Josef Brown
|
Who wouldn’t fall for Johnny Castle? Tough, muscular, sexy and caring, Dirty Dancing’s leading character has a way with the ladies both onscreen and in the audience. Now that a stage version of the original chick flick is playing in the West End, the buzz is all about the man playing that role: Josef Brown. Brown is a classically trained dancer, who also played Johnny Castle in the record-breaking Australian production. And he’s no stranger to the stage; his theatre credits include roles in Shades of Gray, Tivoli, Mythologia and Salome. Did we mention that he dances like the wind? We knew you'd want to get to know Brown better, so we gave you a chance to ask him your questions. Here are his responses.
From Katherine: This is the second time you've played this role. Is it better the second time round?
Josef responds: I have always loved being able to come back to a role a second or even third time. Theatre is great for this experience (until you grow out of some roles). Returning to a role often feels like putting on an old, favourite pair of jeans: such a comfortable fit. Being comfortable means you feel more secure about taking a few risks on stage and that is a wonderful thing because you are able to keep the character more alive and spontaneous. I would never say it is “better” coming back to a role. It is just different. It has different challenges and is inspiring in different ways.
Josef Brown in
Dirty Dancing
|
From James: Were you ever worried that the critics would compare your performance in the show to Patrick Swayze's performance in the film?
Josef responds: I wasn’t “worried” that the critics—and audiences—would compare my performance to Patrick’s as I knew it was inevitable. There was no way my interpretation wasn’t going to be compared, contrasted and criticised. I’ve never been too concerned, however, as this is a very natural thing to do and fortunately, for the most part, audiences and critics have been supportive of what I’ve done with the role.
From Jodi and Julia Rayner: How and where did you learn to dance like you do?
Josef responds: I was trained at the McDonald College of the Arts in Sydney, Australia and then at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. With that said, I take the view that I am always in training and “learning” to dance. After my formal training, I joined The Australian Ballet where I was fortunate enough to have the experience of performing in a diverse array of contemporary and classical works. Later I worked with Nomad Dance Theatre on a multi-media piece before joining Modern Dans Topluluguu in Ankara, Turkey which was a completely different kind of dancing and technique, which I then built on with the contemporary repertoire at Sydney Dance Company. To learn to dance mambo, tango, cha-cha etc. for Dirty Dancing, the cast was given special training in ballroom techniques.
From Greta: It must be difficult for young male dancers. Did you suffer any peer pressure not to be a dancer?
Josef responds: Yes, quite a bit as a teenager. I was fortunate however in a number of respects. My close friends never judged my choice negatively, nor did my parents so I had a lot of support from the people who mattered most to me. I was older than most people who start dance and felt reasonably comfortable about being different and able to hold my own ground under pressure from my peers. Finally, the positive vision of my future that I gained from dancing and working alongside my fellow dancers allowed me to overcome any negative comments.
Josef Brown and Georgina Rich
in Dirty Dancing
|
From John: Have you met Patrick Swayze and/or seen his performance in Guys and Dolls?
Josef responds: This is an easy question… no. Unfortunately, I’ve simply not had time. I did plan to see Guys and Dolls one Saturday night while we were in technical rehearsal, but we were called in to work at the last minute.
From Vicki: Hi Josef! What's the best part of being in Dirty Dancing?
Josef responds: Hi Vicki. That’s a tough one to answer. I suppose the best part is probably the same as what drew me to performing in the first place. There are many aspects to this, but one of the most important is that I love to be around inspiring and talented people. Being involved in the performance industry or the arts has usually meant that I’ve been around people that embrace difference, strangeness and eccentricity with an enthusiasm I’ve not always found outside of it. So, one of the best parts of being in Dirty Dancing is that I continue to be around talented, dedicated professionals whose performances and relationship to their craft continually inspire me.
From Shelley: Do you feel like a sex symbol with women screaming at you all of the time?
Josef responds: This is another easy one to answer… no. I’m an actor playing a fictional character and they are not screaming for me, they are screaming for Johnny Castle, and I never forget that. I should add, the women aren’t screaming “all the time”—just occasionally and sometimes it is the men, too!
From Leo: What other roles would you like to perform in London?
Josef responds: I’m not sure, Leo. There is some incredible theatre going on in London. Now that Dirty Dancing has opened, I’d like to start trying to see a few things and get feel for what is out there. I’m always open to anything. Basically I’m interested in anything that is going to be challenging: that excites my imagination and makes me feel a little threatened.
From Carolyn: Do you lift weights or is it just dancing that gives you your amazing stomach?
Josef responds: I do an upper body workout in a gym three days a week. After that, everyday before the show I usually do a mongrel warm up for about an hour that consists of classical bar, Pilates, yoga and contemporary movement. I try to maintain a physical strength that means I’m stronger than what the show requires. That way I always have a little in storage in case something during the week requires extra commitment.
From Reed Simon: Isn't it very intimate dancing so close to the others? What are your relationships like with your dance partners?
Josef responds: My partnerships are generally very good but we work hard to maintain that stability. The most important thing when you’re dancing with 
Josef Brown & Nadia Coote
in Dirty Dancing
|
someone, particularly over a long period of time, is to remain open and communicative about problems, even little ones because otherwise they build up. The other thing is to try to be as consistent in your performances as possible. The latter is very important because otherwise injuries can happen both to yourself and to your partner. The other thing to point out is that I’ve always found it interesting how quickly the physical intimacy aspect passes once you start working with someone: once you’ve been in dance for a while you barely notice, or take for granted the physical intimacy side of the work. It becomes about the steps, the technique, the feeling and the narrative you are trying to create and convey together.
From Haylie: What's the funniest response you've had about Dirty Dancing?
Josef responds: We once had two women jump on stage during curtain calls. One of them jumped on me, straddling around my waist and I had to feign dancing with her to coax her off the stage while our stage manager came on to help the other woman back to her seat. Though in the moment I was a little concerned for their safety, that was a pretty funny response… afterward.