Deadly Dull “Dancing” Lacks Rhythm

In order for a musical to work, it needs a few key ingredients. An engaging story, terrific songs, lots of dancing and interesting  characters.

Dirty Dancing, which opened at Providence Performing Arts Center Tuesday, is deadly dull. Based on the smash 1987 movie starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, the show is hampered by a clichéd storyline, witless dialogue and lackluster performances by the lead actors.

It is the summer of 1963. Frances “Baby” Houseman is vacationing with her family at a swanky resort in upstate New York. Baby meets Neil Kellerman, the clean-cut son of the owner, Max. When Penny, the leggy blonde dancer in the resort’s musical production, has to drop out due to a pregnancy, Baby steps into her shoes. But first she needs some dancing lessons from the muscular and handsome Johnny Castle. Soon they find themselves falling in love.

The show features over 30 songs. Oddly, the creators never have Baby and Johnny sing. The singing is performed by the background players. There are also instrumentals, which convey the time period rather effectively. Video projections create rural landscapes such as fields and mountains. It is all very pretty to look at.

However, almost nothing else in this show works. Gillian Abbott as Baby, and Samuel Pergande as Johnny, are terrific dancers and bear a faint resemblance to Grey and Swayze. Unfortunately, they fail to bring any life to their characters. Pergande gets to take his shirt off multiple times, but never makes Johnny into a real person. Abbott is slightly better, but is too often constrained by the mechanics of the plot. Their big love scene at the end of act one is supposed to be erotic, but falls flat.

The supporting cast also fails to make an impression. These are cardboard cut-outs, not people.

Eleanor Bergstein, who adapted her screenplay for the stage, deserves a lion’s share of the blame here. A snippet of Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is heard in one scene. It is clearly intended as social commentary, but is shockingly out of place in such a featherweight entertainment. The subplot about Penny’s abortion is in poor taste.

There were a few minor delights in the show. Jennlee Shallow, who has a small role as Elizabeth, shows a fabulous set of vocal skills on “We Shall Overcome” and “You Don’t Own Me.” Doug Carpenter delivers a superb rendition of “In The Still of the Night.” The finale, featuring the hit song “I’ve Had The Time of My Life,”  would have had greater impact if the story and the characters had been able to generate some dramatic interest.

My advice is to buy the movie soundtrack or a compilation of 1960s hits and save yourself a trip to the theater. Dirty Dancing always looks good, but never finds its rhythm.

Dirty Dancing runs until April 26 at Providence Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available for purchase online, by phone at (401) 421-2787 , or at the PPAC Box Office located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence.