The Path Entertainment Group, Lionsgate, LD Entertainment and Magic Hour Productions announced today that the North American tour of Dirty Dancing: The Musical — a new stage production based on the beloved film Dirty Dancing – will debut on Broadway in February in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the film’s 1987 release. Northwest Arkansas audiences will get to see it at Walton Arts Center Oct. 21-25, before it goes to Broadway.
With a fresh approach to the story that audiences have embraced for nearly four decades, this new production brings the celebrated tale by Eleanor Bergstein, the film's original screenwriter, to the stage. The production is directed by Tony Award® nominee and two-time Emmy Award® winner Lonny Price (Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd), who played Neil Kellerman in the original film, with choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie (Fat Ham, Beyoncé's World Tour). Featuring a company of 27 dazzling dancers and powerhouse singers, Dirty Dancing: The Musical uplifts a new generation of rising stars, 21 of whom will make their Broadway debuts in the production. The strictly limited Broadway engagement will play from Friday, February 12 through Sunday, September 5 at The Lena Horne Theatre.
Upon the production's launch in Saint Paul, Minn., on August 12, The Minnesota Star Tribune raved, "The sexy, hot-blooded new production finds its groove … unleashing hoots, whistles and cheers from an audience that came to party," declaring, "It has the songs. It has the heat. It has the lift." Chris Jones from The Chicago Tribune wrote that Price "has worked a miracle," adding that "with dancing front and center," Moultrie "has seriously upped the choreographic chops." As Jones put it, "People can't get enough of this story, and for valid reasons."
Set during an unforgettable summer in the Catskills in 1963, Dirty Dancing: The Musical follows Frances "Baby" Houseman, whose undeniable connection with charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle leads to an unexpected discovery of love, passion and independence. Pulsing with the iconic music from the original film, including such hits as "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," "Hungry Eyes," "Do You Love Me?" and "She's Like the Wind," the musical captures the exhilaration of forbidden romance and the courage it takes to stand by one's convictions, all told through electrifying dance and a finale that will lift you out of your seat.
Dirty Dancing: The Musical stars Annalese Starzec as Frances "Baby" Houseman and Blake Zelesnikar as Johnny Castle, two of the cast who will make their Broadway debuts. The Star Tribune raves, “Do Baby and Johnny have it? Drumroll: They do! Starzec and Zelesnikar generate hot-blooded chemistry.”
An enduring cultural phenomenon, the iconic Dirty Dancing film grossed more than $200 million at the worldwide box office and launched two multiplatinum soundtrack albums and numerous hit singles, earning an Academy Award® for best original song and a Grammy Award® for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal. The film remains one of Lionsgate's all-time best-selling library titles, and the studio is currently developing a Dirty Dancing sequel – from The Hunger Games producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson – starring the film’s original “Baby” Jennifer Grey.
Dirty Dancing: The Musical is produced by The Path Entertainment Group, Lionsgate and LD Entertainment and co-produced by Magic Hour Productions, Nederlander Presentations and John Gore Organization.
Standard all-in ticket prices are $48.30-$120.75 and can be purchased online at waltonartscenter.org or by calling 479.443.5600.
Show Dates and Times:
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 pm
Thursday, Oct. 22, 1:30 and 7 pm
Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2 and 7:30 pm
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 and 7 pm
Support for Walton Arts Center is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Walton Arts Center is Arkansas’ largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 215,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 300 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Approximately 32,000 students and teachers participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and almost 250 volunteers donate 28,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to enjoy world-class performances at a great price. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.
