Dirty Dancing (Southampton – tour)
Act I bursts into sizzling, colourful life, with a stunning, tantalising and sexy performance of the Merengue.
Paul-Michael Jones oozes sensuality and gives a superb lead performance as Johnny Castle.
Baby- played by Emily Holt– delivers a strong performance which compliments Jones`s style.
The couple’s budding romance sizzles with sexuality and the atmosphere is tangible with eager anticipation, helping ignite the show with the passion and desire that is so atmospherically captured.
Show stealer Charlotte Gooch, playing Penny Johnson, gives a Dynamite performance… Nothing short of perfect! With elegant lines and dance precision- whilst empathically in touch with her character -the audience can’t take their eyes off of her.
Others deserving a special mention are Colin Charles` character Tito Suarez, who`s beautiful, velvety voice sends shivers down the spine and the amusing Neil Kellerman (Joe Evans) who keeps us entertained throughout.
The songs and music, including: “Be My Baby”,” Do You Love Me”, “Just One Look, and “Hungry Eyes” to name but a few, drift through this stunning show.
Kate Champions superb choreography treats the audience to an amazing array of stunning, gravity-defying, dance routines. A sublime sounding orchestra and outstandingly clever scene changes compliment the story brilliantly, and ensure this exciting show manages to inject fresh life into the plot while remaining true to the original 80`s story.
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The packed audience are in no doubt that we are ` Having the Time of our Lives` when Johnny strips to his boxers to display his dancer’s physique…Much to the delight of the female-dominated audience. The excited crowd are on their feet as Johnny storms through the stalls to interrupt the show and delivers the knock-out line “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” to his would be father in law.
“A Fool in Love”, “Duke of Earl”. ”If You Were the Only Girl in the World” along with “” Love is Strange” and “You don’t Own Me” make it possible to believe we are indeed living in the summer of `63.
A Stand –out performance by Thomas Aldridge in a warm, cheeky portrayal of Billy Kostecki, brings lots of joviality to his part and takes the show to new levels when he gets his opportunity to shine as a vocalist, gaining the largest applause from the audience with his rendition of
“In the Still of the Night”.
The Finale comes all too soon as we thrill to the fabulously sensuous dance by Jones and Holt to the emotive song “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life”.
This whole show is a gorgeous feast of dance and song….Fantastic..Brilliant!
