Based on Lionsgate's beloved film, the story that awakened a generation is back in a new stage production. Dirty Dancing: The Musical is the feel-good escape you’ve been craving, alive with the pulse of electrified dancing, the thrill of secret encounters and the allure of forbidden romance. Set to live music from the original film you love, Baby and Johnny bring to life the summer that changed everything.

Annalese Starzec (Frances “Baby” Houseman) and Blake Zelesnikar (Johnny Castle). Photo by Matthew Murphy.

This new stage production features direction by Lonny Price who played Neil Kellerman in the original film, choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie (Beyonce’s Mrs. Carter Show World Tour) and a book by original screenwriter, Eleanor Bergstein.

Price sat down with Minnesota Monthly to discuss the lasting impact of the film. “I assumed it might find a quiet second life on cable,” he said, “I was completely gob smacked by the overwhelming response and its continued longevity.”

This new adaptation offers deeper scenes and explores other facets of characters. “It honors the original film while giving the storytelling room to breathe on stage,” he said. “It is a delicate balance; you want to give the audience what they came for, but you also have to theatricalize it so they are not just watching a movie recreated on stage.”

Blake Zelesnikar (Johnny Castle) and Annalese Starzec (Frances “Baby” Houseman). Photo by Matthew Murphy

This isn’t the first time Price is stepping into the director’s chair, he has also worked on a production of Company (starring Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Colbert), the 2017 revival of Sunset Boulevard (starring Glenn Close) and the special event “Sondheim: The Birthday Concert”.

“Directing has been my primary home for a long time now, so it feels like the natural chair for me to sit in,” he says, “It is wonderful to approach this material from a holistic, directorial perspective rather than through the singular lens of an actor focused strictly on their own track.”

Don’t miss when it comes to Northwest Arkansas for eight performances from Oct. 21-25. Your reservation at Kellerman’s awaits!