Dirty Dancing Opening Night Performance: My biased review

LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT.  I literally sat through the entire first half with a huge grin on my face.
 
But did you expect anything different.
 
The first half is pretty much word for word the entire first half of the movie.  And it rocks. 
 
And then the second half is a bit different than the movie - in a good way!  When I saw the writer of the film (and the play) Eleanor Bergstein speak at the 20th anniversary screening she said she added things to the play that she had wanted to do in the movie but couldn't in the time frame and added some things that over the years she wished she had done originally.  And it was great.  Gave a DD fanatic like me a new perspective on the story - which was so fun.
 
The set design is really, really cool in some parts.  I was impressed.
 
Penny was by far my favourite (as she is in the movie version)...and Billy was pretty cool too, what a voice on him.
 
Melissa O'Neil, the Canadian Idol 2005 is it in as well.  She's the lead singer.  She does have a pretty great voice.
 
And now Johnny and Baby.  I don't know what it is...but Johnny makes me swoon.  He is as cheese as cheesy can get, but be it Patrick Swayze or this guy - I LOVE JOHNNY!  (and there's a t-shirt with that on it at the merchandise stand, fyi)
 
I did feel that the actors were trying to play Jennifer Grey playing Baby and Patrick Swayze playing Johnny though.  They had a lot of the same mannerisms...which I guess is a good thing for diehard fans.  But I think I would have liked it if they put there own spin on the characters.
 
Oh - and the fight scene where Johnny beats up Robbie-the-creep was soo good.  It didn't seem fake at all. It was staged really well I thought...or maybe that's just the impression I got from way up in the upper balcony.
 
Which are good enough seats by the way.  And for $60 bucks...I'll go again...and again...and again...and again...and again...
 
I can hardly wait.
 
me.
 
PS
And as it was opening night...as I waited for my mom outside I got to watch all the red carpet interviews with ET Canada, Etalk, Global etc.  So cool.  What a great night.   

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