A Mississauga-born actor has landed the big role in the Toronto theatre production of the classic 1980s coming-of-age story Dirty Dancing.
Jake Simons will be playing Johnny Castle, the hip-grinding bad boy character that catapulted Patrick Swayze onto silver screens and into women's dreams.
Simons will be turning into the heartthrob nightly once the musical takes to the stage for previews at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on Oct. 31.
Simons, who now lives in Oshawa, will be playing opposite Monica West in the role of Frances Houseman, more commonly known simply as "Baby."
Simons told the Canadian Press Tuesday that he has seen the movie version of Dirty Dancing twice, and that there are scenes in the musical that weren't in the 1987 film, both of which were written by Eleanor Bergstein.
"At least (in) one of the additional scenes that's in the play that wasn't in the movie, there's more human rights and racism that's more touched on," he said.
The musical, like the movie, is set in 1963 and follows Baby, originally played by Jennifer Grey, as her affluent family visits a summer resort. Baby hooks up with the staff at the resort, who dance in a suggestive manner in the evenings.
The play features the same songs that were in the movie, including the Oscar-winning "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."
For more, visit dirtydancingtoronto.ca
