory.
======
Again, I recommend this play. The tour continues through April 29. Don't assume that the performances are sold out. Phone numbers to call about tickets are at that webpage.
Augusta, GA -- Jan 8======
Lakeland, FL -- Jan 10
Niceville, FL -- Jan 11
The Villages, FL -- Jan 12 and 13
Panama City, FL -- Jan 14
Daytona Beach, FL -- Jan 16
Pensacola, FL -- Jan 18
Jackson, MD -- Jan 20
Lafayette, LA -- Jan 21
Paducah, KY -- Jan 23
Portsmouth, OH -- Jan 24
Lima, OH -- Jan 25
Lexington, KY -- Jan 26 - 28
Wheeling, WV -- Jan 29
Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Jan 31 - Feb 1
Pueblo, CO -- Feb 7
Cheyenne, WY -- Feb 7
San Diego, CA -- Feb 9 - 11
Bozeman, MT -- Feb 13
Great Falls, MT -- Feb 14
Palm Desert, CA -- Feb 18
Abilene, TX -- Mar 6
Amarillo, TX -- March 7 - 8
Lubbock, TX -- March 9 - 10
El Paso, TX -- March 11 - 12
Midland, TX -- March 13 - 14
Shreveport, LA -- March 16
Little Rock, AR -- March 17 - 18
Salisbury, MD -- March 20
University Park, PA -- March 21-22
Hershey, PA -- March 23 - 25
Red Bank, NJ -- March 27 - 29
Richmond, VA -- March 30 - Apr 1
Wilmington, DE -- Apr 3 - 8
Erie, PA -- April 9
Evansville, IN -- Apr 11
Schenectady, NY -- April 13 - 14
Binghamton, NY -- Apr 15
Butte, MT -- Apr 22
Idaho Falls, ID -- Apr 23
Missoula, MT -- Apr 24
Kennewick, WA -- Apr 25
Spolane, WA -- Apr 26 - 29
This post is the first in a series of posts, which will continue
2) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Race.
3) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Romance
4) My Review of the Stage Musical -- Comparison of Songs
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Basic Information About the Stage Musical
I never have seen the Dirty Dancing stage musical. I have seen a few YouTube video clips, and it looks wonderful. I look forward to watching it some day.
I have read some articles about the musical. So far, the best I have read is on the Broadway World website, an article titled Dirty Dancing -- The Classic Story on Stage. The article includes the following passages.
The ABD Stagelight website has an interesting article about the musical's lighting.
I have read some articles about the musical. So far, the best I have read is on the Broadway World website, an article titled Dirty Dancing -- The Classic Story on Stage. The article includes the following passages.
Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage will officially open a new production and North American tour ... October 5 - 7 ... in more than 50 markets in North America, including New Orleans, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and more. Check out the full tour route here!=====
[The musical] features an eight-piece band ...
The production's book is written by Eleanor Bergstein, author of the original script of the film ...
"As I learned how many people watched the movie over and over and over, I began to think that what they really wanted was to share more physically in the event, to step through the screen and be there while the story was happening. And if that was true, then its natural form was theatre - live audiences watching live bodies dancing and singing here and now in the present - on the log, on the bridge, on the dance floor and in the staff quarters at Kellerman's.[The musical] was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Sydney, Australia in November 2004 before embarking upon a hugely successful tour of Australia and New Zealand. A new production opened at the Theater Neue Flora in Hamburg, Germany in March 2006 ... on London's West End in October 2006 ...
"Writing it for the stage, I was also able to add more scenes with Baby and Johnny, more about the family, more about the period in which it was set, more songs I couldn't afford last time, and, best of all - more dancing. We have added 20 new original scenes and 36 numbers of live music played by an eight piece band onstage, which invite the audience to come into Kellerman's and experience the story in a whole new way as a live event as it happens."
[The musical] continued its success with its commercial premiere in the Western Hemisphere in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on November 15, 2007. ... The production's first North American tour began, ... in Chicago on September 2, 2008 ...
The show returned to Australia with a new smash hit tour that premiered in late 2014 in honor of the stage production's 10th anniversary. ...
NETworks Presentations (Producer), from its inception over 20 years ago, has been an industry leading producer and manager of touring musical theatre productions .... Having toured over 70 productions internationally, NETworks current touring productions include ... The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Elf the Musical, Finding Neverland, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music and ...The King and I. ...
Magic Hour Productions was founded by Eleanor Bergstein in 1994 to develop and produce works by herself and others for print, film, and stage. Magic Hour Productions has been involved in the development and production of the stage musical of Dirty Dancing since its inception, including the first staged workshop in New York in 2001. Currently, Magic Hour Productions is working to bring Dirty Dancing to new territories around the world, including Greece and Japan.
In addition to Dirty Dancing, Magic Hour Productions is developing a new musical by Ms. Bergstein set in late 1960s London, a film to be shot in Rome, and a romantic comedy film to be shot in Slovenia. ...
The ABD Stagelight website has an interesting article about the musical's lighting.
The spectacular stage production ... accommodates an enormous production that includes LED walls, Pani projections and over 150 automated lights. Other production elements include a 29 m rear projection screen, a curved LED wall which splits four panels built into the set and two full-sized radio controlled cars. The set itself includes a 12-metre outer revolve and an inner revolve which splits into three sections. ...
The show is a unique mélange of theatre play, dance and music, and its 78 scenes feature a fluid variety of looks, designed to evoke different times of the day and the changing moods that go with them. ...
The lighting, the set and the video needed to be absolutely seamless, so that the audience can't tell where one ends and another begins. There's also live-camera action and at times the video screen looks like a wall in the set, while at others it can have images of people dancing or of scenery, or shows famous scenes from the film such as where Johnny Castle teaches Baby how to dance.
"There are Pani projections of trees and skies, and it's all designed to illustrate the different times of day, which is what the piece is about, in an allegorical way. "So a lot of work is done on the backdrop screen, conveying times of day, clouds moving, sunrise and sunset and during a scene called the Magic Hour when everything comes to life at dusk. The scene is about memory and reflection, and it looks magical with all the colours slightly heightened. ...
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