“Dirty Dancing”—A Mid-Week Deal in Toronto
Earlier this week, I was excited to be part of a quartet that attended Dirty Dancing, at the Royal Alex Theatre in Toronto. We took advantage of a mid-week special (four tickets for the price of three), making a spontaneous same-day purchase. Sometimes, the best night’s entertainment happens when you don’t have long-term plans for it, but break routine.
Not only were the sets and costumes superb, but the cast was consistent and well-chosen. This wasn’t the kind of show that had you wondering when the interval was going to happen. And beyond the actual performance, we were also struck by deeper story-lines, like that of a nuclear family with two adult-children.
Siblings often have distinct personalities (and outcomes), and the daughters, Frances and Lisa, were excellent examples of this. Sometimes, one child can be seen to do no wrong, and the other child, no right. One has "higher goals" and she is misunderstood. The other ’s behavior is less commendable, but she’s more likely to get away with it (though not grow from her mistakes). Also, parents often seem to forget their own pasts when making suppositions and demonstrating differential treatment. Not knowing (or attempting to learn) all the facts, and making judgments for the wrong reasons can be problematic, unless non-family members have a chance to intervene.
Though much of the music was familiar, and there was a strong urge to want to go home and get dancing lessons, this staging of Dirty Dancing, it was clear, offered more than the immediately obvious. Seeing the movie years ago, I’d been more focused on visual and auditory effects. This time around (perhaps helped by the stellar performances of the leads) it was refreshing to be able to consider deeper messages and meanings. Lively afer-show discussion ensued!
