Have the time of your life with ‘Dirty Dancing’ on stage

Baby and Johnny in 'Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage' at the National Theatre. (Courtesy National Theatre)
Johnny and Penny show Baby some dance moves. (Courtesy National Theatre)
Johnny and Penny get their groove on. (Courtesy National Theatre)
The original 1987 movie.(Courtesy National Theatre)
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WASHINGTON — It was the time of our lives for an entire generation thanks to the sultry dance moves of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in “Dirty Dancing.”

Now, you can relive the unforgettable love story in a new musical at National Theatre in Northwest D.C.

The production, in town through Sept. 14, features some of the same hit songs, including “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

“I grew up watching [the movie],” says Samuel Pergande, who plays hunky Johnny Castle.

“I have a twin sister, and we used to practice ‘the lift’ in the pool.”

“This is a cool show because, no matter what, the audience just eats it up,” adds Jillian Mueller, who reprises the role of Frances “Baby” Houseman.

Indeed, “Dirty Dancing” the musical has already made a name for itself across the globe. The London production, which featured Pergande as Robbie and later Johnny, became one of the longest running shows in the West End. It closed in 2011.

The story is set in New York’s Catskill Mountains in the summer of 1963. Baby is on vacation with her family, and becomes mesmerized by the racy dance moves she discovers in the resort staff’s living quarters. She longs to be part of the excitement, but her dad has other plans for his little girl.

Like Baby, Mueller is no stranger to working long hours to get what she wants. The New Jersey native spent her childhood singing and dancing, and eventually made her way onto Broadway. She has starred in “Flashdance,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and Green Day’s “American Idiot.”

“I never wanted to be normal,” she says. “I always wanted to be on stage.”

Growing as a dancer wasn’t as easy for Pergande. Born in Milwaukee, he encountered resistance from people who teased him for wanting to study ballet. He quit dancing “because of the ridicule,” but was soon inspired to ignore the gibes and continue following his passion.

His biggest inspiration?

“Patrick Swayze had an incredible sense of masculinity,” he says. “You never questioned his performance or his right to be a dancer.”

Watching Swayze shoot to stardom after the 1987 film encouraged Pergande to continue dancing. Now, he says playing Johnny is a dream come true.

“The reality is, this is a fantastic love story,” he says. “It just never gets old.”

Click here for ticket information. And go behind the scenes of “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage” with the video below:

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