Baby on Broadway: ’Dirty Dancing’ musical in the works
Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but she’ll soon be headed to Broadway.
A musical adaptation of the film Dirty Dancing is in the works. The production, simply titled Dirty Dancing: The Musical, is set to premiere in late 2025 with a run through North America.
The classic 1987 film starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey as star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of a ’60s New York State resort. Original writer Eleanor Bergstein is returning to develop the musical and cast member Lonny Price, who played the character Neil Kellerman, will direct.
“Stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling production and get ready to have the time of your life – all over again,” a press release promises.
Maggie Smith, the venerable British actress whose career on stage, film and television spanned more than 60 years, has died. She was 89.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed she had died in a statement to the Press Association.
Having appeared in more than 50 films, Smith was considered one of Britain’s best-known actresses and was beloved by recent generations for her roles as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and the Dowager Countess of Grantham on television’s Downton Abbey.
In addition to winning two Academy Awards, Smith earned five BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony Award. In 1990, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
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Good Morning Americacaught up with Emmy presenter Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife, Jessica Betts, at the event’s after-party Sunday, and they spoke about queer representation on TV.
“Everyone wants to be fully seen,” Niecy said, “and, you know, we are happy to be representations of that.” Niecy and Jessica tied the knot in 2020.
She continued, “We applaud when others are [a] representation of that, and I just think that TV has to look like the real world at some point.”
During Sunday night’s ceremony, Niecy took the stage in the program’s salute to TV cops, joining NYPD Blue‘s Jimmy Smits and Miami Vice veteran Don Johnson. Niecy played Deputy Raineesha Williams on the beloved comedy series Reno: 911.
“Raineesha brought two important things to being a cop,” Nash-Betts said from the stage. “A marginal knowledge of the law and the belief that you can’t fight crime if you ain’t cute.”
If Ariana Grande ever decides to give up singing and acting, she could always play Vegas as an impressionist. She showed off her incredible gift for mimicry on the Oct. 12 edition of Saturday Night Live, which she was hosting for the first time since 2016.
Ari kicked off the show with a monologue in which she swore to keep it “low-key,” and then busted out a song that was all about how she wasn’t going to do any number of things, which she, of course, did. One of them was doing vocal impressions, followed by her impersonating Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani in rapid succession. “Either way, this much is clear/ If you’re looking for a diva, don’t look over here,” she sang, while striking a diva pose.
She then went on to appear in nearly every sketch. Some highlights:
Ari hilariously impersonates Céline Dion’s recent promo for Sunday Night Football, except this time, she’s singing about how great (and violent) the UFC is: “It’s all coming back to me, but maybe not to them, because of the concussions, no?”
She and Chloe Finemando dueling, spot-on Jennifer Coolidge impressions in a fake commercial for Maybelline — which causes Ari to briefly break and start laughing.
Ari plays a highly competitive mom who verbally abuses her son’s boyfriend, played by Bowen Yang, as a way of testing whether or not he’s “strong” enough to be with her “weak” son. She and Yang, her Wicked co-star, share a kiss at the end.
In a short called My Best Friend’s House, Ari plays a young girl who sings about how she loves how her bestie’s house smells — only to learn that her best friend’s dad is a serial killer.
In Renaissance Italy, Ariana plays a young boy whose parents castrated him to preserve his super-high singing voice — a real thing that was done back then. This gives Ari the chance to sing “Twist and Shout” at the very top end of her register.
Ari and the female SNL castmembers sing an “Espresso” parody as bridesmaids detailing what they got up to at the bride’s bachelorette weekend. Spoiler alert: The marriage is over.