Tickets for the iconic hit musical Saturday Night Fever, which will premiere in Sydney at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 29 March 2019, are now on sale. Leading Australian theatre producer John Frost today announced three of the cast members of the new version of this classic hit show. Paulini, Natalie Conway and Nana Matapule will be three of the ensemble of singers who will give voice to the much-loved disco soundtrack, alongside a cast of incredible dancers.
Principal Cast Announced:
Paulini first enthralled the nation on the inaugural series of Australian Idol, and has since become an acclaimed singer and songwriter, releasing three albums – she is still one of only 10 Australian female solo artists to have a #1 album on the Australian ARIA Charts. Last year, Paulini astounded audiences and critics alike in the lead role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, her debut musical theatre production. Singer-songwriter Natalie Conway is a powerhouse performer and international DJ who became a household name in Australia when she featured on Channel 7’s The X Factor in 2016. Her current single, So Loud, was released earlier this month. Nana Matapule was most recently seen as one of the Drifters in the Australian tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. His other credits include the role of Collins in the sell-out season of Rent at the Hayes Theatre and an original cast member of Boys in The Band and Swoon the Mad Men of Swing. Paying homage to the classic movie, Saturday Night Fever is packed with disco classics, including the Bee Gees’ greatest hits Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than A Woman. This brand-new production premiered recently in Paris.
The 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta and Karen Gorney, was based on a story in New York Magazine by Nik Cohn, who many years later acknowledged that he made up the characters and the story. The movie is credited with defining the 1970’s, while the soundtrack remains the bestselling soundtrack of all time with over 45 million copies sold.
3 Fun Facts about the original movie that screened 41 years ago:
– John Travolta was not dancing to any of the Bee Gees songs “You Should be Dancing” and “More than a Woman” in those iconic scenes the film is known for, those tracks were added to the movie post-production
– The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was the highest selling of all time until Whitney Houston’s ‘The Bodyguard’ 16 years later came along
– There are 2 versions of the film, an R Rated version released in 1977 but it was the version released two years later with less violence, nudity and obscene language that took off to a wider audience.
Get your flu shots Sydney or put your disco shoes on:
The stage adaptation of Saturday Night Fever began in the West End in 1998 at the London Palladium, where it played for two years, with a lengthy Broadway season commencing in 1999. Productions in Argentina, Holland, Mexico, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa followed, as well as UK and US tours and a two-year revival on the West End.
NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said Saturday Night Fever has been secured for Sydney by the NSW Government. “This new production of Saturday Night Fever has never been staged in Australia and we anticipate more than 14,000 overnight visitors will travel to Sydney to see the musical, generating around $6.5 million for the NSW economy,” Mr Marshall said.
“Since it debuted in the West End and Broadway, the musical adaptation of Saturday Night Fever has set pulses racing around the world. The music is infectious and defined the distinctive disco era for a whole generation,” said John Frost. “I’m thrilled to bring this exhilarating new production to Australia, with its breathtaking dancing and the glorious collection of songs like Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive, You Should Be Dancin’ and If I Can’t Have You. I’m so excited that we’ll have Paulini, Natalie and Nana voicing those classic Bee Gees songs alongside another sensational vocalist, and can’t wait to introduce the rest of the cast.”
Saturday Night Fever tells the story of 19-year-old Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque, where life lights up on the disco floor. There, Tony luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and where he can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends. Saturday Night Fever is based on the Paramount/RSO movie and the story by Nik Cohn, adapted for the stage by Robert Stigwood and Bill Oakes, while the new version has been arranged and edited by Ryan McBryde. Music and lyrics are by artists including the Bee Gees.
SEASON DETAILS
Venue Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star Season
From 29 March 2019
Performance Times Wed-Thurs 7.30pm, Fri-Sat 8pm, Matinees Wed 1pm & Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm – Prices: From $59.90
Book tickets here or call 1300 795 267
Photo Credit: Alex Studeny