Preview: Dirty Dancing at Sunderland Empire

GET SET FOR THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE AT SUNDERLAND EMPIRE THIS SUMMER!

OPENS NEXT WEEK!

Dirty Dancing

Sunderland Empire

Monday 26^th June - Saturday 1^st July 2017

Katie Eccles as Baby and

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

DIRTY DANCING IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

Exploding with heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing the smash-hit musical returns to Sunderland Empire for one week only, Monday 26 June – Saturday 1 July 2017, starring Lewis Griffiths as ‘Johnny Castle’, Katie Eccles as ‘Baby Houseman’ and Carlie Milner as ‘Penny Johnson’.

Photo: Alistair Muir

The classic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs 'Hungry Eyes', ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, returns to the UK, following two blockbuster West End runs, two hit UK tours, and various international productions.

Lizzie Ottley

Photo: Alistair Muir

Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, this record-breaking all new concept of the show is directed by Federico Bellone, choreographed by Gillian Bruce with set design re-imagined by top Italian designer Roberto Comotti. It premiered in Milan in July 2015, subsequently packing out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona, and then played a season in Rome.

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year- old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, she shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles across an all-night dance party at the staff quarters. Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor. Her life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off, and two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.

Katie Eccles as Baby and

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

Dirty Dancing –The Classic Story On Stage originally opened at London’s Aldwych Theatre in 2006 with a record-breaking advance of £15 million, making it the fastest ever selling show in West End theatre history. The production became the longest running show in the history of the Aldwych Theatre and played to over 2 million people during its triumphant 5 year run.

Katie Eccles as Baby and

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

Since its Australian debut in 2004, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, has become a worldwide phenomenon, with productions staged in the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout Europe, consistently breaking box office records. Recent sell out tours include France, Germany and Australia. The first ever UK tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, launched in 2011 and then returned to the West End in 2013 playing at the Piccadilly Theatre in London, prior to launching a second UK and Ireland tour.

Katie Eccles as Baby

Photo: Alistair Muir

Produced by Karl Sydow, Joye Entertainment and Paul Elliott, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions, and written by Eleanor Bergstein, script writer of the phenomenally successful 1987 film, the production features the much-loved characters and original dialogue from the iconic film, as well as exciting extra scenes added in. 

Katie Eccles as Baby and

Lewis Griffiths as Johnny

Photo: Alistair Muir

Website: www.dirtydancingontour.com

Tickets:

Tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or www.atgtickets.com/sunderland *calls cost up to 7p per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may apply to telephone and online bookings.