The classic story on stage, Dirty Dancing is written by Eleanor Bergstein, the scriptwriter and co-producer of the phenomenally successful movie Dirty Dancing.
The show opened at the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands two weeks ago and runs till the 16th of June 2013.
InCinemas went down to watch the musical, thanks to the folks over at Base Entertainment and here’s a snippet of our conversation we had after watching it!
Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage
Date: Now till 16 June 2013
Time: 2pm,(weekends) 8pm
Venue: MasterCard Theatres - Marina Bay Sands
Ticket Pricing: $55 - $175
(Check out Base Entertainment FaceBook for more information)
Flora: Cool! So we both caught Dirty Dancing and honestly, I enjoyed the musical, lots of singing and sexy dancing!
Jia Yi: Bet you did. What a love story! You can get more of Dirty Dancing right outside the MasterCard theatre. They're selling its special merchandise at Marina Bay Sands Theatre, like T-shirts, bears and watermelons if I'm not wrong.
I must admit there are several scenes I could relate to in Dirty Dancing. I guess anyone who's been into a relationship could see themselves at some point. Say when the lead stage actress Baby was caught in between her lover Johnny and her family, or Johnny's inner feelings of inferiority.
And watching them delivering LIVE performance on stage through the combination of some terrific dance coordination simply adds the impact of the classic love story to a new level. Were there any of the scenes that you like best?
Flora: Yep! Saw the various merchandise. Lots of pink if you ask me, which is awesome of course.
There were a couple of scenes where I had goosebumps, and that to me, is the thrill of watching theatre performances. Apart from the last scene where Baby had her solo, I also enjoyed the different dance routines and the roving stage. Such a simple idea of a 360 roving stage and it adds so much depth to the musical! I don't really have the knowledge as to the specific kind of dance they were dancing to, but I enjoyed the faster-paced beats where each turn and swirl were so beautiful!
If you really must ask, then the last scene of Baby's solo was the best of all. The iconic lift was definitely a memorable one where the audience clapped and cheered too! Having said that, I thought maybe a change of costume for this particular scene will enhance its overall appeal better. Maybe more ‘blings’ and shimmer would make Baby stand out more, since she is rather petite in person too. Maybe they did, but from where we sat, her costume didn’t shine through.
Jia Yi: The final scene of Baby and Johnny dancing was indeed amazing! Their dance performance stood out among the rest, perhaps because of the buildup from the start. Costume-wise, it really suited the retro theme and for Baby, I felt her costumes looked good and comfortable to dance in! I guess because the musical is set in the 1960s, the costumes were suited more to that era.
Flora: True that! Then what do you think of the overall production? Though the set seemed a little simple, but it works no doubt. Roving center stage is also another of my favourite! As what you mentioned earlier, I guess most of us (people) are able to relate to the story. Besides relationship problems, the family's background is as important. What still rings in my head after watching it is the 'practice' dance where Baby learned to dance for the first time and coached by the other two. Are there any memorable scenes for you?
Jia Yi: Just like you, I thought the last scene was memorable for me too. Everyone cheered and clapped when Johnny said his iconic line “No one puts Baby in a corner!” and gets her for the final dance. The heart-stopping music “Time Of My Life” playing in the background only made it better.
Behind-the-scenes to Dirty Dancing!
Besides the final scene which we both truly enjoyed, and we bet you will too, there were many other parts in the musical that stayed true to the original movie, even the costumes and props used were stuffs we see in the 1960s.
On the other hand, while their dance routines were needless to comment on, I felt the cast lacked in the acting aspect as compared to singing and dancing. I wasn’t as convinced as I felt I should be, especially for the complicated love story between Johnny and Baby. They seemed more like dance partners rather than lovers.
For the most parts, there were also a lot of dancing going on in a scene that audiences are lost as to where to focus our attention on. While I understand that producers are keeping it close to the movies, the ‘background dancing’ came off a little messy on stage. Yes, there were scenes which did required all the cast present to do a little dance number together, the initial scenes were ‘too much to see’.
As an audience, you hope to focus your attention to all that is happening on stage, and when there are too many things to see, you get lost in the midst of complexity and tend to miss out on the main characters.
Overall, it’s a musical you should catch even if you’re a fan of dance or not. The positive energy and feel-good emotions is something Dirty Dancing manages to bring to the audience. A great show for the family and friends to relax, enjoy and unwind! Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage broke records in the UK and Germany for having the highest advance ticket sales in history. Before it even opened in London, the show had sold-out for the first six months of its run.
Purchase your tickets now before the show closes in Singapore 16 June! Head over to the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands for the time of your life!