Guest Blogger: Jon Drake

Hi all!

So we have just arrived in Durham, NC. We had our closing week in DC and with understudy rehearsals and a lot of different people being swung on. I made my debut as Mr. Schumacher. I haven't had that much fun in a while. I gotta say the cast, crew, and wardrobe were awesome as they helped direct me and guide me through my shows.Also, We had Alexendra Mateo, Nikki Spencer, and Joshua Keith all having debuts doing new bits in the show and they did great! In all DC was a success.

Hi guys! Last time we spoke I was headed into Johnny rehearsals, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I will be playing the 80 year old Mr. Schumacher first instead of the leading heartthrob for a few performances. This week, I guess versatility is a must! So to bone up on my more mature character, I've gone straight to our resident "old guys". First, I went to talk to Gary Lynch. This is his second time on tour with Dirty Dancing. I asked him how this show compares to the other US tour and he said it is sharper and more refined. "They've taken out a lot of extraneous material and made it more streamlined." Gary also originally played Moe, my role in the show. He told me how the character had a few more scenes, a song, and a lot more lines, but I sure am glad I don't have to do all that extra work with the insane amount of dancing and understudying I have to do in the show!

Finally, we are in beautiful Washington DC. The team just finished up our tech and first previews in York, PA. We are so close to our official opening (Tuesday, Sept.2) of "Dirty Dancing". What a whirlwind it has been. There has been a lot to work on with a whole new set, blocking, and musical arrangements for the show… but when the going got tough, the cast and crew got dirty! Tons of costume changes, and some last minute revisions have made us stay on our toes.To add to this I start "Johnny" rehearsal this week! I am so excited to put on the black tank, sunshades, and leather jacket. Not to mention working with this gal.