A stage musical adaptation of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing will tour North America beginning next fall, with the production set to launch in August from Saint Paul, Minnesota's Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Dates, a touring itinerary, and casting are all to be announced.
At the helm of the new musical, the latest in a string of stage musicals adapted from the cult classic film, will be Lonny Price, who starred in the film as Neil Kellerman. Lionsgate is producing the tour in conjunction with Showpath Entertainment Limited and Magic Hour Productions. This production had previously announced a 2025 pre-Broadway launch, though it's unclear if that's still in the cards.
The film first came to the stage in 2004 with an Australian production that used the songs from the film and a script by the title's screenwriter, Eleanor Bergstein. The musical played a five-year run in London's West End beginning in 2006, getting revivals in 2013 and 2022.
Broadway has proved more elusive. A North American mini-tour, publicized as "pre-Broadway," was launched in 2006, playing Toronto, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles. A full North American tour embarked in 2014.
It remains unclear how this upcoming tour will compare to the earlier stagings, none of which were directed by Price. Bergstein is still attached, and said this version will be "reimagined" in an earlier press statement, which also teased "new choreography and staging concepts, and perhaps even some new songs."
The production will feature choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie (Fat Ham), music supervision and arrangements by Joseph Joubert, set design by Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Kai Harada, video design by David Bengali, and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe. Casting is by The TRC Company's Claire Burke and Peter Van Dam. Alchemy Production Group will serve as general manager.
Dirty Dancing centers on Frances "Baby" Houseman, who falls in love with a dance instructor while at a summer camp resort with her family. Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, and Price were all among the film's cast. Previous stage adaptations have used songs from the film's multi-platinum soundtrack, which includes the Oscar-winning "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."
"Dirty Dancing is a very special and beloved property,” said Jenefer Brown, president of Global Products & Experiences at Lionsgate, in a statement. “The themes of empowerment, courage, and coming-of-age that captivated a global fanbase 40 years ago resonate just as strongly today as Dirty Dancing continues to grow and expand its audience around the world. This new live production honors that emotional legacy and the movie’s nostalgia while inviting audiences to experience the story with a renewed immediacy and excitement.”
“In the years after I wrote and co-produced the original film Dirty Dancing, 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," adds Bergstein. "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.”
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