A New Production Of DIRTY DANCING Comes To The State Theatre

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage continues to dazzle with a new production and North American tour. After three successful years on tour boasting numerous sold out engagements, this new adaptation of the worldwide smash-hit film, currently celebrating its 30th Anniversary, will make a stop in the Lehigh Valley at The State Theatre on June 21 and June 22, 2018.

Show time is 7:30 PM for both nights. Tickets are $65/$59 and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610.252.3132 or online at www.statetheatre.org. Sponsored by: M&T Bank, Sheridan Communications, Adams Outdoor, 69 WFMZ, B104, & The Morning Call.

Producers also announced today new direction by Sarna Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George - Broadway; War Horse - North American tour). Leading a company of 24 are Aaron Patrick Craven as Johnny Castle and Kaleigh Courts as Francis "Baby" Houseman. They are joined by Anaïs Blake as Penny Johnson, Erica Lee Cianciulli as Marjorie Houseman, Nickolaus Colõn as Billy Kostecki/Singer, Ryan Cupello as Robbie Gould, Buddy Daniels Friedman as Mr. Schumacher, Rick Grossman as Max Kellerman, Demitra Pace as Lisa Houseman, Owen Russell as Neil Kellerman, Christopher Robert Smith as Dr. Jake Houseman and RaMond Thomas as Tito Suarez. The ensemble is comprised of Alex Caldwell, Ayla Ciccone-Burton, Amanda Clement, J'royce Jata, Hunter Mikles, Honza Pelichovksy, Erica Philpot, Joshua Clifton Powell, Hannah Straney, Jay Stuart, Kesley Walsh and Aidan Ziegler-Hansen.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage features an eight piece band that performs the timeless hits on stage, led by Conductor Alan J. Plado (Keyboard) and Associate Conductor Jonathan Marro (Keyboard). The band also includes Ethan Hack-Chabot (Guitar), Michael Bliss (Reeds), Adam Hradisky (Drums), Ryan McCausland (Percussion), Jared Pasimio (Bass) and Patrick Stouffer (Trumpet).

The production's book is written by Eleanor Bergstein, author of the original script of the film, and the North American tour is choreographed by Michele Lynch based on the original choreography by Kate Champion. The creative team also includes Mikiko Suzuki (Scenic Design), Ken Billington (Lighting Design), Jennifer Irwin (Costume Design), Leon Rothenberg (Sound Design), Bernie Ardia (Hair Design), Conrad Helfrich (Music Supervisor and Orchestrations) and Alan J. Plado (Music Director). Stewart/Whitley is the casting director for this tour.

"As I learned how many people watched the movie over and over and over," said Eleanor Bergstein, screenwriter of the film Dirty Dancing and book writer for the production, "I began to think that what they really wanted was to share more physically in the event, to step through the screen and be there while the story was happening. And if that was true, then its natural form was theatre - live audiences watching live bodies dancing and singing here and now in the present - on the log, on the bridge, on the dance floor and in the staff quarters at Kellerman's. Writing it for the stage, I was also able to add more scenes with Baby and Johnny, more about the family, more about the period in which it was set, more songs I couldn't afford last time, and, best of all - more dancing. We have added 20 new original scenes and 36 numbers of live music played by an eight piece band onstage, which invite the audience to come into Kellerman's and experience the story in a whole new way as a live event as it happens."

North American tour booking arrangements are provided by The Road Company.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this timeless love story features the hit songs "Hungry Eyes," "Hey Baby," "Do You Love Me?" and the heart-stopping "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life." London's Sunday Express says "This crowd-pleasing stage adaptation hits the jackpot!"

It's the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is on vacation in New York's Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents. Mesmerized by the racy dance moves and pounding rhythms she discovers in the resort's staff quarters, Baby can't wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle, the resort's sexy dance instructor. Passions ignite and Baby's life changes forever when she is thrown in to the deep end as Johnny's leading lady, both on-stage and off.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Sydney, Australia in November 2004 before embarking upon a hugely successful tour of Australia and New Zealand. A new production opened at the Theater Neue Flora in Hamburg, Germany in March 2006 where it broke records for achieving the highest advance in European history.

The production, having begun performances on London's West End in October 2006 with a record breaking £15 million advance and a complete sell-out for the first six months, went on to become the longest running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre. It closed in July 2011 in advance of a two-year UK national tour and then returned to London for a strictly limited season at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage continued its success with its commercial premiere in the Western Hemisphere in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on November 15, 2007. The engagement ended on March 29, 2009, having performed to over 800,000 people. Shortly before the show closed in Toronto, the production's first North American tour began, making its debut in Chicago on September 2, 2008 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and continuing on to Boston and Los Angeles. The show returned to Australia with a new smash hit tour that premiered in late 2014 in honor of the stage production's 10th anniversary.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage has also been performed across the world in markets as diverse as Hong Kong, Sweden, Utrecht, Holland, Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. The show has been represented in other major markets, including a UK tour (launched March 2014 in Bristol), a German tour (launched April 2014 in Berlin) and an Italian production (launched October 2014 in Milan). Following the Italian tour's premier in Milan, the production sold out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona and went on to receive critical acclaim for its engagement in the capital city of Rome. With additional sold out engagements in Paris and Vienna, the show continues to tour in France and German speaking territories. The French tour alone has played to over 500,000 people since its launch in January 2015.

The North American tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage is produced by Amber Jacobsen, NETworks Presentations LLC and Col Joye in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions.

For more information and tour dates, please visit http://us.dirtydancingontour.com/.

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