Leading Australian theatre producer John Frost has announced three of the cast members for the new version of the classic hit show, Saturday Night Fever – which plays the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 29 March 2019.
Paulini, Natalie Conway and Nana Matapule will be three of the ensemble of singers who will give voice to the much-loved disco soundtrack, alongside a cast of incredible dancers. The rest of the cast, including the Australian performers who will play the iconic roles of Tony and Stephanie, will be announced at a later date.
Paulini first enthralled the nation on the inaugural series of Australian Idol, and has since become an acclaimed singer and songwriter, releasing three albums – she is still one of only 10 Australian female solo artists to have a #1 album on the Australian ARIA Charts. Last year, Paulini astounded audiences and critics alike in the lead role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, her debut musical theatre production.
Singer-songwriter Natalie Conway is a powerhouse performer and international DJ who became a household name in Australia when she featured on Channel 7’s The X Factor in 2016. Her current single, So Loud, was released earlier this month.
Nana Matapule was most recently seen as one of the Drifters in the Australian tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. His other credits include the role of Collins in the sell-out season of Rent at the Hayes Theatre and an original cast member of Boys in The Band and Swoon – The Mad Men of Swing.
“Since it debuted in the West End and Broadway, the musical adaptation of Saturday Night Fever has set pulses racing around the world. The music is infectious and defined the distinctive disco era for a whole generation,” said John Frost. “I’m thrilled to bring this exhilarating new production to Australia, with its breathtaking dancing and the glorious collection of songs.”
“I’m so excited that we’ll have Paulini, Natalie and Nana voicing those classic Bee Gees songs alongside another sensational vocalist, and can’t wait to introduce the rest of the cast.”
Paying homage to the classic movie, Saturday Night Fever is packed with disco classics, including the Bee Gees’ greatest hits Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than A Woman. This brand-new production premiered recently in Paris.
The 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta and Karen Gorney, was based on a story in New York Magazine by Nik Cohn, who many years later acknowledged that he made up the characters and the story. The movie is credited with defining the 1970’s, while the soundtrack remains the best-selling soundtrack of all time with over 45 million copies sold.
The stage adaptation of Saturday Night Fever began in the West End in 1998 at the London Palladium, where it played for two years, with a lengthy Broadway season commencing in 1999. Productions in Argentina, Holland, Mexico, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa followed, as well as UK and US tours and a two-year revival on the West End.
Saturday Night Fever tells the story of 19-year-old Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque, where life lights up on the disco floor. There, Tony luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and where he can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends.
Saturday Night Fever plays the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 29 March 2019. Tickets now on sale. For more information, visit: www.saturdaynightfever.com.au for details.
Image: Paulini, Natalie Conway and Nana Matapule to feature in Saturday Night Fever (supplied)