The new touring production of Dirty Dancing: The Musical will break off its North American route for a strictly limited Broadway engagement at the Lena Horne Theatre, running from February 12 to September 5, 2027, the year the 1987 film turns 40.
The run is a stop rather than a destination. The producers have booked a little under seven months at the Lena Horne, at 256 West 47th Street, and once it closes there on Sunday, September 5, the company goes back on the road. Performances begin on Friday, February 12, and a gala celebration performance is set for Sunday, March 14.
The production opened in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on August 12, 2026 as a new staging built for the road. Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the original screenplay, has written the book; Lonny Price, who played Neil Kellerman in the film, directs; and Darrell Grand Moultrie choreographs. The score is the film’s own music, played live, from (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life and Hungry Eyes to Do You Love Me? and She’s Like the Wind. The tour’s notices have been warm: in the Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones wrote that Price “has worked a miracle.”
The company numbers 27, and 21 of them will be making their Broadway debuts, among them the two leads. Annalese Starzec plays Frances “Baby” Houseman and Blake Zelesnikar plays Johnny Castle. With them are Olivia Cece as Penny Johnson, Bryan Fenkart as Jake Houseman, Dan Klimko as Neil Kellerman, Lily Kren as Lisa Houseman, Ashley LaLonde as Elizabeth, Gina Lamparella as Marjorie Houseman, Loren Lester as Max Kellerman, Ethan Peterson as Billy Kostecki and Erick Pinnick as Tito Suarez.
The ensemble is Emma Jade Branson, Marcus Byers, Jr., Jonas Cohen, Sarah Ellis, Aria Christina Evans, Anthony J. Gasbarre III, Zoe Edan Lemelman, Francesca Mancuso, Brett Rawlings, Jason Richards, Antony Sanchez, Grace Sautter, Neil Starkenberg, Fisher Lane Stewart, John Swapshire and Carmella Taitt.
The design team is Brett J. Banakis (sets), Emily Rebholz (costumes), Japhy Weideman (lighting), Kai Harada (sound), David Bengali (video) and Robert Pickens (hair, wigs and makeup). Joseph Joubert is music supervisor and arranger, Charlie Rosen orchestrates and Michael Thurber writes the dance arrangements. Casting is by The TRC Company / Claire Burke and Peter Van Dam, and Alchemy Production Group is general manager.
The Path Entertainment Group, Lionsgate and LD Entertainment produce, with Magic Hour Productions, Nederlander Presentations and John Gore Organization as co-producers. For Lionsgate the show is one piece of a wider move into live and location-based entertainment; the studio is separately developing a sequel to the film, with Jennifer Grey returning as Baby. Before New York, the tour plays on through the fall, with stops including Detroit, West Palm Beach, Boston and Toronto.
Tickets for the Broadway engagement go on general sale on Friday, October 9, at 10am ET through Broadway Direct. A fan presale opens the day before, Thursday, October 8, at 10am ET, with sign-up at DDmusical.com.
