‘Dirty Dancing’ to launch its North American tour at the Ordway

Minnesotans will get a chance to have the time of their lives at the Ordway Center this summer.

The St. Paul venue announced Feb. 4 that it will launch a national tour of a new production of “Dirty Dancing: The Musical.”

Based on the 1987 film, which earned over $200 million at the box office, the story centers on a bright-eyed young woman who falls for her dance teacher.

The show will land in St. Paul nearly a year after Minneapolis saw the premiere of “Purple Rain,” based on Prince’s 1984 film.

“Dirty” is the latest in a series of high-wattage Twin Cities premieres that stretch back to “The Lion King.”

“We’re all part of this rich Twin Cities ecology of using arts to tell our stories and bring communities together,” said Ordway President and CEO Chris Harrington. “’Dirty Dancing’ transcends generations and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.”

The director of the musical knows the film intimately. Lonny Price, who staged “Sunset Boulevard” and “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway and launched the national tour of “Peter Pan” at the Ordway in 2023, played Neil Kellerman in the 1987 original.

The production has been brewing for years, Harrington said, and he feels gratified that the show’s producers, including film studio Lionsgate, trusts the Ordway to showcase such a classic property.

Perhaps the St. Paul venue earned it. Ordway officials gave studio representatives a tour of the Ordway’s facilities.

“We showed off our improved sound and lighting systems and, of course, the Twin Cities have the best audiences in the world,” Harrington said.

No stars have been announced for “Dirty,” which opens Aug. 12 and is slated to run for three or four weeks.

Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the original screenplay, is doing the stage adaptation.