Saturday Night Fever ruled May 1-3 when a troupe of undergrad college beauties sang classic pop tunes, danced like champs, invoked disco memories, and recreated aspects of the 1977 movie.
Remember the fabulously graceful John Travolta walking down a New York street? Inspiration, for sure.
In what has become a welcome annual event, PlayhouseSquare and Baldwin Wallace University collaborated to bring a new show to Cleveland; this time, it was the regional premiere of Saturday Night Fever: The Musical. Despite charming students, some dazzling, there just isn’t enough “there” there yet in either music (Bee Gees, mostly) or story (truncated, most tragedy stripped out) to turn this into a vivid musical.
As a concept (film to stage) the show’s failures are similar to those observed in the Broadway Series production of Dirty Dancing that played at the Connor Palace earlier this year. It’s hard to incorporate enough nuance to make us care about the people. In film we see their faces, the camera directs our attention to gestures and movement. But on the stage the storyline can become a simple narrative, one that’s hard to get involved in. And maybe that’s a good thing since the film depended on tension generated by rape, racial injustice, gang fights, suicides, abortion, and Tony’s despair over his dead-end life with only music and dance as his salvation.
That’s not to say film can’t inspire great musicals. Many exceptions (On the Town, An American in Paris, and, for a local example, the BW/Beck Center production of Carrie last year) show it can be done. Just not yet with this one.
But this stripped-down show was fun, if not deep, and it sparkled every time the “Brooklyn” kids took to the floor. Genna-Paige Kanago as Stephanie Mangano and Sam Wolf as Tony Manero provided the romance as Tony tried to get Stephanie to pay attention to him. She finally did, but not until the pair, finalists in the big dance-off, find each other. Beautiful dancing by the other Saturday dance contestant “finalists,” Olivia Kaufmann with Eyeri Cabrera-Loos and Erica Moffatte with Malik Victorian, as well as by the ensemble cast created a lively disco celebration.
Another highlight was watching changes as set guru Jeff Herrmann’s inventive combinations transformed the tiny Lab theatre space. A checkerboard dance floor set in the center became a city street, a kitchen morphed into a bedroom thanks to well-choreographed set changes. Great team spirit showed as cast members set up chairs, tables, beds, and disco spaces with speedy aplomb, even while finishing or beginning their scenes. Directed by Victoria Bussert, choreographed by Gregory Daniels, with music direction by David Pepin, this production offered a light, fun evening at the disco and an early look at upcoming Broadway actors.
Bottom Line: Show’s over for this year, but be on the lookout for next spring’s glimpse at a new Broadway-bound show.
[Review by Laura Kennelly] [Photo: Roger Mastroianni]