Get ready for ‘The Time of Your Life’ 💃

One line from Dirty Dancing became a national catchphrase in 1987 that still hasn’t lost its appeal. Although the movie is almost 40 years old, many of us are still saying that line. You know the one.

But have you ever considered what it might feel like to be the man who tried to “put Baby in a corner”?

Bryan Fenkart has had to. He plays Baby’s overprotective father, Dr. Jake Houseman, in the new touring production of Dirty Dancing: The Musical that will land in Charlotte before heading to Broadway in February 2027. He said it feels “pretty terrible, considering the raucous applause that line gets every night. It’s tough. I feel pretty small.”

But the feeling passes quickly. He and his castmates must be feeling pretty proud to bring a movie considered a modern classic to life on stage. When we spoke, the company was about 40 shows in to a tour that launched in August, and already Fenkert was aware of how much the story means to the American public.

I told him that North Carolinians feel an ownership stake in Dirty Dancing since the film, set in the Catskills, was partially shot in Lake Lure.

Fenkert is familiar with this part of the state. He’s performed on Blumenthal stages before (Memphis, Waitress), and he’s spent considerable time in the QC for personal reasons. His long-time partner, Amanda, lives here, and it’s become his second home, he said. More on that in a bit.

Fenkert said North Carolinians aren’t alone in feeling that the film and it storyline belong to us.

He’s encountered die-hard fans in every city. “There’s a real sense of ownership of this movie,” he said. “It’s a really beloved property, and it’s sort of nerve-wracking [for the cast because] we really want to honor something that means so much to so many people. There’s added pressure on us to do service to the fandom. People grew up with Dirty Dancing.”

Fenkart discovered that before rehearsals even began.

“I rewatched the movie when I first got cast,” he said, “just to get an idea of the overarching story that Jake has to go through. But I found it was hurting me a little because I’m so different from Jerry Orbach. It’s such an iconic role and iconic portrayal; I didn’t want to appear to be doing a cheap imitation.”

“Luckily, Lonny [Price], the director, was kind enough to give me the space to make it more my own. Since I’m not very similar to Jerry Orbach, I’ve use him as a beacon but tried to craft it into my own thing as best I could. I’ve avoided watching the movie recently to try to avoid any mimicry.”

If you liked the movie …

Fans of the movie will be relieved to know “there are a lot more similarities than differences” between the movie and musical, he said. “It’s so beloved. You don’t want to mess with it too much because it’s good for a reason.”

“You’re going to hear a lot of those famous lines — maybe not said the same way, but they’ll be the same words. All the iconic music from the movie is there, whether it’s played live or a recording. And that’s intentional since sometimes, you’re hearing it from a radio instead of the band. And by the way, our band is outstanding.”

But there are some differences. And even those should please fans, since they’re “basically an expansion of some of the story you didn’t get in the movie,” Fenkart said.

“You learn more about Jake and Marjorie [Baby’s parents], for instance. You learn more about Baby and Johnny and  Neil [Kellerman, the heir to the resort]. They all have their own journeys.”

Practically a local

Fenkert will feel right at home in the Queen City. He’s spent considerable time in Charlotte over the past seven years. “It’s become one of my favorite cities,” he said. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m talking to someone in Charlotte. It’s the truth.”

He and Amanda met on a blind date in New York 16 years ago. They went their separate ways and reconnected in 2019 when she was in the process of moving to Charlotte to work as a voice coach.

Fenkart has a few favorite spots in his second home. Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden is one. And because he’s a big reader, Book Buyers, a used-book store, is another.   

It takes two to tango

You probably won’t find him at a dance club, though. Just as in the movie, Dr. Houseman doesn’t do much dancing in the musical.

“Luckily, us old folks don’t have to do it,” he said with a laugh. “The dancing is left up to our incredible ensemble, which is just electric.”

He does enjoy watching the famous last dance night after night.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “Our Baby and Johnny — Annalese Starzec and Blake Zelesnikar — are the perfect finds for those two roles. Just like I got sucked into the movie when I first saw it, I get sucked into watching those two. They’re really remarkable performers.”