Most mature movie goers will have fond memories of the John Travolta smash hit movie Saturday Night Fever, full of Bee Gees classic songs. Now a musical, it is currently lighting up the stage of the Athenaeum Théâtre.
Shakespeare it isn’t, and I think it’s fair to say it’s a juke box musical with a big heart. And that’s what makes it worth seeing.
The storyline is fairly thin, focusing on paint shop salesman Tony Manero (Ethan Churchill), who tears up the dance floor with his disco moves after work, and hangs out with his best bros. But Tony is yearning for something more, although he doesn’t quite know what. He still lives at home with mum Flo (Chelsea Plumley) and dad Frank (George Kapinaris). His brother Father Frank Junior (Matthew Casamento) is his mother’s pride and joy because becoming a priest brought the family pride and status in the American-Italian Catholic community.
Mixing with his mates Bobby C (Sam Hamilton), Double J (Dimitri Raptis) and Joey (Ewan Herdman), he also has a dance partner with a crush on him, Annette (Izzi Green), but Tony is fascinated by upwardly mobile dancer Stephanie Mangano (Regan Barber).
The story follows the various twists and turns of life on and off the dance floor, with some interest provided by the dilemmas of Fr Frank Junior as he decides to leave the priesthood, and Bobby C, who has got a girl pregnant and is under enormous pressure to marry her. Casamento’s portrayal of the young priest questioning his future is endearing, and Hamilton’s angst of a troubled young man is compelling – your heart aches for him as he gradually goes under.
But the main focus is on Tony, Annette and Stephanie, and this trio delivers knockout performances, both vocally and as dancers. Churchill is rarely off the stage, and maintains the momentum and charisma all the way through the show. Both Green and Barber have brilliant voices, and Barber in particular has great stage presence. There is also a trio of nightclub singers: Bianca Baykara, Clara Harrison, and Thalia Osegueda Santos, who deliver superb harmonies and act as a sort of musical Greek chorus, keeping those Bee Gees numbers going in some very interesting arrangements.
So that’s the cast, and with its ensemble, it’s a good one, accompanied by a slick five-piece band. The set is most imaginative, using Jason Bovaird’s lighting design and producer/director Drew Anthony’s production design to create virtual backdrops that are quite stunning.
From Night Fever to Stayin’ Alive, every well-known Bee Gees hit is covered, and it’s a salient reminder of how good the Gibb brothers’ songs were, as our feet start tapping to the upbeat numbers and our hearts are grabbed by the ballads.
Saturday Night Fever is a great night out at a time when we are surrounded by negative events; it’s a reminder that a fun musical staged with energy and verve is so good for our collective mental health!
Saturday Night Fever runs at the Athenaeum until January 25.
Photo credit: Ben Fon
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Julie Houghton reviewed “Saturday Night Fever”, presented at the Athenaeum Theatre on January 11, 2026.
