Photos from Odyssey Touring The company of "Saturday
Night Fever ““ The Musical," performs the song "Night Fever."
The show is opening tonight at the Shubert Theatre and showing
through June 24.
By Barbara McGuire
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Infecting cities around the country, the latest bug has made its
way to Los Angeles, but fear not, it isn’t deadly ““
it’s only the Saturday Night Fever.
The musical production of the bold and daring film that danced
its way into the limelight with John Travolta in 1977,
“Saturday Night Fever” opens tonight and shows through
June 24 at the Shubert Theatre. The musical follows its stint at
the Shubert with a two-week gig at the Orange County Performing
Arts Center.
The 33-member cast has boogied its way through cities across
North America, and, according to director and choreographer Arlene
Phillips, it hopes to live up to its reputation of astounding
audiences every time.
“They leave singing the songs and they stand at the end of
the show dancing in the aisle, and that’s what it’s all
about,” said Janine Meyers, who plays lead character
Stephanie Mangano, in a phone interview from her Florida home.
“The music’s cool; it’s not your typical music
theater, la la la songs,” she continued. “It’s a
new type of musical and it’s fun ““ you’re not
going to fall asleep.”
The music isn’t the only infectious aspect of
“Saturday Night Fever” ““ although it is a very
strong one, considering that the soundtrack contains 10 hit songs,
including “Staying Alive.” Appropriately, disco dancing
also provides much of the show’s charm.
 Richard H. Blake as Tony Manero and
Janine Meyers as Stephanie Mangano perform "More
Than A Woman," from "Saturday Night Fever ““ The Musical."
Reworked choreography brings a more modern feel to the regular
disco dance moves of the ’70s. Phillips said that the dance moves
in the production are based on the film as well as ’70s
style, but she reinvented some of the steps, with professional
expertise, to bring it up to date and take it beyond regular disco
dancing. Meyers and Robert Blake, who plays Manero, both said that
the hustling and partnering was something they had to learn and
adapt to.
“The dance moves really weren’t that
difficult,” Meyers said. “It’s not easy dancing
by any means, but, at the same time, I’ve been dancing since
I was 4 so I can pretty much do what anybody throws at me.
“But, the calves hurt a lot from the heels and sometimes
with a lot of the choreography, you’ll rip your dress, or the
heel will go through the dress, or you’ll trip,” Meyers
continued. “All those elements make it much more
difficult.”
Blake believes that in addition to the dancing, the ’70s
feel attracted people to the show.
“It was a fun time, it was a time of “˜Let’s
make love, not war. Let’s dance, let’s listen to
music,'” he said. “People were just having a good
time; it was a little wild and outlandish and people want to
re-experience that. People want to let go of the stuffy lifestyles
that everybody lives in their day-to-day, 9-to-5 lives.”
According to Phillips, in addition to the glitzy, polyester
costumes, disco dancing and Bee Gee flavored music, the show
addresses some serious issues.
“It can have an impact on people’s lives because
it’s about moving away from home. Whether the distance is
near or far, it isn’t the miles traveled, it’s the
emotional miles,” she said. “There’s a lot of
people who don’t get to go to college and it’s good to
look at them, people who will spend their lives in one town.
It’s really a reminder that one can achieve a lot with
determination.”
Phillips said that the show also provides interesting reflection
on the degrading and sexist ways women were treated in the
’70s.
“If you look, we are so much more politically correct, but
to look back and see the way women were treated, women would not
put up with that today,” she said. “And it was only 20
years ago.”
Meyers said that the show’s main focus, however, is on
bringing back the energy and buzz of the time.
“The ’70s were sexy,” Meyers said. “Now,
the ’80s I’m a little bit worried about ““ I hope
to God they don’t bring that back.”
MUSICAL: “Saturday Night Fever”
opens tonight at the Shubert Theatre, 2020 Avenue of the Stars,
Century City, and shows there until June 24. Performances are
Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40 to $70 and can
be purchased by calling (800) 447-7400. The performance will then
move to the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.