Since Hollywood came on the scene, Broadway has added it to its list of muses. New York has taken themes from books and music, headlines and folktales. Why it’s only a matter of time when The Adams Family does its pre-Broadway try out in Chicago.
Why was Dirty Dancing so distasteful? It’s not like Hollywood romantic comedies haven’t been tried before. We’ve had The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, and High Fidelity. Well, the last one didn’t exactly have a long life…14 performances? For god’s sake, Shrek just opened. Theatrical pieces out of movies have been tried, with various levels of success, for years.
Is there a person in the world who hasn’t seen Dirty Dancing? It is one of those guilty pleasures. TNT can be showing it and I can be flipping the channels and if the last 10 minutes are all that’s left, I’ll watch it. It was sweet and fun. Swayze was at his hunkiest. Jennifer was pre-op. It was a great film.
So why was the play so bad? Probably because, it was EXACTLY like the movie…there were no new characterizations. No new developments or new responses even. Ok…maybe that is what people came to see. People love those sing along musicals you can see at Art Houses around the country. Sing along Rocky Horror, Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins. You know, they have a few actors show up and stand near the screen and act out the movies, in costume. Then everyone sings along with the songs. Fun. But, at most, one ticket costs you $15.00. This is a Broadway show…we’re talking $80.00 for the cheap seats. Let me reiterate…you can rent the movie from the bargain bin and watch it at home for $3.00 or you can get dressed up and watch the movie…I mean the play…for $80.00.
First problem, the actors LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE FILM ACTORS. Baby’s nose, short curly bob, body type, down to the inflection she used for each line. Johnny had a hideous Patrick Swayze wig, the same bulging muscles, and the same dead pan delivery. It was eerie. Couldn’t the director at least give us someone new to look at?
Second, the blocking WAS EXACTLY THE SAME. How did they achieve this? Why they used a large cyclorama with digital imagery of the movies backgrounds. The woods, the river…they even used a large log…remember that scene when they danced on the log over the river and then they fell in and you sat there with the stupidest grin on your face? Well, the play had the log, digital images of the river in the background and on the floor (why, I couldn’t tell you…NO ONE in the audience could see it), the same stupid dialogue, same inflection, same choreography…it was so weird. Why pay anyone on the production team. The actors, if you want to call them that, could have just watched the movie and copied it step by step.
Plus, there was no original music. It was as if I was in the kitchen while the movie was on and could just hear the sound track from the next room. All of the jukebox music was used, in the same places in the story. Sometimes chorus members sang them…using the SAME VOICES as the original performers. They mimicked Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley, down to the growl and scoop. As a side note, they didn’t use She’s like the Wind or Hungry Eyes. I missed them. That’s right…Baby and Johnny didn’t sing in the movie…so, they didn’t sing here. The friggin sister had that stupid song in the talent show, so she got to sing. If I were the lead, I would have had my agent make a call.
The crazy thing is in London they love it. What do I know? But in my opinion, someone should put Baby in a corner. A corner with the movie and a box of popcorn.
