BY KYLE PETTY
CM Performing Arts Center is currently presenting “SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: THE MUSICAL” from May 4th to May 19th and I was fortunate enough to be in the audience on opening night! The musical is based on the 1977 movie of the same name starring John Travolta that went on to be one of the highest grossing films released in the United States in the 70s. The story in the musical differs a bit from the rated-R content in the movie in an attempt to make things a bit more family-friendly. (Extra emphasis on “bit”…but many of the jokes would probably go over a child’s head.)
Saturday Night Fever tells the story of Tony Manero, a 19 year old Italian-American living at home with his parents in Brooklyn. During the week he works at a local paint store but on Saturday nights, he heads to the local club with his friends where he basically owns the dance floor. This part of his story is one that we can all relate to – he sees dancing as a way to escape the mundane (or simply not-so-great) aspects of life and not only feel distracted, but validated. Tony eventually crosses paths with Stephanie Mangano and begins an up-and-down sort of relationship with her while he manages his nightlife, friends, and other “love” interests.
CM veteran Mike Shapiro takes on the role of Tony Manero impressively. When I spoke to him on The Kyle Petty Show recently, he shared how this role means a lot to him because of what the movie means to his family – and you can see that passion come through in his performance.
Shapiro Isn’t just an actor going through his paces! Every step and every word was delivered with intention and that was clear right from the beginning of the show.
As you can imagine, Tony dances *quite* a bit as he is the main focal point in most numbers and Shapiro handled it with ease. My personal favorite was the Act 1 closer “You Should Be Dancing” and quite honestly if my dancing was anything that anyone would want to see, I *would* have been dancing!
Stephanie Mangano was played by the multi-talented Carissa Navarra – a new face for me! Her chemistry with Shapiro was undeniable and she captured the grace and sassiness of Stephanie perfectly. For me, Navarra’s finest moment was when she sang “What Kind of Fool” in Act 2. The audience clearly agreed as this seemed to be one of the moments that garnered the most applause of the night. Tony’s other love interest (rather, person who is interested in having the love *with* him) is Annette, sweetly played by Camilla Montoya. The role of Annette certainly isn’t an easy one to play as she is on an emotional rollercoaster of her own and Montoya took us on that ride with her. Her rendition of “If I Can’t Have You” is a clear standout and the arrangement itself is beautiful. It was a pleasure to hear her sing it!
Tony’s friends – The Faces; Bobby C, Joey, Double J, and Gus – were all played by Nick Aspris, Michael Krulder, Keith Jones, and Nicholas Locurto respectively. They were the perfect counterparts to Shapiro’s Tony! For all intents and purposes they came off exactly how you would expect a group of almost-20 somethings to be with each other and during nights out. (I’m realizing how incredibly old that makes me sound, but that’s alright.)
I had a blast with “Boogie Shoes” too! How could you not?! The harmonies were on point and their dancing was nicely in sync.
There was solid chemistry between the guys too, and that was on display during some of the heavier moments in Act 2. The relationship between Bobby and Pauline (played by Isabella Cannone) is a major storyline as well, but I won’t say why on the off chance that you are unfamiliar with the story. However it should be known that Act 1’s “Jive Talkin’” was performed exceptionally well by Aspris and Cannone – two fantastic voices that sounded great together!
The hangout spot for everyone in town is Odyssey 2001 and a number of scenes take place here. Special shout out to Scenic Designer Joshua Warner for the look of the club! So many cool things to look at – I absolutely loved it! I also have to give credit to the Lighting Designer Brandon Latargia as well, because the look and feel of this club go hand in hand with the lights. The club’s singers are Candy and Monty, played by Mariah Mazzeo and James O’Connor. Act 1’s “You Should Be Dancing” was taken to new heights with O’Connor’s energy and Mazzeo’s vocals were the perfect complement to (what I like to call a *timeless* banger) “Disco Inferno”! This is definitely a club I would have wanted to hang out at in *my* day. (Sounding old again.)
Choreographer Melissa Rapelje crafted the perfect ensemble to make the club absolutely dazzle and her choreography was super clean and made everyone look amazing. Speaking of looking amazing – Costume Designer Ronald R. Green III does it again, perfectly reflecting the people and city at that time.
All in all, this was a fantastic production of a show I grew to love after playing Monty at Theatre Three about 7 years ago. Watching everyone have as much fun as I did when I was in it was awesome to see. Congratulations to CM Performing Arts Center and kudos to Director Patrick Campbell for his vision for Saturday Night Fever as well! From what I understand, much of the run is either sold out or almost there…which prompted them to add a performance on Sunday, May 19th – so *quite* literally get your tickets while you can by calling the box office or visiting their website at www.cmpac.com!
