The audience were left hot under the collar after Michael O'Reilly and Kira Malou danced their sexiest version of the Mambo on Tuesday night.
Leeds Grand Theatre presented the classic story of Dirty Dancing on stage on Tuesday night, as part of the production's UK and Ireland 2023 tour - and it certainly didn't disappoint. The performance by Eleanor Bergstein, directed by Federico Bellone took the audience back to the summer of 1963, when America was enhancing huge change in civil rights.
The show, which is currently in Leeds following a season at London’s Dominion Theatre, took the audience through a dance of emotions - sexy, flirtatious, raunchy and full of passion. And, the women hecklers certainly loved the eye-candy that was Michael O'Reilly as Johnny Castle.
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I have seen the movie a thousand times and always wondered what Dirty Dancing would be like on stage - I wasn't disappointed. Bergstein's on stage version of the classic film was probably one of the best theatre performances I've seen in a long time, if not ever.
The show, which told the story of Baby holidaying with her parents at a resort before becoming smitten with the resort's rebellious dance instructor, Johnny - which creates ripples in her family - was told impeccably. But, it also added some new scenes to engage with the audience which left viewers in hysterics. We also saw some added scenes between Johnny and Baby as well as scenes about the parents.
The sets unfolded simultaneously into one another. Something would be happened at one end of the stage while the next scene was getting underway elsewhere at the same time. And as for the singing - every note was hit and it gave me Goosebumps in the audience watching the scenes unfold. I loved how the Kelleman's band would perform behind most scenes in a bid to tell more of the story - it really was put together brilliantly.
Kira Malou as Frances "Baby" Houseman and Michael O'Reilly as Johnny Castle worked perfectly together, the chemistry and flirtatiousness between the pair as they danced together was faultless. And as they performed the famed lift to 'The Time of My Life, a song by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, the audience crumbled to a roar of cheer and cat-whistles.
And the hecklers made sure the cast knew just how desirable they were - especially in the passionate shirtless scenes.
I think a few men - and women - in the audience had to hide from their partners how much they enjoyed watching Georgia Aspinall dance in a sensual and seductive manner in the role of Penny, Johnny's dance professional partner. Jack Loy made the character, Jake Houseman, hilarious to watch - every role was played brilliantly.
At no point did I want to take my eyes off the stage as cast members reduced the audience to laughter and made us feel every ounce of the music as the Mambo dancers sensually expressed each move with the movements of their hips. Its certainly made me want to take up a new hobby.
The humour brought to the two-hour show left the audience as a sea of smirks, grins and laughter by the end - and a crumbling mess after all that steamy dancing. There wasn't a frown is sight between the 1,466 people who attended the show on Tuesday. It even had a standing ovation as the audience sang along to the finale songs and cheers lifted the roof off Leeds Grand Theatre.
Dirty Dancing is a must see.
You can book tickets to see Dirty Dancing here.
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