Saturday Night Fever
Based on the Paramount/RSO Film, and the story by Nik Cohn
Adapted for the Stage by Robert Stigwood, in Collaboration with Bill Oaks
North American Version Written by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti
Featuring the Songs of the Bee Gees
Directed by Justin Been
Choreographed by Michael Hodges
Stray Dog Theatre
October 5, 2023
Drew Mizell, Sara Rae Womack
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Saturday Night Fever, the film and the soundtrack, have become cultural icons over the years, synonymous with the 1970’s for many people, whether or not they were around at the time or even saw the film. The image of John Travolta in his crisp white suit, and the celebrated songs of the Bee Gees are ingrained in the minds of many, to the point where a lot of people don’t even remember the actual story. It’s about the music, the dancing, the vibe of the late 70’s disco craze. The story was turned into a stage musical in the 1990’s, first for the London stage and later on Broadway, and now Stray Dog Theatre is bringing that show to St. Louis, with a fairly large cast, engaging leads, a light-up dance floor, and a vibe that approximates, but doesn’t quite capture, that authentic “Disco Fever” feel.
I’ve personally had a longtime love-hate relationship with Saturday Night Fever. I was in elementary school when the movie came out, and I saw the re-edited PG version, but for me, the movie was about the music, and the dancing, and putting the record on at home and dancing with my siblings and friends from the neighborhood. The story didn’t make a strong impression on me then, but when I saw the original version years later in college, the story kind of left me underwhelmed, and I found I disliked most of the characters, so I decided I didn’t need to see it again, but I still loved the music. When Stray Dog announced this production, I was curious, wondering if the story would be adapted to make it more interesting, and there have been some changes, including removing my least favorite aspect of the film plot and softening some of the characters to make them more likable, but on stage, the story comes across as choppy and disjointed, and an unwelcome distraction from the real reason to see this show–the music, the dancing, and the 1970’s nostalgic vibe that comes from the scenes set in the disco. The home scenes with lead character Tony Manero (Drew Mizell) and his immature, selfish friends and bickering family don’t hold attention nearly as well.
The show is mostly carried by the leads–Mizell as the disco-obsessed, otherwise directionless Tony, and Sara Rae Womack as Stephanie, an upwardly mobile young woman who aspires to a better life in Manhattan and is a talented dancer. Mizell has the charm, presence, and moves to make Tony compelling, and he and Womack make a strong impression especially in their scenes together. The rest of the cast is hit-or-miss, but I don’t think the structure of the script does them any favors. Standouts include Lindsey Grojean as the lovesick (for Tony) Annette, who has a memorable solo on “If I Can’t Have You”, along with Justin Bouckaert as Tony’s conflicted friend Bobby, Chris Moore as club MC Monty, and especially Jade Anaiis Hillery as singer Candy, who belts out the disco hits with gusto and a powerful voice. As for the rest of the ensemble, they do their best, but it’s hard to find much energy in a script that hops around so much that it isn’t able to find much focus or weight, losing the dramatic moments only coming alive during the club scenes, although the actual dancing could use a little more “flow” and energy as well.
As for the production values, this show tries, but seems oddly muted a lot of the time. There’s an excellent band led by music director Leah Schultz, but it’s hard to hear them much of the time, and the multilevel set by Josh Smith is serviceable, but not spectacular. Colleen Michelson’s costumes sometimes evoke the disco era, but are also oddly muted at times. As for lighting by Tylor Duenow, it works especially well in the disco scenes, but could use a bit more dazzle as well. The scene changes are also kind of choppy.
Overall, Saturday Night Fever has its moments–especially in the dance club scenes–but doesn’t hold up in comparison to many of the other excellent musicals SDT has produced. I think this is largely the fault of the material, since I don’t think even the flashiest, most dazzling production values could do much for the clunky script, but I have to admit I’m disappointed. If you love the film, and the story, you might enjoy it more, and the leads are excellent, so there is entertainment to be had here, especially if you like the music. Still, I’m not sure this was the best movie to turn into a stage show.
Cast of Saturday Night Fever
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Saturday Night Fever at Tower Grove Abbey until October 28, 2023
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