“Offer the Parisian public the time of their life”: Dirty Dancing arrives on the French scene in November 2024!

• Dirty Dancing, the original story on stage – from November 22 to December 29 at the Dôme de Paris (34 boulevard Victor, 75015 Paris) – Reserve your places

We don’t leave Baby in a corner… but on the stage of the Dôme de Paris. Adapted from the cult film led by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray which has crossed generations since 1987, the show Dirty Dancing arrives in France, with 10 million spectators around the world.

On the program: around thirty artists on stage including six live musicians, hundreds of costumes, songs, dance, love… and Michael O’Reilly, 27 years old, essential Johnny Castle of London’s West End for five years, who now takes on the challenge of reprising the role in French. AlloCiné met him.

AlloCiné: “Dirty Dancing” has crossed generations since 1987, how do you explain this longevity and this cult following around the film which could be considered a little “gnangnan”?

Michael O’Reilly: My favorite answer to this question is actually a quote from Patrick Swayze: “Everyone wishes someone would look deep within them and love them for who they really are.”. I think it’s very true: we all want a love like this. This story can be seen as corny because the music, the actors and some of the dialogue have become iconic. But the message of the show is timeless, it is true love.

BOBY

You have been playing the role of Johnny Castle for several years on the London stage, what does this role mean to you? Do you remember your audition and when you got the role? How do you feel when you put on the costume?

Dirty Dancing touches me so much. It was my first job right out of college. I fell in love with Johnny Castle and Patrick Swayze, his passion and respect for art blew me away. I know this story means so much to so many people. I feel the weight of this responsibility and I do everything in my power to make each show special.

Which elements of the show provoke the most reactions from spectators? The famous “porté”? The line “We don’t leave Baby in a corner”?

“We don’t leave Baby in a corner” often gets the most cries, but every night there is someone who bursts into tears when we do the lift. I can’t explain it, except that we love this story so much.

BOBY

Speaking of the lift, is it the most complex dance element of your choreographies or are there more difficult movements? What was the greatest physical and artistic challenge in this adventure?

The end lift is actually not that difficult. If you have a good partner, you have confidence and you have plenty of rehearsal time. It’s just a matter of repetition. The most difficult dance, by far, is the mambo: it’s so fast and so technical, it’s a challenge! What I really loved about doing the West End show was finding Johnny’s voice. I didn’t want to imitate Patrick Swayze, so I listened to interviews with him for months so I could find his voice and intonation to play the lines with my own intention but with his voice.

What is your greatest memory from your years on the West End stage? Was there a particular performance that left a lasting memory for you? A really crazy or memorable evening?

I will never forget the first night my family came to see me on stage. Growing up playing rugby and being the captain, they certainly never thought I would play Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing. It was a beautiful moment and they were so proud, it meant everything to me.

BOBY

You are going to play in the French version this fall, what challenges does that represent?

I’m going to perform the show in another language! This is by far the most difficult challenge of my career: I feel a huge responsibility towards the French language and the French, so I am doing everything possible to bring the best Johnny of my career to this stage. It’s so exciting. It’s a beautiful city and a huge venue, the energy will be electric. I work every day to be mentally and physically ready and put on the best show every night.

Did you know that the French version of the film offers some slightly strange lines, which were almost improvised at the time by the actors and which have become cult today, like the baby’s famous “wild horse” tirade? Will we find these subtleties in the French version of the musical?

All the cult sequences and lines that audiences have come to know and love will be in the show. Our goal is to bring audiences into the world of the Kellermans so they can have “the time of their lives” for real and not just through their television screen.

What do you want to say to the French public, two months before the Premiere? What can they expect?

I’m very attached to this show and I can’t wait for them to see it, it’s going to be amazing. We have such a talented team and we have so much love and respect for this show, we are going to give everything we have to give Parisian audiences “the time of their lives” this winter. Personally, I would say that it was a real honor to prepare for this role in French. Learning the language and culture and meeting so many new friends, teachers and artists along the way. I’m bringing the best Johnny of my life to this stage in November and I can’t wait.

BOBY

After all these years, do you still enjoy playing Johnny? And can you still watch the film?

Playing this role has been an honor and a privilege. It’s such a demanding role, in preparation and performance, it keeps me beyond busy. And seeing the audience’s reaction every night is all an actor can ask for. Bringing joy to so many people is the greatest gift I can think of. I watch the movie very rarely, but when I do it always makes me smile and cry, I have so many memories and emotions attached to this story and I am grateful for each and every one of them.

We have sorely missed Patrick Swayze since his death in 2009. What does he mean to you? If you could have met him, what would you have liked to say to him?

When he died in 2009, I never imagined he would have such an incredible impact on my life. I would say thank you to him. For pouring his soul and all his passion into his work. He created so many characters that we fell in love with because he was such a wonderful actor. But also because he was so involved. I would like to thank him for inspiring and leading the way, I hope we continue his legacy with the same passion and care with which he lived his life.

The trailer for the cult film