Movie studio Lionsgate is planning a full stage musical version of Dirty Dancing.
Dirty Dancing The Musical is set to launch in 2025, with a planned North American run, including Broadway.
The producers would also like the show to travel, citing Asia, Australia, Latin America and beyond, but with no specific reference to a West End run.
The movie’s original writer Eleanor Bergstein is on board to develop and write the show’s book, with Lonny Price (A Class Act, Merrily We Roll Along), who played Neil Kellerman in the movie, set to direct.
London audiences are no strangers to a stage version of Dirty Dancing, with a play-with-music adaptation, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage, having consistently played in London and toured from 2004.
The 1987 movie featured Jennifer Grey as Frances “Baby” Houseman, and Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle, the dance instructor who teaches Baby to dance, and love, at a resort in New York’s Catskills during the summer of 1963.
The movie’s signature song, (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, won an Oscar, and will be in the musical, along with brand new music. Composers of the show are to be announced.
The show’s official release said that it would “deliver iconic moments, unforgettable songs, and electrifying dance sequences, while reimagining key elements of the story to resonate with today’s theatregoers.”
Lionsgate is also producing new stage adaptations of its movies La La Land and Wonder, and The Hunger Games – which is set for a London premiere.
Dirty Dancing The Musical – What They Said
Writer Eleanor Bergstein said in a statement: “In the years after I wrote and co-produced the original film Dirty Dancing, I was grateful and astonished by the generations of audiences who responded with open hearts to the themes of honor and courage beneath the surface. Years later, sensing our audiences wanted to ‘be there’ while the story was happening, I wrote and co-produced a stage show. Its reception all over the world exceeded my sweetest dreams. Now we’ve come full circle, and with my old friend Lonny Price by my side, I’m returning to the stage with a reimagined version. Its hope is to be equal to the new world swirling around us while revisiting more fully and precisely the story I’d wanted to tell when I wrote my first lines. It’s my way of saying thank you to you all”.
Director Lonny Price said: “I am beyond excited be reunited with Eleanor and to join her in bringing this expanded Dirty Dancing to the stage. For the people who already love the movie, they will get a deeper, more nuanced version of the characters they fell in love with. Having played Neil in the movie, I know full well the scores of people who have been touched by this story, and for me to return to Kellerman’s and direct this new musical iteration truly is a thrill.”
Producers of the show, David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group, and Nathan Brine, director of live stage productions at Showpath Entertainment, said: “We are absolutely delighted to work with Lionsgate and Eleanor Bergstein on this incredible production. Dirty Dancing is a cultural touchstone, and we’re honored to be part of its evolution. We’re confident that this new version will surprise and captivate audiences, whether they’re longtime fans or new to the story – in this thrilling and faithful retelling on stage.”
Lionsgate’s executive VP and head of global products and experiences Jenefer Brown said: “Dirty Dancing continues to be one of the most enduring and impactful titles in Lionsgate’s library. The important truths and themes present in Dirty Dancing are as relevant today as they were in 1987. We’re thrilled to create a live experience that honors the cultural significance and storytelling magic of the original film while inviting a new generation to fall in love with Dirty Dancing”.
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