I had the time of my life (Dirty Dancing (Musical))

Member Name: Emily_09

Product:	Dirty Dancing (Musical)
Date:	01/08/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything!

Disadvantages: Some songs not fully sung

Go to see this musical without trying to compare it to the film and you will have a great time, spend the entire show comparing it to the film like the woman sitting behind me and you will not.
Ever since watching Dirty Dancing I have always loved the songs, characters and storyline and so, when my mum and I booked to see the musical, I couldn't wait. Luckily the show exceeded my expectations!
Dirty Dancing is currently performed in the Aldwych theatre in London which, in itself, is impressive with its beautiful decor and old fashioned feel. The theatre is easy to get to and we found that Covent Garden was one of the nearest tube stations to the theatre. On arriving, we were greeted by a massive queue of people all waiting to get inside and my heart sank at the thought of having to wait hours just to get in. The queue moved remarkably quickly however and we were soon seated, so don't be put off by a seemingly neverending queue of people. We'd already booked our tickets for the matinee show ( starting at 3pm) , however the theatre wasn't completely full so last minute tickets were available. We paid around £38 for our tickets and were seated right at the front on the second level of the theatre. These seats were perfect and gave a great view of the stage. The show is performed twice on Fridays and Saturdays (once at 3pm and once at 7.30pm) and at 7.30 every other night of the week until October this year.

The show itself was everything I had expected and more. Although at the start it was a little difficult to connect with the actors playing Johnny and Baby, (the two main characters in the plot) I soon warmed to them and by the end was glued to their antics on stage. The songs were bright and lively and even the men in the audience, (who had walked in with long faces and a paper tucked under their arm) gave in and were tapping their feet to the music.
Baby, played by Hannah Vassallo, didn't sing during the performance and Johnny (Martin Harvey) only sang a very small part at the end. For me, this was a good thing as the quality of the dancing of these two characters was so good that too much vocal input on their part may have taken away the emphasis on their movements. This also gave some of the other characters a chance to shine, many of whom had amazing voices. The atmosphere among the audience is also great and the die hard fans who know every line of the film are not afraid to get really involved in the piece. The special effects were just as impressive as you expect of a London show and leave you with no doubts that no expense has been spared to make the performance outstanding.
My only issue with the musical was the fact that my favourite song, 'She's like the wind', wasn't sung during the show. The music is played towards the end but I was disappointed that I wasn't able to sing along, as the song itself is not included. However I soon got over my disappointment, as the finale (cue I've haddd the time of my liiiife...') was fantastic. The enthusiasm of the dancers, gorgeous voices of the singers and general atmosphere made a fitting end to a brilliant show.

Summary: Fantastic and well worth it