‘Dirty Dancing’ actress’s clean sweep of dance roles
It’s been 28 years since Johnny Castle uttered, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” and yet the line from the beloved 1987 movie is still enduringly popular.
“Dirty Dancing,” the film that thrilled audiences with its daring dance moves, will again return to the spotlight, but this time in the form of a musical. The love story featuring hit songs like “Hungry Eyes,” “She’s Like the Wind” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” will run through Feb. 15 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Like the film, which starred the late Patrick Swayze as attractive dance teacher Johnny Castle in a forbidden romance with Jennifer Grey as 17-year-old Frances “Baby” Houseman, the touring show, “Dirty Dancing — The Classic Story on Stage” will be set in 1963 at a resort.
It’s in the vacation setting of New York’s Catskill Mountains where rich-girl Baby and bad-boy dance instructor Johnny stumble into a dance partnership that develops into a romance.
The story from Eleanor Bergstein, whose own childhood sparked her idea to write about the racy dancing competitions of her youth, began life as a musical in an eight-week staged workshop in Manhattan in 2001. In that incarnation, it was first performed in 2004 in Australia to sell-out crowds. The production maintained an international following after opening in London two years later, touring in Ireland and playing for 19 months in Berlin.
After a short U.S. stop in 2008, the show embarked on a new American tour, which will include 16 performances in Costa Mesa. The show will continue through Feb. 21, 2016, with stops in Boston, Dallas, Kansas City and many other cities before wrapping up in Los Angeles.
Jillian Mueller, who plays Baby, just finished “Flashdance The Musical,” where she starred as Alex Owens, the lead female character, played by Jennifer Beals in the movie version.
“I only do ‘80s films played by a Jennifer,” Mueller joked recently.
Mueller said she knew about “Dirty Dancing” but only saw the movie a few years ago because she had an audition for the lead role.
“It’s such a huge piece of pop culture, and I wanted to know all the hype about it,” she said from Seattle, where she was with the show in late January. “Now I know why.”
It wasn’t until she saw herself in the makeup studio wearing the curly wig and pink dress with a swishy skirt that Mueller felt like she was channeling the iconic character.
“I don’t want to copy someone else’s performance, but I still want to pay homage to what Jennifer Grey does in the movie,” said Mueller, who has performed in other first national tours, including “American Idiot” and “Memphis.”
Samuel Pergande stars as her smoldering dance partner. Pergande has danced with American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet as well as at many international festivals.
Conrad Helfrich, the show’s music supervisor, arranged to have the songs played live by an orchestra.
The selections from the movie’s soundtrack, which sold more than 32 million copies worldwide, include “Do You Love Me” by the Contours, “Hey! Baby” by Bruce Channel and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The latter song, which factors in the movie’s finale, rose to No. 1 on the pop charts.
The crawling dance, set during a rehearsal sequence to Mickey & Sylvia’s 1956 hit “Love is Strange,” is Mueller’s favorite act to perform. She also favors the closing scene where Johnny and Baby dazzle the audience with a stunning dance performance, ending with Baby doing the lift successfully for the first time.
“The physicality of the dances makes all the difference, and it’s fun to see people in the audience react,” Mueller said. “The dances feel incredibly natural.”
To get the dance party started, Segerstrom Center will invite fans to participate in free “Dirty Dancing”-themed lobby activities starting one hour before show time and during intermission. Segerstrom Hall will be decorated with quotes from the show such as “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” and “I carried a watermelon.” Hits from the ‘60s will play in the background, and fans will have two photo opportunities, on the Orchestra Terrace and Loge level lobbies.
Aside from performing the crowd-pleasing musical, Mueller said she’s most excited to entertain a special someone in the audience — her mom.
“I’m so happy she’s visiting,” she said. “It will be neat.”
If You Go
What: “Dirty Dancing”
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 15
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Tickets start at $29
Information: (714) 556-2787 or scfta.org