Alex Scolari News

Alex Scolari always knew she wanted to perform. From the age of 5 she was performing in musical theatre productions in her community just outside Los Angeles. At the age of 9, she was competitively competing in dance with The Millennium Dance Complex's Junior Dance Company.

Spectacular dancing, heartfelt story, brilliant actors, classic songs.... The iconic film, DIRTY DANCING had all the makings to translate seamlessly onto the stage. However, unfortunately, it failed to deliver on all accounts. Written and conceived by Eleanor Bergstein, who has little to no previous stage experience, DIRTY DANCING is a lackluster and disappointing version of the far superior original. Perhaps it would've been best to leave Baby in the corner.

Since the dawn of the genre, stage shows have been adapted from various sources; books, other plays, poems, historical events, and, increasingly over the past two decades, movies. The best projects based on movies take what is special from the source material and use that as inspiration to form a fresh stage adaptation. However, the DIRTY DANCING National Tour, playing at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, April 3rd, focuses so intently on recreating the minutia of the film, that it completely misses what made it so captivating in the first place; authentic, compelling characters and an intimate, passionate story.

 Casting has been announced for DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE, coming to The Broward Center for the Performing Arts for a limited two week engagement.  Christopher Tierney and Rachel Boone will star as Johnny Castle and Frances "Baby" Houseman in the Fort Lauderdale premiere of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage.

Rachel Boone joins Christopher Tierney as Frances "Baby" Houseman and Johnny Castle as Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage continues its North American tour.  BroadwayWorld has a first look at the new cast in action below!

I know everyone will expect this review to begin with, "I've Had the Time of My Life," but I will skip that well-known song that serves as the finale to DIRTY DANCING and go back to the opening number which defines it so well as "This Magic Moment."

Prepare to be wowed by a fun, energetic jukebox musical, "DIRTY DANCING" now on stage at the beautiful Fisher Theatre in Detroit. This show is a live adaptation of the 1987 film, and was written by the same playwright Eleanor Bergstein; it focuses on civil rights, Vietnam, and class conflict. However, I believe this production promotes form over substance: let's hear it for the killer dancing, killer singing, killer songs and killer acting. It's hard to feel sorry for the economic disparity of a young man from the wrong side of the tracks when he takes off his clothes and he is a 100% ripped stud.

To begin at the end: the stage production of Dirty Dancing brought cheers and screams from the opening night audience of the Broadway in Louisville at Johnny's iconic line about Baby and at the even more iconic dance number following that flooded the stage. Gillian Abbott and Christopher Tierney, respectively, inhabit these roles with enough of a nod to the originals (Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze) that audiences are swept back to the 1987 movie.

You don't have to be an aficionado of Dirty Dancing, the 1987 film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey as a mismatched romantic duo brought together by some sexy dance moves at a Catskills resort, to find yourself loving every moment of Dirty Dancing, The Classic Story On Stage, now ensconced at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday.

Christopher Tierney recently assumed the iconic role of Johnny Castle tonight in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage in Chicago, where it ran through August 30. This marks the launch of the second year of the hugely successful national tour which will go on to play markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Nashville, Des Moines and Denver this season. A list of full tour dates can be found here. Check out a first look at Tierney in the role below!

Christopher Tierney assumes the iconic role of Johnny Castle tonight in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage as it opens tonight at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, where it will continue through August 30. This marks the launch of the second year of the hugely successful national tour which will go on to play markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Nashville, Des Moines and Denver this season. A list of full tour dates can be found here.

It's Saturday, and that means it's time for BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' roundup. Today's photos come from the casts of BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, Goodspeed's THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, BIG FISH, FAMILY FURNITURE, EVITA, WE WILL ROCK YOU and more!

West Coast Ensemble is thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed, smash-hit production of BIG, The Musical, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the motion picture 'BIG' written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins, Assassins) is EXTENDING THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 26 at West Coast Ensemble's new home - The El Centro Theatre, 800 N. El Centro Ave. in Hollywood.

West Coast Ensemble is thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed, smash-hit production of BIG, The Musical, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the motion picture 'BIG' written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins, Assassins) is EXTENDING THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 26 at West Coast Ensemble's new home - The El Centro Theatre, 800 N. El Centro Ave. in Hollywood.

West Coast Ensemble presents the second show of their 2009 season, BIG, The Musical, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the motion picture 'BIG' written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg. BIG, The Musical will be directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins, Assassins).

West Coast Ensemble presents the second show of their 2009 season, BIG, The Musical, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the motion picture 'BIG' written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg. BIG, The Musical will be directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins, Assassins).

Casting has been announced for the world premiere production of the new Jason Robert Brown musical 13