Hull New Theatre – until 18th November 2023
Reviewed by Dawn Bennett
5*****
Karl Sydow in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions Present Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Federico Bellone.
I’ve never seen the stage production of Dirty Dancing or the film of the same name but judging by the very full auditorium and appreciative audience, I was in the minority last night. The show was spectacular, the singing and acting were brilliant but the dancing, choreographed by Austin Wilks, was sublime.
The story is set in the summer of 1963 at the fictional Kellerman’s resort in America, where the well-to-do families go. Dr Jake Houseman (Jack Loy) and his wife Marjorie (Taryn Sudding) along with their daughters Lisa (Daisy Steere) and Frances “Baby” Houseman (Kira Malou) go to Kellermans after being invited by the owner Max Kellerman (Mark McKerracher). Kellermans employs lots of summer staff, people on their summer break from Harvard, Yale or other prestigious American colleges. They also employ a group of dancers, who the management class as a group of lowlier entertainers, whose main job is to teach the guests to dance. The main dancers are Johnny Castle (Michael O’Reilly) and Penny Johnson (Georgia Aspinall), friends since childhood who job is to entertain the guests as well as teaching dance to the guests. Penny gets pregnant and thestory then enfolds and brings Johhny and “Baby” together.
There are some outstanding performances in this production Michael O’Reilly (Johnny) and Kira Malou (Baby) are fabulously matched and they really made me believe in the characters and the story they told. Colin Charles (Tito Suarez), Danny Colligan (Billy Kostecki) and Lydia Sterling (Elizabeth) are the most brilliant singers, I could have listened to them all night! The musicians in Kellerman’s Band (Gabriel Askew, Morgan Burgess, Richard John, Tom Mussell, Tom Parsons and Tim Wade) were on stage for nearly all the performance and were all amazing played brilliantly and really held the production together. All the ensemble and other cast members gave 100% and make this show into the obvious hit it is.
This is such an amazing production, from the music to the storyline to the fabulous dancing. I would definitely recommend you go and see it…it deserves full houses every night!