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Actor Sam Edgerly is having the time of his life each night onstage in “Dirty Dancing,” his first national Broadway tour.
Edgerly and the cast of the play dance into New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre this month.
As Robbie Gould, the egotistic ladies’ man whose dalliance with an instructor at a vacation camp in New York’s Catskill Mountains creates questions about the character of leading man Johnny Castle, Edgerly is the man everyone loves to hate.
“I haven’t played many smarmy roles in my short career,” Edgerly said during a break in shows in Houston. “When the audience first meets him, he is a nice guy who could do no wrong. But fans of the movie know what’s coming in advance. It’s been fun to play the guy that nobody likes.”
It was in March during a two-week acting workshop in New York that Edgerly first caught the attention of a “Dirty Dancing” casting director. He invited the 24-year-old Maryland native to come in for a reading.
“A few weeks later, I got the call that I was in,” Edgerly said. “I never dreamed my first time out on a national tour I’d play the bad guy.”
The theatrical production stays true to the 1987 film, which starred Jennifer Grey as Baby and the late Patrick Swayze as Johnny.
The story centers on the unexpected relationship that develops between Baby and dance teacher Johnny. Love blossoms between the two after they find themselves paired for a dance competition, but Baby’s conservative physician father forbids her from seeing Johnny.
Filled with music and dance, the show is captivating audiences across the country.
“The creative team did a good job creating a theatrical version of the movie,” Edgerly said. “Fans will find all the same iconic moments there. It’s a perfect replica of the movie.”
That’s not to say there are not new twists, however.
Edgerly said about 20 or more new scenes have been added to help flush out the story and better develop the characters.
“It’s an explosive show,” the actor said. “People come in being in love with the movie, and that is a huge help. Experiencing it live is something new.
“The best part of the show is that feeling of nostalgia people get from it,” he added.
At the end of the night, Edgerly bases the caliber of his performance on the audience’s reaction. “There’s a moment near the end when Robbie opens his mouth and Baby’s father rips up a check he’s given him,” he explained. “Usually that is where the audience let’s out a big cheer. I think that says I’ve done a good job if the audience walks away hating (Robbie).”
“Dirty Dancing” runs Dec. 16-21. Tickets range from $25 to $125 and are available through Ticketmaster.
Samuel Pergande (as dance instructor Johnny Castle) and the company of “Dirty Dancing” bring the show to New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre Dec. 16-21.
