The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Boogie with ‘Saturday Night Fever’
IVORYTON » The Ivoryton Playhouse’s production of “Saturday Night Fever,” continues through Sept. 3.
Originally based on Nik Cohn’s 1975 New York Magazine article “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, this stage adaptation premiered in the West End in 1998 at the London Palladium, and then at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre October 21, 1999, playing 27 previews and 501 regular performances before closing December 30, 2000.
Almost all of the songs from the original movie sound track are included in the stage musical. The album remained 24 weeks
on the top of the U.S. album charts and stayed until March 1980 on the charts. In the UK, the album also achieved first place for 18 weeks and it is one of the most successful movie sound tracks of all time. In 1979 it won a Grammy as Album of the Year. In 2003 it reached # 131 of Rolling Stone’s “500 best albums of all time”.
The production stars Michael Notardonato* as Tony and Caroline Lellouche* as Stephanie. Lellouche was seen last year in Ivoryton’s production of CHICAGO. Notardonato is reprising the role of Tony which he has performed twice before to critical acclaim. “At Riverside, the Travolta role of disco-king Tony Manero is taken by Michael Notardonato who has the looks, moves and charms to carry the show handily. Unlike Travolta in the dramatic film which featured dancing to a Bee Gees soundtrack, Notardonato has to sing for his supper, as well as emote and dance the night away. No worries here - Riverside’s Tony has strong and expressive pipes and delivers his five numbers stylishly. He truly embodies the restlessness of the 19-year old stuck in a dead end job, frustrated at how his parents treat him, and who lives for those Saturday night’s at the 2001 Odyssey, the Brooklyn discotheque that serves as his weekly kingdom.” - BroadwayWorld.com
The production is directed and choreographed by Todd Underwood and musical directed by Mike Morris, with set design by Martin Marchitto, lighting design by Marcus Abbott and costume design by Lisa Bebey.
Saturday Night Fever, similar to the movie, contains adult language and situations.
Tickets are $50 for adults; $45 for seniors; $22 for students and $17 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.