Disco got its start during the early 1970s in clubs like the Ginza and La Martinique in midtown Manhattan. Record companies finally began giving it airtime, with hits cracking the Billboard top 10 in 1976.
But it wasn’t until the release of Saturday Night Fever in December of 1977 that the disco phenomenon exploded across the county.
You can relive that experience at The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral, where the stage version of the iconic movie is being performed through October 13.
Local talent Bradyn Parmelly plays the lead and provides this synopsis of the play in case you’ve forgotten.
“’Saturday Night Fever’ is about Tony Manero. He’s an Italian-American in the ‘70s,” said Parmelly. “He is a dancer looking to make his way in the world, and obviously is having to deal with crazy ex-girlfriends and new love interests and friend group that are not just working for him anymore. So he’s just trying to find himself in 1970s Brooklyn, for sure.”
Maddone, between the slang and mannerisms employed by Tony Manero and his paisans, you’ll feel like you’re suddenly back in the neighborhood, capisce? But it’s the choreography that really makes this production Bellissima.
“Emily, our choreographer, she has done absolutely incredible,” said Parmelly. “She has worked so hard and tirelessly, hours upon hours of work.”
She incorporates all the classic disco moves into the dance sequences.
As if that’s not enough, the music will have you tapping and clapping, if not dancing in the aisles.
“We have some absolutely killer numbers, ‘Disco Inferno.’ I mean, everybody knows the classic ‘Burn Baby Burn.’ We have numbers like ‘Night Fever’ and ‘You Should Be Dancing,’ and they are just absolutely immaculate.”
This show’s heavy on song, dance and nostalgia. So don’t be a mameluke. Catch the fever and “Burn Baby Burn” October 10 through13 at The Belle in Cape Coral.
MORE INFORMATION:
Remaining shows are Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m.
Following in John Travolta’s dance steps is a tall order for any actor, but Parmelly acquits the role with panache … and he has the voice needed for the shows anthology of songs.
Besides the songs referenced by Bradyn Parmelly, the show also includes “Boogie Shoes,” “Jive Talkin’,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “Nights on Broadway,” and “How Deep Is Your Love.”
Maliyah Mattis sizzles as the sultry but cautious Stephanie Mangano, who has her sights set not on Tony Manero, but a better and more fulfilling life across the river in Manhattan.
Robert Capetta and Nicole Anderson as Tony’s irascible father and strong-willed mother unquestionably give off that old-Sicilian family vibe in the handful of scenes they have.
The strong supporting cast consists of dance maven Bailey McArthur, who plays Manero’s spurned ex-girlfriend and dance partner Annette; Rebecca Lucero, whose vocal beauty lights up the discotheque in the role of lounge singer Candy; Joey Bostic as the charismatic DJ Monty; Patience Cole, as Bobby’s downtrodden girlfriend; Brycton Archer as Bobby; and the entire ensemble of Piper Jones, Stacey Vitacco, McKenzie Anderson and Jonathan Castillo-Malave.
With a book by Nan Knighton, Arlene Phillips, Robert Sigwood and Bill Oakes, the stage version of “Saturday Night Fever” features the music of The Bee Gees. Knighton and company adapted the 1977 for the stage in 1998.
The musical premiered in the West End on May 5,1998 at the London Palladium. It closed on February 26, 2000.
It premiered on Broadway on October 21, 1999 and ran for 501 performances.
For more on The Belle Theatre, visit https://thebelletheatre.com/.
To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall’s website: SWFL Art in the News.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.