A ‘dance-sical’ that promises the time of your life

MANILA, Philippines - The play starts just as the movie did  with the primal opening beat of Be My Baby. And just as Dirty Dancing the movie did in 1987, Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage has you in the palm of its hand by that first song.

An easy amalgamation of several elements near and dear to folks of a certain age (jukebox hits, a dance instructor with a heart of gold) as well as a universal against-all-odds love story sure to hit folks of every age, Dirty Dancing has always seemed engineered for maximum audience impact. And over two decades after the movie became an audience favorite, the musical promises to do the same.

Concertus Manila, in partnership with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions is bringing in Dirty Dancing for three weeks in the CCP Main Theater. After bringing to blockbuster productions like Cats, The Musical, Stomp, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, and Potted Potter to Manila, the partnership has come to be known for its reliably top-notch productions. Dancing, of course, already has an impressive track record to back it up. The musical broke records in the UK and Germany for the highest advance ticket sales in history. Before it even opened in London, the show was able to sell out first six months of its run, becoming the fastest selling show in West End history.

Concertus flew in several members of the local press to Cape Town, South Africa earlier this year to experience Dirty Dancing before the production makes its way here. On the night we watched, the crowd was visibly having fun, enthusiastically cheering their favorite scenes and stomping along to their favorite tunes. Much to our surprise though, one of the members of production crew said the crowd that night was muted—at least compared to the usual crowds. “It’s a Friday so I guess they’re tired,” he said. “On most nights, they’re shouting and dancing the whole way through.”

POPCORN FAVORITE

They say there are only a handful of basic story plots retold again and again. Subscribing to this line of thinking, Dirty Dancing is Romeo and Juliet set in the 1950s, with the double suicide at the end replaced by “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”

The distinction is important because if you’re looking for probing, perceptive commentary on the human race, if you’re looking for a thinking man’s play, Dirty Dancing is not for you. You’re better off waiting for Godot.

But to be immune to Dirty Dancing’s charms on account of intellectualism would be to miss the point —it’s not high art. This is popcorn theater at the highest level. More than a piece of art to be analyzed and interpreted, the musical plays more like a theme park ride to go along with: once you’re strapped in, just go with it. You don’t watch Dirty Dancing to think; you watch it to have fun. With a soundtrack running through the best of the 1950s and 1960s hits — everything from the Phil Spector-assisted Ronettes to the guttural Otis Redding — Dirty Dancing plays like a teenage jukebox brought to life.

The musical itself plays like the movie but onstage — literally. Every scene is there. And with the help of state of the art technology — they probably have as much equipment as a U2 or Madonna concert — every sequence is accounted for. While this might bother people looking for a true adaptation to the medium of stage, this goes a long way in pleasing the movie’s fans and the casual observer. It’s the kind of play you don’t over-think, really. Just put up your feet and get ready for some prime dancing.

BABY IN THE CORNER

Hours before the performance we saw in Cape Town, we were able conduct a series of interviews with the cast and crew. In full stage costume and full stage makeup, the leads Bryony Whitfield (Baby), Gareth Bailey (Johnny), and Mila de Biaggi (Penny) took time to talk to us about the process of casting, the difficulties of living up to the movie, and what makes this difference from the usual musical.

“You can call it a dance-sical, I would say it’s a film-sical,” says Whitfield. “This is a film that was put onto stage.  So we don’t have a typical musical theater where two people are talking and then suddenly they go all la-a-a-hh!!”

Unlike most musicals, Dirty Dancing doesn’t really have a cast singing the songs. After all, one of the biggest attractions of the film was the classic tunes in the soundtrack. At some points in the play, we hear the actual recordings of the jukebox favorites play, which is always a nice nostalgia trip. Instead, during the scenes in the dance hall and the underground club, two members of the production front a makeshift band and bring the noise, like the Ike and Tina Turner revue but without the domestic drama.

Whitfield continues, “I also think that the time, 1963, was, like, a very revolutionary era. So there was the music as well… It really suits the scene for when it’s taking part ‘cause that music was from that time.”

During the casting Dirty Dancing in South Africa, Bryony Whitfield was offered the role of Baby, an honor she doesn’t take lightly. “Well the thing is, you do know that people are coming to see what they saw in film.  So there is pressure, but I think we’ve been given a great support from our directors that we can’t be Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze so we have explored the characters as ourselves,” she says.

“And we’ve been given that kind of freedom… So it can be an honest journey, so that people can see – because you know I think that people can have an open heart, and that’s what they love.”

Whitfield plays opposite Gareth Bailey in the production, tasked to fill the intimidating shoes of Patrick Swayze as Johnny.

The role was a tough one to fill for the production. After searching around the country, they couldn’t find an actor that got both Swayze’s dance prowess and swagger right. Eventually, they flew in Bailey from London.

And rightfully so, because in this type of production, body language is everything. “In a musical, the narrative is told through song.  The story is told — it’s the songs that tell the story.  There are no songs that tell this story… It’s used for, you know, the ambiance and as live music for everybody to dance to.  It’s not to portray the story, it’s just to add to the story,” Bailey explains. Instead, they tell the story through their dances, through their bodies.

This is also how Mila de Biaggi, the production’s Penny, made an impact on the producers. While a neophyte actress, De Biaggi is more than a competent dancer, with years of training behind her. She got the job and worked backwards, learning how to act along the way.

“I did a lot of dancing more than acting,” De Biaggi, 21, says. “ But I have had great coaches. This is my first time playing such a big role and having a lot of acting to do.  It’s been great because I learn a lot from everybody in the cast.  I just feel like there’s so much — every day I’m just learning new things, so yeah, it’s such a great challenge.  And I love to be challenged!”

De Biaggi’s most memorable scene though, is one that rests heavily on her body. “There’s a fun scene, Hungry Eyes.  It’s very funny, ‘cause I wear this cat suit. You have to be sexy but there’s so much pressure. And it’s funny because really, there’s a point where my bum is literally facing the audience.  You wanna laugh but you can’t, because you have to be in the character, but it’s so, it’s the most awkward scene for me because… everyone’s staring,” she finishes, laughing.

AN HONEST SHOW

At the end of the day, through flaunted bums and cat suits, Dirty Dancing is the kind of production whose success rests heavily on the chemistry between the leads. While the well-loved tunes, the masterful dancing, and state-of-the-art technology go a long way in aiding the production, it boils down to the heat Baby and Johnny can conjure on the dance floor. And just like the movie, the musical culminates in the final scene, with Johnny coaxing Baby out of her seat (“Nobody puts Baby in the corner”) and promising the time of her life. Lift included.

“It’s an honest show,” Whitfield says. “I mean, it’s a real story. It’s real emotions, it’s real people… It’s things that people are facing all the time — and I think that’s why people still go back. And you know I think every girl dreams of being Baby: going to a resort and meeting this hunky guy who welcomes her to the world of womanhood,” she says, laughing. “I mean, some of the audience members know our lines probably better than we do!”

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Starting July 4, the worldwide hit will play in Manila, with a cast of 26 who sing and dance through 49 songs with a live band, performing 73 scenes, with 200 moving lights, and 21 costume changes for Baby alone. Presented by Visa, the tickets are on sale now (891-9999 or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph).

Call 891-9999 and watch out for exclusive promos www.ticketworld.com.ph. Ticket prices for weekdays are P6,240, P5,200, P4,680, P3,640, P2,080, and P1,560. For weekends, P6,760, 5,720, P4,680,P3,640, P2,080, and P1,560.