‘Dirty Dancing’ is finally boogying onto Broadway next year—who should play Johnny and Baby?

Photograph: Courtesy Matthew Murphy

Somebody clear a little space for the lift: Dirty Dancing is finally coming to Broadway. Nearly four decades after Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey turned a Catskills summer romance into classic sleepover viewing, the stage adaptation is coming to Lena Horne Theatre.

Dirty Dancing: The Musical will begin performances on February 12, 2027, with an official opening scheduled for March 14. The limited engagement runs through September 5 before the production heads back out on tour. Annalese Starzec will play Frances “Baby” Houseman opposite Blake Zelesnikar as Johnny Castle, with the current touring company making the trip to New York intact. Zelesnikar’s credits include Broadway’s An American in Paris, so he’s acquainted with the demands of dancing for a theater full of people.

The production arrives in time for the 1987 film’s 40th anniversary, bringing its story of forbidden romance, class tensions and one transformative family vacation to the stage. Set at a Catskills resort in 1963, it follows Baby as she falls for dance instructor Johnny and discovers that the most interesting things happening at Kellerman’s aren’t on the official activities schedule.

Expect familiar soundtrack favorites including “Hungry Eyes,” “She’s Like the Wind” and, naturally, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the original screenplay, also wrote the stage adaptation. Another behind-the-scenes connection: director Lonny Price played Neil Kellerman, the resort owner’s grandson, in the film. Darrell Grand Moultrie handles the choreography.

Although versions of the show have been traveling the world since its Australian debut in 2004, this will be its first Broadway run. The latest incarnation has been substantially overhauled with a new director and designers, giving longtime fans a fresh reason to revisit that summer at Kellerman’s.

Ticket presales begin October 8 at 10 am EST, with registration through the musical’s official website. General sales start October 9 at 10 am through Broadway Direct, leaving two days to assemble your fellow Swayze devotees.

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