Johnny and Baby have the time of their life during the "Dirty Dancing" finale at The Opera House. (Photo by David Scheinmann)

You are invited to have the "Time of Your Life!" The international stage hit "Dirty Dancing, The Classic Story On Stage" is currently making its Pre-Broadway East Coast premiere at the Boston Opera House for a limited engagement through April 12.

That it's an audience favorite was clearly evident the evening we attended, as many clapped and sang along with the cast.

Produced by Jacobsen Entertainment, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions, it was written by Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote and co-produced the successful movie. The movie "Dirty Dancing" is a legendary entertainment phenomenon. The soundtrack continues to sell millions of copies. And now live audiences are enjoying it as never before.

Re-imagined for the stage it is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing.

Step inside the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives as told by a tremendous cast of 39 and featuring 35 hit songs, including "Hungry Eyes," "Hey Baby," "Do You Love Me?" and the Academy Award-winning "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."

The cast is lead by Amanda Leigh Cobb playing Frances 'Baby' Houseman and Josef Brown re-creating the role of Johnny Castle, Baby's headstrong love interest. Brown previously played Johnny in the London and Australian productions.

Broadway Across America-Boston will be hosting an Open Captioned performance for the hearing impaired on Sunday, March 8 at the 2 p.m. matinee performance. Tickets may be purchased through Voice at 617-880-2419 or TTY at 617-426-3444.

All other tickets are available through Ticketmaster 617-931-2787, at all Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and directly at the Boston Opera House. For groups of 20 or more, call Broadway Across America at 1-866-633-0194. For more information, go to www.DirtyDancingAmerica.com.

Fundraiser for Autism Research Scheduled for The Chateau in Waltham

On Tuesday, February 24, diners will leave more than just a tip when they visit The Chateau's Waltham location, and a portion of their dinner bill is donated to autism research. Partnering with Teamsters Local 25 and their mission to raise funds for autism, The Chateau will donate 25% of proceeds from all eat-in and take-out diners who present a coupon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In the last year, Teamsters Local 25 has raised nearly $200,000 for autism and has become New England's premier fundraiser for Autism Speaks, a national advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatment of autism.

"We're excited to partner with The Chateau on this worthwhile effort," said Sean M. O'Brien, president, Teamsters Local 25. "With one in 150 children diagnosed with autism each year most everyone knows a family affected by this disorder. As a parent and representing more than 11,000 members of Teamsters Local 25, I feel it is our job as leaders not only in the workplace, but also in the community, to help raise awareness and funds for advanced research. I congratulate the Nocera family for stepping up to the plate for autism and hope that area diners will make a date for The Chateau on Feb. 24."

"This is an opportunity for patrons to make a donation without spending anything more than what they would normally pay for dinner," said Joe Nocera, president of The Chateau family of restaurants. "The Chateau prides itself on being part of the community, and we are pleased to present the Teamsters Local 25 Autism Fund as our latest fundraiser."

The Chateau is located at 195 School Street, Waltham. Diners may download a coupon at www.teamsterslocal25.com/autism-chateau.html. The coupon must be presented to the server for participation.

Looking ahead: Teamsters Local 25 will present the "Second Annual Gala for Autism," on Saturday, March 28, at the InterContinental Hotel Boston. Tickets include dinner stations, cash bar, a live band and dancing, silent and live auctions, and many more surprises.

As part of this year's Gala, Local 25 will raffle off a new Boston Whaler; you do not need to be present to win the boat. To learn more, visit www.teamsterslocal25.com.

Dates are set for Premiere of WGBH's Culinary Special

We have an update regarding "A Moveable Feast: With America's Favorite Chefs," which we mentioned in a recent column.

According to WGBH publicist Leah Orfanos, the hour-long pledge special premieres on WGBH-Channel 2 Boston on Saturday, February 28 at noon. It will repeat on Sunday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m.

The special will have the spirit of a "progressive dinner," with each chef cooking a single course, ultimately creating a complete "moveable feast" that starts with appetizers and ends with dessert. It salutes cooking traditions across the globe, representing the diversity of food and culture that make America the world's great melting pot.

The featured public television culinary experts include: José Andrés, "Made In Spain"; Lidia Bastianich, "Lidia's Italy"; Rick Bayless, "Mexico, One Plate at a Time"; Chris Kimball, "America's Test Kitchen"; Ruth Reichl, "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie"; and Ming Tsai, "Simply Ming."

Yum! We can't wait!

Enjoy!

In addition to events covered and reported by the columnist, "The Scene..." 
is compiled from various other sources such as news releases, PRNewswire services, etc.

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