Interview: Christopher Tierney of DIRTY DANCING National Tour

The national tour of DIRTY DANCING is currently sweeping the nation, which means we should all be getting tickets to have the time of our lives. The musical, adapted from the 1987 film, tells the iconic story of Baby and Johnny as the unlikely pair mambo their way through an unlikely love story and lots of dance lessons. The film, being sexy and edgy for its time, captivated audiences like none before.

The musical adaption adds in popular hits from the time period as well as dance numbers galore. Keeping "I've Had The Time Of My Life" as the final song, the show is just pure nostalgic fun as lead actor Christopher Tierney alludes to in a quick BWW interview.

JCA: The story of DIRTY DANCING and the main characters are obviously iconic. Tell me how it feels to play Johnny in the national tour.

CT: It feels comfortable to play something that has mirrored my own life in a way.

JCA: Bouncing off of that, everyone thinks of Patrick Swayze as Johnny, but you probably want to be somewhat original as an artist. How do you straddle that line?

CT: By not throwing away the essence of what Patrick brought to the role, and what he brought to the role was sincerity.

JCA: The characters of Johnny and Baby have major chemistry. How were you and Bronwyn Reed, who plays Baby in the show, able to create that type of relationship on stage?

CT: By keeping our energy playful and frustrating. Bronwyn does a wonderful job of challenging me.

JCA: What should audiences expect when they come to see you and the cast of DIRTY DANCING on tour?

CT: Nostalgia, sexy and sexy nostalgia.

DIRTY DANCING is running through June 2017, with over 40 cities remaining in the tour. Additionally, there is also an international tour through September 2017.