Psychedelic fashion, tight bell bottoms, boogie moves. The disco inferno of the 1970s has just hit town with the opening of Saturday Night Fever The Musical. Part of an Asian Tour, the West End classic is in Singapore with an improved production and new script.
The musical is based on the 1977 hit movie of the same name – the very movie that catapulted John Travolta into superstar status. It tells the story of 19-year-old Italian-American Tony Manero, played by American Broadway actor Brandon Rubendall, who deals with growing pains in Brooklyn, New York. With dreams of becoming the Disco King, Manero seeks respite from the drudgery of his life at local discotheque 2001 Odyssey every Saturday night. When he meets Stephanie Mangano (played by Jenna Rubaii), they decide to take part in a dance competition and begin to train together.
The musical follows closely to the storyline of the movie. If you are looking for a nostalgic trip to the disco days of 1970s, you might be in for a disappointment. After all, Saturday Night Fever is not a story about disco per se. It is about the young and restless escaping from their daily grind, and shows the gritty side of life in Brooklyn in the mid-1970s. The story deals with ugly issues such as sexual promiscuity, abortion, racial discrimination and violence. Saturday Night Fever is certainly not a musical that leaves you with a “feel-good” feeling after watching, unlike a musical like “Mama Mia”.
However, if you had liked the movie, you will not be let down. The musical successfully recreates the feel of the movie and manages to capture its spirit. It dazzles with slick dance moves, great choreography and of course, crowd-pleasing 70s anthems such as Stayin’ Alive, Jive Talking, More Than A Woman and Night Fever.
It is inevitable that one would compare Rubendall with Travolta, but the Broadway actor manages to do justice to the iconic role. Rubendall’s Brooklyn accent and signature strut are on point. He shines with his seemingly effortless execution of the dance moves and the singing. His portrayal of Manero as a sensitive tough guy is compelling, and particularly captured the audience’s hearts in his scenes with Jenna Rubaii.
Stage actress from the Philippines, Mikkie Bradshaw, puts in quality performance as the eager-to-please Annette who worships Manero. Watching her brings to mind Donna Pescow as the same character in the movie. Bradshaw shines with her powerful vocals when she belts out Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You” after getting rebuffed by Manero. In my opinion, Bradshaw stands out more than Rubaii even though the latter is the lead female character, though I would like to add it might be due to the setup of Annette’s character.
The casting feels somewhat odd to me. Don’t get me wrong – the vocally adept actors put in good performances, but it simply is not convincing and strange for me to see Filipino actors donning wigs and passing off as Caucasians, even for the character of Annette. Perhaps the memories of the movie have been too deeply entrenched in my mind. One simply cannot help but draw parallels between the musical and the movie.
What: Saturday Night Fever The Musical
When: 25 September to 4 October 2015
Where: Sands Theatre, MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Tickets: Prices for tickets range from $95 to $175. Book your tickets online via the Sisitc website.
