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NY Theatre Guide

Kristen Weyer

With bell-bottoms and disco galore, Gateway Playhouse’s production of Saturday Night Fever is a groovy throwback to the seventies. Based on the story by Nik Cohn and the 1977 Paramount/RSO movie starring John Travolta, it features the music of The Bee Gees. The stage adaptation was completed by Robert Stigwood and Bill Oaks, with the North American version being written by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti. Gateway’s presentation is produced by Paul Allan and under direction from Keith Andrews.

Tony Manero (Luke Hamilton) is a 19-year-old Brooklynite, with a lousy job and an unhappy home life. His only joy is on the weekends, which he spends dancing at the disco and messing around with his friends, Bobby C (Jeremy Greenbaum), Joey (Corey Mosello), Double J (Michael Siktberg), and Gus (Michael Carrasco). When he meets talented dancer Stephanie Mangano (Jenny Florkowski), they decide to enter a dance competition together. Little does he know that this will mark a changing point for the rest of his life.

I feel that the enjoyment of this production is going to vary greatly, based mostly on the generation of the audiences. If you lived through the seventies, were raised on the music of the time period, or just have fond memories of the original movie, then you’ll probably enjoy yourself immensely. If you didn’t, weren’t, or don’t, then you probably won’t. I found the plotline slow, and at points tedious. The music, while time period appropriate and frequently fun, multiple times felt forced into the story rather than flowing from it. The characters are annoying, abrasive, and difficult to get behind. Even though you might feel badly for Tony at points, his personality is such that truly caring what happens to him is a fairly unattainable prospect.

The actual performance, however, is fantastic. The acting is wonderful, the singing superb, and the dancing lively and fun. Luke Hamilton makes a perfect Tony, with a smooth voice, great dancing skills, and excellent characterization completed with brilliant facial expressions. Jenny Florkowski is wonderful as the ignorant, social climber Stephanie. Her dancing is beautiful, and her voice lovely. Tony’s awful parents, portrayed by Joe Gately and Joyce Nolen, make you dislike them perfectly, while his sweet little sister is adorably played by Gabrielle Pegg and Chloe Himmelman, alternately. Jeremy Greenbaum, Corey Mosello, Michael Siktberg and Michael Carrasco display fantastic voices and dance moves throughout the show, and Haley Hannah as Annette has a standout moment with a stunning performance of “If I Can’t Have You.” Amma Osei’s marvelous voice as disco singer Candy, is a pleasure every time she is on the stage, as well as Justin Colombo as DJ Monty who supplies some much needed humor.

Along with the fantastic ensemble, the show is supported with great choreography by Richard J. Hinds, and delightful costumes by Dustin Cross. Set Design by Adam Koch made excellent use of the space, while the orchestra under direction from Sonny Paladino performed beautifully. For some, Saturday Night Fever may offer a brief glimpse into a bygone era, and for others, perhaps a momentary reminder.

 

BroadwayWorld.com

Melissa Giordano

 

It is a thrill to see the musical Saturday Night Fever, based on the movie starring John Travolta, included on The Gateway Theatre's summer roster. The gorgeous Long Island venue has a habit of getting Broadway caliber casts and, to no surprise, this one did not disappoint. The Keith Andrews directed company was absolutely superb as they seamlessly performed the iconic score featuring, as we know, the music from the Bee Gees.

Running through September 12th at the Bellport theatre, the story centers on Tony Manero, a young Brooklyn man who spends his weekends at the hottest discothèque. Tony, Mr. Travolta's role from the famed movie, is portrayed by Luke Hamilton. We find him hanging (and getting into trouble) with his buddies, fighting with his family, and, of course, falling in love. Movie devotees will be happy with Mr. Hamilton's Tony even stylistically replicating Mr. Travolta at certain moments. Mr. Hamilton's stage presence and vernacular are evidence he is a natural for the role.

Wicked alum Jenny Florkowski stunningly portrays Stephanie, the woman Tony falls for. Tony first sees Stephanie in the club, and is completely fascinated by her, but disappears before he meets her. He later finds her at a dance studio where he is practicing for a dance contest the club is hosting. They both play hard-to-get at first, but they drop the pretenses and make amends.

Everyone in the large company is truly top notch.

Additionally, Adam Koch's fun scenic design is a highlight. For the club scenes we see an elevated platform where DJ Monty, portrayed by Justin Colombo, is perched as well as a clever imitation of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Everything is enhanced beautifully by Doug Harry's wonderful lighting and Dustin Cross' beautiful costumes. Furthermore, there is nothing quite like a live orchestra. The brilliant team, headed by Music Director Sonny Paladino, is really outstanding. One thing to also mention is that, like they always do, the musical is slightly different from the movie. But fear not as the musical flows well and has added energy. You will see is that they made the musical incarnation more "family friendly" eliminating/reducing references such as racial clashes, drug use, and violence.

And so, Saturday Night Fever is indeed another hit for The Gateway. A great cast and the classic music of the Bee Gees make for a wonderful, fun night of the theatre.

 

Dan's Papers

Genevieve Horsburgh

Put on your bell-bottoms and platform shoes because the Gateway Playhouse is bringing it back to the ’70s with the final show in its mainstage season, Saturday Night Fever. Playing at Gateway’s Bellport theater, Saturday Night Fever is a celebration of the music of the Bee Gees and other disco icons, featuring those songs you can’t help but groove to—“Stayin’ Alive,” “Disco Inferno,” “Boogie Shoes” and more.

The show begins with a dazzling dance number as we are thrust into the Brooklyn and Manhattan of the late ’70s, complete with disco balls, wild lights, big hair and iconic dance moves. Nineteen-year-old Italian-American Tony Manero is an associate at a paint store by day and king of the dance floor at night. While Tony has big dreams and impressive moves, he still lives at home with his religious mother, an unemployed father with a hot temper and a brother who recently left the priesthood.

Luke Hamilton as Tony Manero is charming, portraying a character who is a little rough around the edges, a bit vain, but lovable nonetheless. Tony becomes smitten with the beautiful Stephanie Mangano, played by Jenny Florkowski, a talented actress with a beautiful, powerful voice. His attempts to charm Stephanie fall flat at first, but the two form an attachment through their shared passion: dancing.

Tony and his friends spend their time acting out a certain period-specific Italian-American cliché: smoking cigarettes, drinking, chasing girls, taking risks, getting into fights and dancing at the local discotheque. His friends, Bobby C, Double J, Gus and Joey are considered deadbeats, with no plans for the future and with bad attitudes. Their ensemble number “Jive Talkin” is fun and showcases their talents.

Stephanie, who works in a swanky Manhattan office, finds Tony’s lifestyle distasteful, but also finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. The two pair up for a dance competition at Tony’s club and the bond between them grows stronger.

In the meantime, Tony’s jilted dance partner, Annette, is heartbroken, having fallen in love with Tony and having harbored her own hopes to win the dance competition with him. Haley Hannah as Annette gave me goose bumps with her stunning rendition of “If I Can’t Have You.” Annette’s heartbreak over losing Tony is real, and Hannah brings drama and emotion to her performance that is spellbinding.

Amma Osei plays the role of Candy, the sultry songstress of the 2001 Odyssey nightclub. Her vocals are stunning and show-stopping. I especially loved her number “Nights on Broadway.”

Another favorite of mine was “Stuck,” sung by Tony, Stephanie, Bobby C and his childhood sweetheart Pauline—who has become pregnant. The number is powerful, showcasing the emotional upheaval of the characters. Bobby C, played by Jeremy Greenbaum, and Pauline, played by Jillian Butterfield, are exceptional; both actors perform with strong emotion so that the audience can feel their despair and love for one another.

After a bittersweet end to the dance competition, chaos breaks out amongst our characters as the harsh realities of life—and death—are thrust upon them.

Directed by Keith Andrews, who brought the ’80s alive earlier this summer with Gateway’s production of Rock of Ages, this production showcases another iconic era and will bring you back in time to experience the clothing, the hair, the songs and the dancing of the ’70s.