How long is dirty dancing play
How Long Is Dirty Dancing Musical
Dirty Dancing is a musical based on the film of the same name, which was originally released in 1987. The musical made its debut in 2004, and since then, has been performed all over the world. The musical tells the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman, a young woman who falls in love with Johnny Castle, a dance instructor at a resort where her family is vacationing. The two must overcome obstacles to be together, and the musical features some of the most iconic scenes and songs from the film, including “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”
The show will play at the Dominion Theatre in London for a limited fourteen-week run beginning in May. Please hurry to get your seats in this smash-hit worldwide smash hit because it is about to sell out. We’ve learned that the cast of Dirty Dancing will perform in the West End in 2022, which will be the show’s final season. Johnny Castle was played by Michael O’Reilly while Baby Houseman was played by Kira Malou. Austin Wilks choreographed the production, Armando vertullo designed the sound system, and Jennifer Irwin designed the costumes.
The first half lasted approximately 45 minutes, followed by about 20 minutes in the second half.
How Long Is The Dirty Dancing Play?
Credit: TimeThe play Dirty Dancing is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes long, with a 15 minute intermission.
When Baby and Johnny fall in love during their magical summer, it’s impossible for them to believe they’re not going to be together for the rest of their lives. With a brand new score and stunning new costumes by Australian fashion designer Cate Blanchett, this sensational stage production is the ideal way to see one of the most enduring films of all time. This summer, Karl Sydow is delighted to announce that Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage will return to the United Kingdom and Ireland. This production of Baby and Johnny was a huge hit in Australia, and I’m sure audiences will be enchanted by the nostalgia they will find in its heart-tugging summer romance.
Throughout their unforgettable summer, Baby and Johnny fall in love, dance their way through the most incredible sets, and become the stars of the show. “I am absolutely thrilled that Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage will be returning to the United Kingdom and Ireland this summer,” says Karl Sydow, producer of the show.
Dirty Dancing’s Return To The Stage
It’s 35 years since Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage was last seen on the stage, and this production is on the road for the first time. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to enjoy a $14-week run at London’s Dominion Theatre.
How Long Is Dirty Dancing Musical West End?
Credit: The StageThe Dirty Dancing musical has been running in the West End for over 10 years. The show has been seen by millions of people and has been a huge success. The musical is based on the classic film of the same name and features all of the original songs.
Dirty Dancing: The Musical Is Back In The West End
The Dirty Dancing musical has toured the world several times, most notably in the United Kingdom, and it has already run two smash-hit West End runs.
It’s back in the West End, where it belongs, and we can’t wait to see what happens. There is an abundance of heart-breaking music, breathtaking emotion, and sensationally sexy dancing in the smash hit musical. It takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to run, including a 20-minute interval, so you’ll have plenty of time for yourself. Don’t be put off by the fact that you’re about to discover Dirty Dancing in the West End; get ready to have a ball. Allow the summer fun to begin by watching the show right now.
How Long Is Dirty Dancing Running In London?
Dirty Dancing, the iconic film, will return to London for a limited run at the Dominion Theatre in celebration of its 35th anniversary. Karl Sydow is delighted to announce that ‘The Classic Story on Stage’ will be performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London following the sell-out success of the 2021 UK and Ireland tour.
Dirty Dancing will return to London’s Dominion Theatre in 2022. The plot of the musical is similar to the plot of the Dirty Dancing film.
A new documentary about the classic story of dirty dancing was released in 2004. In addition to the summer 2022 Secret Cinema Dirty Dancing show, there will be a late summer Dirty Dancing show. The London Theatre is your best option for Dirty Dancing tickets. Bergstein wrote the musical and the movie Dirty Dancing. As soon as possible, we’ll announce the cast of Dirty Dancing London. If you want to spend the spring in London, now is the time to secure your tickets to Dirty Dancing.
Is There A Dirty Dancing Musical
Fans of the classic Patrick Swayze film Dirty Dancing will be able to see the film as part of a fantastic new musical tour. This year, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage will commemorate the 35th anniversary of the classic film, bringing a fun stage adaptation of the film to the stage.
The Dirty Dancing musical is made up of several parts. The film’s lead characters do not sing, but they do dance to lyrical songs played on record players.
If there is no discernible emotion in the music, the characters are unaware of and do not respond to the music that the audience hears on the soundtrack. Because Dirty Dancing is a musical, it differs from Midnight Cowboy and The Graduate. The majority of the film’s characters sing songs, but the lead characters do not. A number of lyrical songs are heard throughout the film, and they are available for download or streaming on record players and radio. When it comes to source scoring, there is a lot of non-diegetic and diegetic music.
Score sourcing is one of the transitions in Dirty Dancing. According to film historian Jane Ferer, Dirty Dancing is regarded as a defining moment in the evolution of the musical genre. In her article about Dirty Dancing, Feuer describes the diegetic singing and instrumental music of the show. According to Feu, Dirty Dancing’s three musical subgenres all share elements. During the preparation for a show, the film features a variety of musical performances, including singing and dancing.
Another takes place in the past, during a time when people were singing and dancing. According to Feur, the film is mostly a folk musical with a strong sense of family.
Despite acknowledging its roots in Catskills culture, Dirty Dancing never explicitly identifies its Jewish setting or characters. Dirty Dancing, as a mass audience is aware, serves as class barriers between Baby’s family and Johnny. There are numerous references to the folk musical in the film, as evidenced by the many numbers. The film Dirty Dancing is significant in the evolution of the movie musical genre. It appeals to a subgenre of show-music movies. If operetta films in the 1930s featured mostly non-pop singing, and dance films following the 1990s featured mostly dancing, these films could be considered transformations in film genres.
Dirty Dancing will be held at a secret London location between July 13 and July 31, 2022, and will feature an 18-person audience. We recommend that you make advance reservations for £35.
In the film, Jennifer Grey plays the role of Dirty Dancing, which was played by Patrick Swayze in 1987. It is a film inspired by screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein’s life that is based on a few elements. The emphasis should be on looseness. Her father was a doctor, her nickname was Baby, and her summers in the Catskills were spent dancing dirty, which is not unusual for Bergstein. Based on the Dirty Dancing film, this recreation is sure to be a hit with both film fans and dance enthusiasts.
What Time Does Dirty Dancing Start
The film Dirty Dancing is set to start at 8:00 pm.
Dirty Dancing London
Dirty Dancing London is a new immersive theatre show based on the iconic film. The show is set to open in the West End in October 2018. The show will feature all of the original songs from the film, as well as new arrangements of some of the classic tracks.
The Dominion Theatre in London will host a production of Dirty Dancing in 2023. Dirty Dancing, the national tour starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, is currently experiencing enormous success.
Dance sequences and brand-new choreographed routines come to life on stage, thanks to the incredible soundtrack and the thrilling dance sequences. Details about the 2023 Dirty Dancing production will be released shortly. Dirty Dancing features music direction by Richard John, a score by Austin Wilks, and a book by Federico Bellone. Baby’s life is about to change forever as a result of Johnny’s leading lady role.
Which Theatre In London Is Dirty Dancing?
The Dominion Theatre is the official home of the Dirty Dancing show.
The Stories Of Dirty Dancing And Ghost
The story of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage debuted in 2006 with a record-breaking advance. Audiences in London’s Aldwych Theatre were treated to the show’s premiere, and the cast drew a sold-out house.
The critically acclaimed film Ghost, which played for one week at the Manchester Evening News, is making its debut in the West End. With an all-star cast that includes Oscar winners Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston, this film is sure to be heart-breaking.
Dirty Dancing, Dominion Theatre Review
When you see the film, you realize how funny it is and how sexy it is. Couples, on the other hand, can be less passionate and more like professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing who are politely teaching an amateur how to waltz. Bathos, it appears, have the tendency to infiltrate the intimate moments.
A limited run of Dirty Dancing will take place in the West End. This play was first performed on stage in 2004 as a result of the 1987 movie. The shoes worn by Patrick Swayze in the film are taken over by Michael O’Reilly. Carlie Milner and Kira Malou are both returning to their roles as they did previously. The show suffers from poor pacing, with some moments falling flat. Because the transitions between scenes are poor, the film is difficult to watch, leaving you feeling disconnected from the action. ‘ Hungry Eyes’ and ‘Hey!’
were pre-recorded versions. Baby’ is played on the radio rather than on stage.
The piece is greatly enhanced when cast members sing live.
The Stars Of ‘dirty Dancing’ Musical Announced
Carlie Milner asPenny Johnson, Lynden Edwards as Jake Houseman, Lori Hayley Fox as Mrs Houseman, Lizzie Ottley as Lisa Houseman, and Colin Charles as Tito Suarez will all appear in the show.
Dirty Dancing in Concert
IN CONCERT
CURRENTLY TOURING! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Join us for Dirty Dancing in Concert, the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience. Enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, Dirty Dancing in Concert promises to bring a thrilling new and unique experience to the 80s classic.
Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an encore party that will surely take you back to the time of your life as you sing and dance along to your favorite Dirty Dancing songs.
Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years - now live!
IN CONCERT
Join us for Dirty Dancing in Concert, the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience. Enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, Dirty Dancing in Concert promises to bring a thrilling new and unique experience to the 80s classic.
Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an encore party that will surely take you back to the time of your life as you sing and dance along to your favorite Dirty Dancing songs.
Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years - now live!
VIDEOS
TOUR DATES
November 16, 2022
BJCC Concert Hall, BIRMINGHAM, AL
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November 17, 2022
Saenger Theater, PENSACOLA, FL
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November 18, 2022
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, JACKSONVILLE, FL
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November 19, 2022
Straz Center, TAMPA, FL
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November 20, 2022
The Parker - Wells Hall, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
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November 22, 2022
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, SARASOTA, FL
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In which language will the film be shown?
The film will be shown in its original spoken language (English), or the film will be dubbed in the local language.
Will there be subtitles?
Yes, the film will always have subtitles in the local language, or will be dubbed in the local language. E.g. in France there will be French subtitles and, in the Netherlands, there will be Dutch subtitles.
Is the original film shown in full?
Yes – the original digitally remastered film will be screened in its full length.
Does the film have the original soundtrack?
The songs will be performed in their original language version, LIVE by a band and singers, in perfect sync with the film. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, Dirty Dancing in Concert promises to bring a new thrilling experience to the 80s classic!
Is there a break during the film (concert)?
Yes, the musicians need a little breather. After about 1 hour there will be a 20-minute intermission. The second part of the film (after intermission) will last approximately 40 minutes, followed by an electrifying afterparty!
What I can expect of the encore party?
Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an electrifying encore party that will surely take you back to the time of your life, as you get to sing and dance along to your favorite Dirty Dancing songs! The encore party will last approximately 25 minutes.
Favorite movie. Dirty Dancing
America in the early 1960s. A high school student nicknamed Baby, who has arrived at the resort with her parents, starts an affair with a young dance teacher. They rehearse a performance on a show for tourists together, but the girl's parents forbid her to communicate with the guy, since he is lower than her in social status and because they mistakenly believe that the dancer's previous partner had to have an abortion because of him. In the end, the guy is fired, and he has to leave the resort. However, on the day of the scheduled performance, he suddenly returns, enters the hall where the performance has already begun, and sees that his beloved is sitting at a table in the corner, “locked” by her parents on both sides. The hero throws them: “The baby cannot be driven into a corner,” and then takes the girl by the hand and takes her to the stage to dance the prepared number.
The 1980s in mainstream Hollywood was the age of "male" cinema.
Action, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy… Even the romantic films of that time were often intended primarily for male eyes, connecting not-so-handsome men with the most attractive women. However, there were striking exceptions to this rule, and one of them was released in 1987. There was not even a hint of a male point of view in this romantic drama - she looked at the world only through female eyes. And this made it a long-term, still popular hit. This wonderful picture was called "Dirty Dancing".
Novelist and screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein has always loved to dance, especially as a young girl, when her wealthy parents took her and her sister to the trendy 1950s and 1960s resorts in the Catskills, New York State. While the "ancestors" played golf, the girl danced until she dropped. She was the "queen of mambo", participated in dance competitions, and later, while studying at the university, worked as a dance teacher. So when she began writing professionally in the 1970s, she included in her first producer-purchased script, the romantic tragicomedy Now My Turn, a scene of erotic dance between the two main characters.
The 1980 film, however, did not include this scene. The producers considered it superfluous and threw it out of the text. It was a painful but important lesson: "If you want something in your script to survive, make it an integral part of the story." And Bergstein decided to dedicate her new script entirely to dancing - as well as illegal abortions.
Why were there abortions? Despite the fact that abortion was fully legalized throughout the United States only in 1973, as a result of the decision of the Supreme Court of the country in the case of Roe v. Wade. This decision was an example of so-called "judicial activism" - reshaping US laws not in accordance with the opinion of the people or their elected representatives, but in accordance with the position of appointed judicial officials. Therefore, Roe v. Wade immediately became one of the main stumbling blocks in American politics, and conservatives are still fighting aggressively to overturn it.
As a committed (though not radical) feminist, Bergstein did not want this.
She well remembered the days of clandestine, often home abortions, often ending in tragedy. However, she did not intend to write a dark moral story that would only arouse the interest of those who did not need to be convinced of the justice of Roe v. Wade. So she decided to write a historical romantic tragicomedy, where the plot would revolve around passionate dancing, but would be driven by the events associated with clandestine abortion. As a result, the picture was supposed to turn out to be beautiful and loving enough to interest the public, and then through a secondary, but key storyline for the story, “slip” into the heads of the audience the idea that abortion should in no case be banned.
This is how the script was born, which received the quite natural name "Dirty Dancing" (as in the early 1960s, rock and roll, which was very frank at that time, was called). Its main character, Frances Houseman, was partly autobiographical—a naive, idealistic girl from a wealthy Jewish family who loves dancing and sighs for an attractive instructor who reciprocates her feelings.
Eleanor borrowed the name of the girl from her sister, but the family nickname Baby belonged to the screenwriter herself. The prototype of the protagonist was Michael Terrance (real name - Michael Gutierrez), a prominent Broadway dancer and choreographer who once worked as a dance teacher in the Catskills and was among the first American popularizers of mambo, a dance style that was born in Cuba in 1940s and came to the US through Mexico.
In the course of the action, the permanent dance partner of the instructor had an underground abortion, which ended unsuccessfully, and the girl was deprived of the opportunity to dance for a long time, which opened the way for the Kid to the stage podium and into the arms of the protagonist. Further events developed according to the classic Romeo and Juliet scenario about the love of two representatives of conflicting worlds (in this case, rich tourists and poor servants), but, in accordance with the positive Hollywood tradition, they ended with a happy ending, not a tragedy.
Following the success of Saturday Night Fever in 1977, dance cinema in America experienced a brief but tumultuous renaissance, with hit films such as Glory, Flash Dance, and Free » (Footloose). All of these films, however, looked at dancing in terms of male passions and male experiences. So, when choosing an actress for the lead role in Flashdance, then-Paramount boss Michael Eisner ordered a survey of studio workers and find out which of the three main contenders they would prefer to “fuck”.
On the contrary, "Dirty Dancing" was emphasized by a female narrative with a discussion of abortion, a fixation on the heroine's relationship with her father and the love of a romantic handsome man and a naive "simple girl" (a classic cliché of female tabloid prose). Male producers were cold to such a movie, and the project was treading water until a high-ranking MGM employee, Eileen Misel, became interested in it. She brought Bergstein together with producer Linda Gottlieb (who actively participated in the development of the script and urged the screenwriter to use as much details from her life as possible) and tried to organize shooting at her studio, but she was soon fired, and the project again became homeless.
In search of a new home for the Dances, Gottlieb and Bergstein went to all the Hollywood studios and received dozens of rejections. No one wanted to make women's films, and even historical, dance and Jewish films (although the nationality of the heroine does not matter much for the action, it is still an essential script detail). Finally, Vestron, an independent studio based in Connecticut, which mainly dealt with video releases, but occasionally released films, became interested in the script. Vestron agreed to finance the film on the condition that the producers would meet $4.5 million and that the film's wide release would be very short. A week or two in the movies - and then all sales on video. Gottlieb and Bergstein had no choice, and their partners (Bergstein became a co-producer of the film) agreed to the conditions of tight-fisted Connecticutians.
By the time they signed with the studio, they already had a director. Emil Ardolino, Oscar-winner for the 1983 documentary about a dance teacher I Want to Dance With Him, went to the producers himself and persuaded them to give him the job.
Before he did not work on feature films, but he knew a lot about dancing and, thanks to his unconventional orientation, agreed with the producers that the hero of the film should be more beautiful than the heroine. The studio, by the way, objected to this, but the authors of the tape were adamant. They wanted to make a fairy tale for women, not a trivial love story between two exceptionally attractive people.
Since the prototype of the protagonist was "Latino" Michael Terrance, the producers initially looked for Johnny among actors with Mediterranean and "Latin" roots. But as soon as Bergstein saw a photo of Patrick Swayze from Red Dawn and The Outcasts and learned that he was not only a handsome actor, but also a professional dancer, she knew that Swayze needed to be hired immediately. And she was absolutely right - it's not every day you meet a Texan macho who loves women and ballet (Swayze inherited a love of dancing from his choreographer mother) and who played figure skating and American football at school.
Later, the screenwriter admitted that only after meeting Swayze did she fully realize what Johnny Castle was supposed to be.
Swayze's Red Dawn co-star Jennifer Grey, also known for her supporting role in the teen comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off, is cast as the main character. Like Swayze, Gray came from a musical family. Her father was Broadway actor and choreographer Joel Gray, an Oscar winner for the musical Cabaret, and her grandfather was the prominent American-Jewish comedian Mickey Katz. From her family, the girl inherited an impressive nose, which was ideal for the role of Baby, but did not really like the actress herself. Later, she had plastic surgery ... and ruined her career, as she was no longer recognized and invited to audition.
It is worth noting that 26-year-old Gray and 34-year-old Swayze were ten years older than their characters, but they looked young enough that it was not conspicuous. They also didn't like each other very much, as Swayze was highly professional and pedantic, while Gray was emotional and flighty, with seven Fridays a week.
They did not like each other even during the filming of "Red Dawn", but on the screen and in the dance, this hostility miraculously turned into a romantic "spark". That's really true - from love to hate ...
The father of the main character of "Dancing" was played by Broadway and theater artist Jerry Orbach, the future voice of Lumiere in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and detective Lenny Briscoe in the TV series "Law & Order". Animated voice actress Lynn Lipton was cast as Baby's mother, but she fell ill during the first week of filming and was replaced by Broadway artist Kelly Bishop, future Gilmore Girls star, who was originally hired to play one of the tourists at the resort. Since it was too late to look for a replacement for her, the second choreographer Miranda Garrison took over her former role. The boss of the last and, accordingly, the main choreographer of the tape was Kenny Ortega, a student of the legendary musical star Gene Kelly, dance director in Madonna's Material Girl video and future employee of Michael Jackson and choreographer of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Why did all the main roles in the film go to Broadway people or professional dancers? Because Ardolino didn't want a repeat of the Flashdance scandal, where lead actress Jennifer Beals "danced" with the help of multiple stunt doubles, one of whom was a man. Coming to feature films from documentaries, the director wanted to shoot really dancing actors, and not create characters by editing and shooting in the shadows or from the back (so that faces were not visible). In addition, Broadway performers were cheaper than famous Hollywood performers and were more industrious.
When looking for filming locations, the producers quickly discovered that they could not afford to film in New York State, as the locally required contracts with unionized workers and filmmakers were too expensive for a film that was filmed at a third of the normal rate for the time. budget of $12 million. So instead of resorts in the Catskills, the picture was created at two lakeside resorts in Virginia and North Carolina, where there was no need to deal with unions and where workers were much cheaper.
As if trying to punish the filmmakers for betraying New York, nature unleashed a series of weather tests on them. Filming took place in September and October 1986, and in the early days there was a heat of 40 degrees Celsius, from which members of the group, forced to work in the sun, sometimes fainted. By the end of the filming period, the temperature dropped to almost zero, which made filming the dance in the lake life-threatening (the heroes rehearse support, what to do in the water is safer than in the hall - of course, if the water is warm). Also, filmmakers suffered from heavy rains, from withered grass (to make it look like summer, it had to be painted) ... And from the desire of Patrick Swayze to do all the stunts himself, which once, after filming a dance on a log, led him to the hospital (from a series of falls he his injured knee was so swollen that he could not walk).
However, filming in the outback, far from megacities, had some advantages. The main one was that the group living and working in the resort boarding house quickly and firmly became friends.
Every night Hollywood had discos, and this helped the actors to get used to the roles and identify with the characters. Swayze and Gray, however, never became friends. On the contrary, the relationship between them worsened every day, and at some point the studio was afraid that the stars would not be able to finish shooting. Fortunately, the producers managed to set the couple in the right mood, showing the actors a screen test where their relationship had not yet been hopelessly damaged.
To immerse the band in the early 1960s, Bergstein played her favorite records during filming. When it came to composing the soundtrack, music producer Jimmy Yenner bought the rights to a number of classic hits from the writer's collection. He also arranged for the recording of several new compositions, among which was the ballad She's Like the Wind, composed and performed by Patrick Swayze. The actor wrote this song for the tragicomedy "Grenview, USA", but the composition was not useful to its director Randal Kleiser.
The picture's biggest hit (I've Had) The Time of My Life, played during the climactic dance, was composed and recorded as a demo track by former Franke and the Knockouts vocalist Frank Prewit. The film, however, did not use this version (in Swayze's opinion, the best), but a professionally mixed version performed by Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers and solo singer Jennifer Warnes. By the way, a few years later, The Righteous Brothers' classic Unchained Melody became the biggest hit in the film Ghost, where Swayze also played the title role.
When the film was completed, edited, and shown to the Vestron bosses, they unanimously agreed that they had paid for a piece of something stinky. One of the film's early viewers, producer Aaron Russo, even joked that the studio would make more money from Dance if they burned the negative and demanded insurance. The film's financial prospects could have been saved by Clearasil, an acne cream maker who wanted to run an advertising campaign with Vestron (who else would sell acne cream if not to young viewers of a teenage romantic film?).
However, the owners of Clearasil demanded that all references to the abortion be removed from the painting, which was impossible to do. Bergstein made sure that abortion was the cornerstone of the narrative, without which the film crumbled like a house of cards. So the acne cream had to be abandoned.
At the very end of the film's release, the disillusioned studio also had to endure a conflict with the MPAA, which awards film ratings. Although there was no eroticism, violence or swearing in the film, the tape initially received an “adult” R rating - solely because of the “dirty” of passionate dances. Fortunately, the studio still managed to convince the association that "vertical sex" was not real sex, and on August 21, 1987, the film was released with a PG-13 rating.
The very first week of the release showed that the abundance of early negative reviews was due to the fact that the film was not being watched by those for whom it was intended. In just ten days, the tape, whose final budget was $ 6 million, earned ten million, and not due to a powerful advertising campaign, but due to numerous fans.
When women and girls left the hall, they either bought a ticket again, or ran to call their friends and invite them to the cinema. Visually, narratively, emotionally, musically, it was an all-female film with no compromises for the men in the audience, and it acted like a drug on the audience. Professional reviews, however, were not too flattering, but this did not prevent the film from earning $ 170 million at the worldwide box office, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year and receiving an Oscar for best song.
And that was just the beginning. When Dirty Dancing was released on video, it became the first movie in history to sell over a million copies. In 1988, no cassette was as popular in American theaters as the Dancing cassette, and in subsequent years the tape sold only slightly worse, first on VHS and then on DVD. American television also fell in love with "Dancing", and they became the same frequent guest on the "blue screen" in the States, as in our country the comedies of Gaidai and Ryazanov.
And when British broadcaster Sky Television asked female viewers in 2007 which movies they preferred, Dirty Dancing came in first place, beating female hits like Grease, Pretty Woman and The Sound of Music (in second place, by the way). , hit "Star Wars" - first place in a similar men's list).
The film was also lucky with the quotes – the phrase “Baby can't be cornered” became one of the most popular movie phrases of the 1980s. She appeared in an early version of the script and survived all the rewriting and improvisation, despite the opposition of Patrick Swayze, who considered her too stupid and vulgar. But, like many critics of the picture, he was simply not its target audience. And over the years, he appreciated this phrase and twisted it more than once in dark jokes about the cancer that brought him to his grave. It took him a long time to appreciate what the phrase meant to American women, who, even after the official victory of feminism, are often cornered or pushed aside - especially in Hollywood, which remains a male kingdom.
And America will need many more films like Dirty Dancing to stop responding to the phrase about Baby and coal as violently as it was reacted to at 1987 - and how they sometimes react to it even now.
How "Dirty Dancing" was filmed - The Burning Hut
In 1987 the film "Dirty Dancing" was released. He gained cult status, brought fame to Patrick Swayze and firmly entrenched in pop culture. The final support is quoted in commercials, and Baby and Johnny are danced at weddings. The soundtrack has become perhaps more famous than the film itself. We tell you what difficulties its creators Linda Gottlieb and Eleanor Bergstein had to go through and how they filmed the most recognizable scenes of the film Dirty Dancing.
"Dirty Dancing is a million dollar title." How did the idea of the film
It all started with dancing. Screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein in her youth disappeared in clubs where they loved dirty dancing - passionate, not like the popular mambo, pachanga or cha-cha-cha.
In a Netflix documentary, she revealed that she first tried to bring sexy dancing to the big screen in 1980. It was a melodrama "Now it's my turn" with Michael Douglas and Jill Clayberg in the lead roles. In the script, Bergstein wrote a seductive dance scene, but the director cut it out and went straight to the main thing - sex. Then Eleanor Bergstein decided to come up with a plot from which dancing could not be removed. Thus was born the idea of a film about two sisters vacationing with their parents at an expensive resort.
Bergstein drew on her own childhood memories. She and her parents often spent summers at the Catskills resort and spent whole days in the dance studio. Everyone called her Baby, although her parents gave her the serious name Eleanor in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt. (The movie baby's real name is Frances, after Frances Perkins, the first woman in the US cabinet.)
"I took a lot of my life for the movie, but it's not the story of my life.
"
Eleanor Bergstein interviewed for Netflix documentary
Eleanor shared the idea for the film with producer Linda Gottlieb. Linda was not impressed by the story. She asked Eleanor to tell more about herself. “I grew up in Brooklyn, my father was a doctor, and I was one of those teenagers who danced dirty dances in the evenings,” Eleanor replied. Dirty Dancing is a million dollar title! Now we’ll make up a story,” Linda decided.
The script was completed in 1985. It turned out to be a complex, deep movie, in which, in addition to dancing, the problems of social inequality and clandestine abortions are raised.
“If you make a documentary about illegal abortions, only those who already agree with you will see it. But if you put this story into a musical full of romance and beautiful clothes, it will surprise people, make them think about things that they have not thought about before.
”
Eleanor Bergstein in an interview with Gender Across Borders
Too girly movie. How Linda Gottlieb got 42 rejections from film studios
When the script was ready, Linda began to look for a company that would take on the filming. She was determined. I brought the script to large companies and smaller companies. In the Netflix documentary, the producer recalled receiving 42 rejections. At 19In 86, dynamic action movies were popular: Platoon, Highlander, Crocodile Dundee. Therefore, representatives of the studios did not see the potential of the script - "this is too girly movie."
Linda Gottlieb was ready to give up. But then she got a call from Vestron Video. The company was engaged in low-quality films that were not shown in cinemas and were released only on video cassettes.
But big companies also started making cassettes for home viewing. In order to remain competitive, Vestron Video decided to produce its own big film for theatrical release.
The company was getting rejection scripts from other studios by the truckload. And in that pile, producer Mitchel Cannold found the script for Dirty Dancing. He, like screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein, spent his childhood in the Catskills resort. He liked the atmosphere of the script, he understood all the jokes and hidden meanings. And he was ready to start filming.
Emil Ardolino was invited as a director. He was an accomplished documentary filmmaker, winning an Oscar in 1984 for a film about child dancers, He Teaches Me to Feel the Dance. Ardolino never directed feature films. But he himself was a dancer and felt the mood of the film.
“I love dancing.
I love music. In the film, it is the dance that moves the plot forward and reveals the characters.”
Emil Ardolino in an interview with The New York Times
Kenny Ortega became the main choreographer. Patrick Swayze, who played Johnny, wrote in his autobiography that Kenny charged everyone with his energy. “He always danced with a big smile on his face, and everyone around enjoyed rehearsing and filming despite being tired.” Ortega knew how to improvise, combined different directions: jazz, swing, salsa. And it was what you need for the filming of a film like Dirty Dancing.
"Wish me luck daddy." Finding the Perfect Baby and Johnny
It seems that Dirty Dancing's success was largely due to the chemistry between the main characters: Baby, played by Jennifer Gray, and Johnny, played by Patrick Swayze.
It's hard to imagine, but the roles could have gone to other actors.
The trials were not easy. Eleanor Bergstein had a clear idea of what Baby should be. She was looking for a young, fragile girl with long wavy hair. For the role, for example, Winona Ryder and Sarah Jessica Parker auditioned.
Winona Ryder / Shutterstock / Featureflash Photo Agency
Sarah Jessica Parker / Shutterstock / Featureflash Photo Agency
But when Linda and Eleanor saw Jennifer Grey, all the other candidates were immediately eliminated. She was brought to audition by her father, actor Joel Grey. In an interview with Netflix, Linda and Eleanor revealed that Jennifer walked into the pavilion, turned to her father and said, "Wish me luck, daddy." And then they realized that in front of them was the real Baby. Prior to this, the actress played only supporting roles.
She moved well, but did not dance professionally.
For the role of Johnny Castle, they were looking for an actor who looks good and dances really well. Billy Zane and Benicio Del Toro auditioned. But the film crew did not like something.
Billy Zane / Shutterstock / Tinseltown
Benicio del Toro / Shutterstock / Everett Collection
As a result, the role went to the son of a cowboy and ballet dancer, former professional dancer Patrick Swayze. During the audition, the actor doubted whether he should play in this film. Swayze ended his dancing career due to a serious knee injury and did not want to risk his leg for the film. Patrick's wife Lisa Niemi recalled that he also strongly disliked the title: "It's a film about a stripper!". The script seemed to Swayze simple, shallow, in need of improvement: “There is potential, but are the author and director ready to make changes?”
On the other hand, Patrick liked the role of Johnny Castle.
Swayze grew up in a poor family. Dancing was an opportunity for him to escape into another world. And he understood and shared the feelings of Johnny, harsh on the outside, but vulnerable on the inside.
"I didn't play Johnny during the audition, I was him."
Patrick Swayze in his autobiography
Vestron Video had the last word. It was important that Baby and Johnny fit together. Two couples watched in the final: Billy Zane with Sarah Jessica Parker and Patrick Swayze with Jennifer Grey. Everything depended on these double trials.
In his autobiography, Swayze said that he and Jennifer had already starred together in 1984's Red Dawn. Their relationship didn't go well during those shoots.
Perhaps that is why Jennifer was somewhat constrained on joint tests. Patrick wrote that he "wanted her to feel freer in the dance, dissolve in it and not feel awkward."
In the pair of Jennifer and Patrick, the authors of the film saw exactly what was needed: an experienced dancer and a young girl, gradually revealing her beauty and confidence.
The film crew was looking for actors whose relationship the viewer would believe in / Still from Dirty Dancing (1987)
"Real life caught on film." As a documentary filmmaker, he decided to include recordings of rehearsals in the film.
Filming began on September 5, 1986. To fit on a small budget, the film was filmed in two locations: at the Mountain Lake Lordge resort and at a Boy Scout camp in North Carolina. It was necessary to combine these places on the film somehow.
And the decorators came up with the idea of installing small white lanterns in both locations. They tied the sets together and gave the impression that the film was filmed in one place.
White lanterns helped to tie the different sets together. A scene from the movie Dirty Dancing. 1987
Filming participants remember that there was a special atmosphere on the set. Swayze wrote in his memoirs that they worked hard, but it was a lot of fun. Especially when filming scenes with dirty dancing.
“It was like a party. It sounds like rock 'n' roll and everyone is sweating on the dance floor."
Patrick Swayze in his autobiography
Perhaps the film turned out so sincere because a lot of things actually happened for real.
Patrick Swayze taught Jennifer Gray how to dance. Something didn't work for her. He got angry. The actors quarreled. Documentary maker Emil Ardolino used such situations for the benefit of the film: he turned on the camera and recorded rehearsals. Some spontaneously filmed scenes ended up in the film.
Jennifer Gray said that one of her favorite moments is when Johnny teaches Baby a dance move and strokes her arm. The actors rehearsed this move over and over again, but Jennifer couldn't stop laughing. Patrick's disappointment in this scene is genuine. "This is one of the moments when real life got on film," Gray recalled.
One of the most famous moments was captured by accident during a rehearsal / Still from Dirty Dancing (1987)
"No one pushes Baby into a corner." How the film suddenly became successful
Strangely enough, the finished film initially showed poor results.
The closed screening of the rough cut in front of the producers of the film company failed. Someone even advised director Emil Ardolino to burn the film in order to at least get insurance.
The film company spent a lot of money on filming and was not going to refuse the project so easily. Despite the producer's bad reviews, they organized a test screening for 1000 spectators. And they were delighted!
The film was promoted as a teenage film, but adults also came to the cinema halls. For nineteen consecutive weekends, Dirty Dancing remained the leader of the box office. Sold 270,000 soundtrack records. With a budget of about six million dollars, the film grossed $214 million worldwide. And continues to bring money to this day.
Johnny's final line "Nobody pushes Baby into a corner" (which, by the way, Patrick did not like and seemed banal) became the most famous quote from the film.
