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Saturday Night Fever brings grit to Singapore

Saturday Night Fever brings grit to Singapore


If you’re expecting a cute, retro musical about disco music and uncomplicated young love, think again! Past productions of Saturday Night Fever (SNF) were touted as soft and fluffy but this version of the show is attempting to tackle bigger, more important issues that the original film focused on, like sexual promiscuity, abortion, and racial violence. But it's still using the funky and timeless hits from the Bee Gees like 'Stayin' Alive' that really defined the 1970s, and the film.  

SNF is an iconic story following Italian-American Tony Manero, a wannabe disco king who lives in the rough and tough neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1976 and the sordid world that existed around him. It not only spawned a dance revolution at the time but spoke directly to a generation of lost, struggling young adults. And it’s a story that’s still relevant today.  

“That’s what made the movie special. It was a dance movie, which we have… you’re seeing the music, which we have...  but the story was so gritty and I think we have that too where past shows lost that a bit,” says Brandon Rubenall, who plays the male lead Tony Manero.
 
It's Rubendall's first lead role but he's no newbie to the stage. He's appeared on Broadway in 'Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark' and the 2011 revival of the Tony Award-winning musical 'Anything Goes'. His character Tony Manero, who was originally played by John Travolta in the film, is familiar to Rubendall. Not only do they share Italian-American heritage, they share similar mannerisms and outlooks on life. “I felt like I was basically watching myself in the movie. That role was written for me! I have to play that role. You have one life to live.  I love to love, so does he. I’m passionate, so is he. He’s driven and I am too.”

The film propelled Travolta to stardom, and it seems to be having a similar effect for Rubendall. “It’s lovely to fill those shoes. ‘He’s not copying John Travolta but he does it just as good’ … well, that's what the reviews say!”

Playing opposite Rubendall is Jenna Rubaii, who toured in Green Day’s Musical 'American Idiot', who will breathe life into the role of Stephanie Mangano, a young office worker-turned-dance partner of Brooklyn’s local discotheque habitué Tony. Rubaii fits right into that role, after featuring in the cast of the Broadway hit 'Fifty Four Forever' - inspired by the famous New York club Studio 54.

Not having seen the film until she auditioned for the theatre show, Rubaii says she has no idea what it was highlighting. “This is kind of beautiful.. I really didn’t expect it to be so gritty and tackle so many issues and be real. When I booked the show and saw the script… that’s when I really got excited about it,” says Jenna Rubaii. “It exceeded what I thought it would really be.”

Upon meeting the pair it's immediately clear that they're fantastic on-stage partners. Rubenall confirms it, “Our chemistry is so good that I’ve never really had anyone opposite me that I’ve connected to like this. That’s such a rare thing to every single night to have that connection. It’s such an honour to work beside this girl.”
 
“When Brandon and Jenna walked into the audition room, I knew immediately that they were Tony and Stephanie.  They possess that complex combination of grit and vulnerability and are both terrific actors . Add to that they are excellent singers and dancers; the triple threat combination is not easy to find,” Director Bobby Garcia says.
 
SNF is on its first Asian Tour in eight years, and comes off the heels of successful sold out shows in the UK. The international cast from the US and the Philippines garnered great reviews after the Manila tour, which finished last week.   

Audiences in Singapore can catch the show at the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands for a limited season from 25 September 2015.