It is the early nineties. Peter Sagal is a serious young New York playwright. If you know my friend Stephen Brown, think of Peter Sagal as being a something like him in his work and aspirations.
He writes a play called Cuba Mine about the revolution, inspired by seeing a telly documentary about Cuban revolutionaries being executed on television. Those of you who know Stephen Brown will realise that this was a heavily researched, highly intelligent, intense piece of drama. Probably with good jokes, but basically heavy. Lawrence Bender, post-Reservoir Dogs, wants to produce it as a movie. He buys it. Changes it. Changes it more. This is Hollywood. The film doesn't get made and Sagal has left the project by now (though he hasn't disowned it).
A decade later, Bender sees a way to produce this story which has been hanging around, metamophosing in various ways. The result is Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights.
I don't think I could love this story more. It is my homage to all the Strictlywatchers and to the late Patrick Swayze, who was good in Point Break.
2 comments:
I'm calling my next dance post Dudley Marjoribanks Invents a Dog.
You'd better mention dogs. Play fair.
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