VIDEO: Preview of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage

MANILA, Philippines - The worldwide smash hit musical Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage is set to make Filipino hearts thumping with well-loved classics such as “Time of My Life”, “Do You Love Me?”, “Hey Baby”, and “Hungry Eyes” when it makes its debut starting July 4, 2013 at the CCP Main Theater.

Get to know the three principal cast below:

BRYONY WHITFIELD
Frances “Baby” Houseman

Training: Geraldine Cross School of Ballet (1993-2004) South Africa, Waterfront Theatre School (2005-2007) Cape Town, Health and Fitness Professional Association (2008).

Theatre: Sillabub in Pieter Torien's Cats (2009/2010), Richard Loring's African Footprint (2010 France and SA tour), Corps de Ballet and understudy Meg Giry in Pieter Torien's The Phantom of the Opera (2011-2012).

TV: Commercials - Wimpy Epic XL burger, Nokia C3 Refresher Campaign, Game, Vodacom, Diahatsu Terios.

Other Credits: Corporate theatre: Metro Awards, Comic Choice Awards, Standard Bank, Chevrolet Spark, Isuzu Endurance Challenge, Samsung, Vodacom and Bidvest 2011 and 2012.

Choreographers worked with: Debbie Rakusin, David Bloch, David April, Harold van Buuren, Tyrone Watkins, Natalie Fischer, Adele Blank.

GARETH BAILEY
Johnny Castle

Training: Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts, London

Credits: Robbie, 1ST Cover Johnny, Dirty Dancing, UK Tour; Neil Diamond, Brother Love’s Travelling  Salvation Show, UK; Rhurgold cover Dustin and Grease Ball, Starlight Express, UK Tour; Policeman, Top Cat, Wimbledon Theatre, London; Dancer, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Theatre Royal Plymouth, UK; A Rab, West Side Story, Assembly Halls Tunbridge Wells, UK; Alan Deluca, A Chorus Line, Avondale Theatre, UK; Ensemble, My Fair Lady, Avondale Theatre; Sid, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Landor Theatre, UK; Robbie, Shopping &F***ing, Avondale Theatre, UK.

MILA DE BIAGGI
Penny Johnson

Training:  The Cape Academy of Performing Arts (Cape Town), Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company Dance Journey Programme (Israel).

Theatre:  Headshots, Crazy Little Thing (Anton Luitingh & Duane Alexander), Cape Dance Company (Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the Ailey Citigroup Theatre in New York, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the International Dance competition in Spain, the Salisbury Arts Festival in England), Razor Tongue, Kissing Frogs (Nathalie Vijver), Bovim Ballet Dance Company’s Queen at the Ballet, Express Dance Company’s La Burlesque. 

Film/TV: Dancer on High School Musical: SPOTLIGHT SOUTH AFRICA M-NET, Adverts for Woolworths, Virgin Active, Marshalls USA, Bollywood and MTN.

Other credits:  The only junior South African finalist at the 2010 Cape Town International Ballet Competition (Artscape Opera house).  Appeared in numerous solo performances at the Artscape Theatre as a guest artist and choreographer in 2012.

When asked how they thought the stage production differ from the performance on film, Bailey says that as Dirty Dancing is internationally known, there comes the pressure for everybody in the production to always raise the bar. 

"You can’t put an iconic a production on stage that is well-known, without executing it at a high level," Bailey adds. "You face the challenge of stepping into somebody’s shoes like Patrick Swayze or Jennifer Grey but at least you have a reference point. It is a fantastic tool to have. You get to watch these moments like this fantastic close-up of Patrick Swayze’s face and you can see this cheeky kind of smile. Now I can’t recreate that cinematic close-up on stage but what I can do is take that energy and that energy feeds out to the audience."

"That iconic lift that everyone is waiting for, you have one chance to do it, you can’t get it wrong. Not like in film where you have a second or third take to get it right," says Bailey.

The three likewise gave local media a glimpse of what to expect. Check out the video below: