Saturday Night Fever dancing its way to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - When John Travolta walked on to the dance floor in the smash hit film Saturday Night Fever, it changed the way we dance forever.

The date is 1976 and in Brooklyn, New York, Tony Manero, a young man with a dead-end job and an extraordinary ability to dance, has only one ambition in life — to become the disco king. When he meets Stephanie, who also dreams of a world beyond Brooklyn, and they decide to train together for a dance competition, their lives begin to change forever.

In June 2015, audiences will be treated to a brand-new production of Saturday Night Fever The Musical, one of the most loved dance stories of all time. Saturday Night Fever is packed with legendary hits from the Bee Gees including the classics Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Jive Talking, You Should Be Dancing and How Deep is Your Love? It is based on Nik Cohn’s 1975 New York Magazine article Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night and John Badham’s 1977 Film, featuring music by the Bee Gees.

Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group, in cooperation with The Robert Stiigwood Organization, has assembled a first-rate creative team led by Bobby Garcia, who will direct the first-class production. Choreography is by Vince Pesce, set design by Tony Award winner David Gallo, lighting design by Paul Miller, costume design by Pepsi Herrera, hair and make-up design by Johann dela Fuente and New York casting by Tara Rubin.

Patrick Bywalksi, deputy chairman of the Robert Stigwood Organization, says, “The Robert Stigwood Organization is proud to have entered into a partnership with Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group, beginning next spring with the new production of Saturday Night Fever issued from the iconic movie from the ’70s which has one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time for the audience to enjoy. Atlantis has been chosen for the high standard they have achieved with some of the best Broadway shows; furthermore, the totally new production is being introduced in the region for the first time. The first-class creative team assembled will deliver a thrilling experience, so bring the white suit out… and your boogie shoes.”

Saturday Night Fever premiered in London’s West End in 1998 and ran for two years before opening in Broadway. It also had a revival in London in 2004. In 2013, the script was rewritten and reorchestrated for a highly-acclaimed production at the English Theatre in Frankfurt, Germany. The new production will reflect all those revisions.

Saturday Night Fever will feature an international cast from the US and Manila. Casting for the touring production will be held in Manila and New York. Manila audition dates are Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for singers, and Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for dancers. Singers are expected to prepare a contemporary pop song and bring sheet music. No backing track/minus one. A pianist will be provided. Dancers are expected to learn a complex dance routine and may be asked to sing a song. Auditions are at the Opera Haus, 3657 Bautista St. (near the cor. of Buendia), Makati City. New York casting will be handed by Tara Rubin in January 2015.

Saturday Night Fever will premiere in Manila in June 2015 before traveling to Singapore and other select destinations in Asia. For details, call ATEG at 892-7078 or follow on Facebook at ATEGAsia.