Jon Driscoll News

If you're a fan of the film DIRTY DANCING then I have no doubt you'll find plenty to be excited about with the stage version that is currently playing at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. It's extremely faithful to the original movie, in fact it may be so much so that you might ask yourself what the point is, since you can always rent or purchase the DVD and watch it over and over to your heart's delight. But, despite that, I think it's a show that has a very broad appeal, and I can see it winning favor with both fans and newbies. And, there's just something special about seeing a show live that can't be, or rarely is, duplicated by Hollywood. That's why I find it especially odd that it's taken ten years for this show to go on a national tour of the USA since it's conception in 2004 in Australia.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre has announced that the national tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage will play at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis today, October 21 - November 2, 2014.

Just in case Jillian Mueller needs a new dance partner on the DIRTY DANCING: THE MUSICAL tour, I think we've found one. While he's not as tall as Samuel Pergande, he sure has the moves. In a Facebook post, 'Laine Kristina' posted a video of her son Charlie reenacting every move of the iconic routine to '(I've Had) The Time of My Life.'

DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE will play at Jacksonville's Times-Union Center's Moran Theater from Tuesday, December 9th through Sunday, December 14th for eight performances only. Tickets for DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE go on sale Friday, October 10th at 10AM through the FSCJ Artist Series, sponsored by Chase, the official presenter of the Jacksonville show.

Dirty Dancing is iconic. An immeasurable amount of people have seen the 1987 film and adapting it for a stage show was a very clever move by the producers. The last time I saw this production was at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2012 so I was interested to see it again in a different venue. This is its second UK and Ireland tour and last night's sell out performance at the Wolverhampton Grand shows that the allure is still there.

Based on the 1987 film of the same name, Dirty Dancing tells the classic coming of age story documenting a teenage girl's relationship with a dance instructor whom she encountered during her family's summer vacation.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre has announced that the national tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage will play at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis October 21 - November 2, 2014.

Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the screenplay for the iconic film DIRTY DANCING as well as the book for the stage production, was recognized during the curtain call on the opening night of DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE at National Theatre on Tuesday, September 2. The show plays the National Theatre through September 14 before embarking on a 30-city North American tour. As she joined the cast on stage, Bergstein said, 'We are so excited to launch our national tour in the nation's capital.' Scroll down for photos!

While fans of the sleeper hit movie will be far from disappointed, DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE foxtrots the line between underdeveloped production and campy, brainless fun.

Samuel Pergande and Jillian Mueller star as Johnny Castle and Frances 'Baby' Houseman in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage. The stage musical of the worldwide smash-hit film opens tonight, September 2, at the National Theatre, 10 years after the original stage production received its world premiere in Sydney, Australia.

Samuel Pergande and Jillian Mueller star as Johnny Castle and Frances 'Baby' Houseman in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage. The stage musical of the worldwide smash-hit film begins performances tonight, August 26 in Washington, D.C. prior to a September 2 opening night at the National Theatre, 10 years after the original stage production received its world premiere in Sydney, Australia.

Samuel Pergande and Jillian Mueller will star as Johnny Castle and Frances "Baby" Houseman in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage. The stage musical of the worldwide smash-hit film begins performances August 26 in Washington, D.C. prior to a September 2 opening night at the National Theatre, 10 years after the original stage production received its world premiere in Sydney, Australia.

Ghost the Musical/book & lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin/music & lyrics by Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard/directed by Matthew Warchus/Pantages Theatre/through July 13

Broadway In Detroit is delighted to announce that the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ will play the Detroit Opera House, June 17 - 29, 2014.

Broadway In Detroit is delighted to announce that the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ will play the Detroit Opera House, June 17 - 29, 2014.

I hesitated to review the current touring production of THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fox Theatre, through May 18, 2014), which has been adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams, because even though I thought it told essentially the same tale as the original, I didn't particularly care for it. There's certainly a lot more spectacle than you'd find in your typical production, but the script is so camped up, and the additional songs so mundane, that it comes off as trying that they may have been trying a little too hard when they updated the show. In any event, the flashy and colorful show seemed to appeal to the crowd, but I'm wondering if they're aware of how much it's been pared down technically so that it could tour and play different size venues.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Andrew Lloyd Webber says there's a 'strong possibility' that his next musical, School of Rock, will premiere on Broadway instead of the West End due to more relaxed laws on child performers in the United States. The West End requires the hiring of 3-4 child actors for one role, which makes casting difficult.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre has announced that the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ will play today, May 13-18 in St. Louis.

Two-time Olivier Award winner Simon Russell Beale's performance in the title role of William Shakespeare's KING LEAR, directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, will be seen by cinema audiences worldwide when NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE broadcasts the production live from the National's Olivier Theatre today, May 1, 2014, with varying dates internationally and encore screenings to follow.

The first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ will follow the yellow brick road to Philadelphia for a limited engagement at the Academy of Music beginning June 3 - June 8 as part of the Broadway Philadelphia season, presented by The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and The Shubert Organization.The press opening is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m.