Dirty Dancing – Bradford Alhambra
‘I like that Johnny, he ticks a few boxes.’
That was one woman’s verdict on ripped Michael O’Reilly who plays the hero of this musical version of the classic kitsch movie, and evidently shared by someone who wolf whistled at the start when he merely sauntered onstage wearing his shades.
In fairness to the talented O’Reilly he’s far more than just a six pack as he brings the required swagger and some strong dancing to Johnny who is the moody dance instructor at an early sixties American holiday resort. It’s no spoiler to anyone familiar with film history to reveal that privileged holidaymaker Baby falls in love with the muscled blue-collar dancer.
The musical is pretty much a scene by scene recreation of the movie that at heart is a coming of age story at the end of the golden Eise...