The Time of Our Lives: Dirty Dancing: The Musical to Launch National Tour

Nobody puts Baby in a corner. A new stage production based on the beloved film Dirty Dancing will launch a North American tour this August at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The production will be directed by Tony nominee, Obie Award winner and two-time Emmy winner Lonny Price, who played Neil Kellerman in the original Dirty Dancing film. Price is also bringing a musical adaptation of Beaches to Broadway this spring with Matt Cowart.

Darrell Grand Moultrie will choreograph the production. Original screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein has penned the show's libretto, which will feature songs from the film. The advent of a national tour comes on the heels of a recently announced Dirty Dancing sequel starring Jennifer Grey, which begins production this year. Additional dates, cities and casting for the North American tour of Dirty Dancing: The Musical will be announced at a later date. 

Dirty Dancing captures the electric pulse of the early '60s through its unforgettable romance between Frances “Baby” Houseman, a sheltered adolescent on vacation with her family and Johnny Castle, a charismatic dance instructor. In a statement, Bergstein said, “In the years after I wrote and co-produced the original film, 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. I am happy to revisit the show with my old friend Lonny Price by my side.”

The creative team includes set design by Brett J. Banakis, costume design by two-time Tony winner Linda Cho, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Tony winner Kai Harada, video design by David Bengali and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe. Music supervision and arrangements are by Joseph Joubert.