{"id":24870,"date":"2015-09-30T12:16:22","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T04:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/?p=24870"},"modified":"2019-05-24T08:28:45","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T00:28:45","slug":"saturday-night-fever-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/2015\/09\/saturday-night-fever-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Night Fever \u2013 A Dazzling, Delightful, Disco Date Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I knew that Saturday Night Fever The Musical was coming to Singapore, I was both excited as well as apprehensive. You see, next to a slew of family-oriented musicals (think Sound of Music, Mary Poppins etc), Saturday Night Fever was THE other movie that has shaped my growing years. The gritty story of a young man strutting the streets of Brooklyn and the dance floor in search of his own identity was a welcome change for me – this other young man at the cusp of his teenagehood. In short, when I wasn\u2019t singing \u2018Doe-A-Deer\u2019; I was strutting to ‘Stayin\u2019 Alive’, combing my hair like John Travolta and grooving to every Bee Gees song on my cassette player.<\/p>\n

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So, the question in my mind (and perhaps yours) was how good is this musical compared to the iconic Travolta movie that galvanized Disco in entertainment history? Given that Travolta himself may no longer fit into his disco outfits and the world will not get to hear the falsetto harmonies of the Bee Gees LIVE anymore, save for some serious divine intervention, I dare say this musical does the original movie proud. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

First, the leads: What do you get when you put a seasoned stage actor who has danced for the mega stars like Beyonce, Madanna and J Lo to front an iconic dance movie that ingited the disco revolution? You get a sizzling night out reliving the dazzling disco scene of the 70s\u2026right here in Singapore at the Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands.<\/p>\n

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Brandon Rubendall acts, sings and dances the role of Tony Manero, a role that shot John Travolta to superstardom in the 1970s. Accompanied by songs written by the legendary Bee Gees, Rubendall with his sleek and cheeky dance moves, reprised the role well \u2013 no mean feat considering that Saturday Night Fever is one of the world\u2019s most iconic movies. Naturally being an accomplished actor-dancer himself helps. In fact, Rubendall shared in an interview, that Manero\u2019s life challenges mirror some of his own.<\/p>\n

Hence, I was relieved and deeply satisfied to watch Rubendall portray Manero with great sensitivity and depth (right down to the insecure idiosyncrasies portrayed by Travolta\u2019s Manero). But chief of all was Rubendall\u2019s excellent dance moves – from his kicks to the turns and even the unforgettable Saturday Night Fever \u2018pose\u2019 with index finger pointing skywards. Honestly, I didn\u2019t expect to watch this musical LIVE let alone done so well by Rubendall.<\/p>\n

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Then there\u2019s Jenna Rubaii, an experienced stage and screen actress who plays the role of Stephanie Mangano, Tony\u2019s dance partner and love interest. Gutsy, determined and a straight talker, Jenna embodied the feisty Mangano well. In fact, in the words of acclaimed director Bobby Garcia, \u2018 When Brandon and Jenna walked into the audition room, I knew immediately that they were Tony and Stephanie\u2019.<\/p>\n

Supporting the two leads is a strong and energetic cast from the US and Philippines along with a \u2018star-studded\u2019 production team including multi-award winning director, Bobby Garcia, Tony award winning set designer, David Gallo and Broadway choreographer, Vince Pesce among others.<\/p>\n

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Driving the entire musical with its infectious disco beats and bringing the house down is the band belting out well-loved Bee Gees disco tunes. For me (and I\u2019m sure for all the disco lovers out there), it was a real treat hearing these Bee Gees tunes performed LIVE, albeit from the orchestra pit. Also worth of mention is the sizzling Carla Guevara-Laforteza, whose powerful vocals as the club singer was instrumental in transforming the theatre into a discoteque.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all just hyped-up song and dance. After all, this is a story of how a young 19 year-old and his contemporaries grew up in underclass Brooklyn, searching for their dreams, love and acceptance while battling personal demons and insecurities. Given this context centered around disenchanted youths, you can expect sprinkling of profanities and sexual innuendos thrown in (so take my advice, make it a date night and leave the young kids at home). <\/p>\n

Saturday Night Fever not only has elements which we can all identify with – youthful idealism clashing with the harsh realities of life, the high octane disco dances and soaring, yet sensitive vocals of the cast makes this one night out you\u2019ll not forget \u2013 an atmosphere that the movie itself can never replicate. For that, it is one musical truly worth experiencing.<\/p>\n

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SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER THE MUSICAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

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