Review: DIRTY DANCING Mambos its Way to Paris

The much beloved 1987 cult hit Dirty Dancing has been transformed into a live stage show and cha-cha'd its way to Paris and now tours the rest of France. The 1st version of this show played in London and became the fastest selling show in West End history. This story takes place in the Catskills and revolves around the teenage Baby (Gaëlle Pauly) and hot dance teacher Johnny (Benjamin Akl). It is always a challenge bringing a film to the stage due to the limited space, but it was dutifully done by director David Eguren and choreographer Coretin Mazo.

When you think of Dirty Dancing the 1st thing you think of is...DANCING and dance it does. The gorgeous and fabulous Charlotte Bermond in the role of Penny leads the dancing ensemble. She shines in the dance scenes and shows real emotional depth in her scenes. There are also those iconic songs that anyone who grew up in the late 80's sang along to like "The Time of My Life" and "Do You Love Me." In the singing department, Jérémy Amelin and Beehan, rocked the roof of Le Palais des Congres. They both have fantastic voices. Miss Beehan has a soaring belt, while Mr. Amelin switches from smooth crooner to full on pop singer.

I was happy to see a sold-out crowd at the vast Palais des Congres. It was obvious that most of the audience was a super fan of the movie. The line "No one puts Baby in the corner" (On ne laisse pas Bébé dans un coin...in French) was greeted by thunderous applause. The evening ended on a high note when Baby and Johnny performed their signature lift...yes you know the one!

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