Channing Weir and Tanner Gleeson in Saturday Night Fever (photo by Jenna Stebbins).
It must be summer again, because on Friday night, I found myself on my annual pilgrimage north through hordes of mayflies to attend the start of the new Timber Lake Playhouse season. Critiquing shows is always a bit of a dice roll: Will it be moving or boring? Director Tommy Ranieri's Saturday Night Fever is more of the former, and an extraordinary start to the summer-stock season.
Set in 1976 Brooklyn, Saturday Night Fever follows Tony Manero (Tanner Gleeson), a young Italian-American who works in a paint store by day, to provide for his family, and dances by night, to provide for his soul. He’s joined by a gang of buddies who are as crass and angry as he is. What are they angry about? It’d be quicker to list what they don’t have a grievance with, as they are yet another youthful generation beat down by the conditions they’re growing up in.
I’ve seen other productions of Saturday Night Fever in the past and have found myself thoroughly underwhelmed. What makes Ranieri’s production stand out is its confidence to lean into the story's darker elements. Beneath the glitz and glamour of the '70s disco scene, there’s racial tension, themes of faith, talk of abortion, and even what could be considered a suicide. Without a hint of irony, the aforementioned victim sings (and then reprises) the Bee Gees hit “Tragedy.”
But if you’re already familiar with the show or the original 1977 film starring John Travolta, you know all this. What you’re wondering is, “How does it sound and how’s the dancing?” The answer to both: pretty damn great. Musical director Matthew W. Surico does some impressive work in both the big ensemble sequences and the solo numbers. The most put-upon participant in the story’s central love triangle, Annette (Allison Dorsey), delivers a particularly killer rendition of “If I Can’t Have You,” and the primary focus of Tony’s affections, Stephanie (Channing Weir), brings the house down with “What Kind of Fool.”
But the real star of the show is Chaz Wolcott’s jaw-dropping choreography. It’s crisp, it’s tight, and seeing 16 ensemble members flawlessly execute the “Stayin’ Alive” opener is a sight to behold. Wolcott’s choreo continues to surprise as the show goes on, finding new styles and ways to employ the ensemble. With a cast of this size, it’s nice to see everyone getting at least one moment to shine on their own. Kudos to Ranieri and Wolcott for finding such a wide breadth of talent and using them all so effectively. And while we're in the neighborhood, I do want to mention how impressive it is that in a cast this large you have people who can sing, dance, and act. Musical theatre is frequently a “pick two” proposition, and I was enthralled by the emotion wrung from this material.
Saturday Night Fever's technical elements elevated its already-strong performances. The scenic design's key component is a hanging wall that's adorned with panels, strip lights, and bulbs. This large set piece fills multiple functions, including being a stand-in for the Brooklyn Bridge, a wall of strobing lights for the disco club that characters frequent, and an entryway for Timber Lake’s turntable to be put to its most effective use I’ve yet seen. Because the wall is barely raised above the stage, there’s enough clearance for the turntable to rotate in full, allowing set pieces to slide on and off and for the cast to strut down the street. It keeps things moving briskly in what is an admittedly long show, and aids a great deal in making sure the pace doesn’t bog down.
Abi Farnsworth's lighting design is also effective, making full use of the large wall and instruments throughout the space to give a layered look to all scenes. Plus, according to the Olympic pre-show speech (16 minutes!), Timber Lake’s sound system was overhauled for this season, and that effort is already on full display. This is the most sonically full and impressive production I’ve yet attended at this theatre, and even though there were occasional mic issues, things still sounded leagues better than in the past. I hope it’s a prelude of a booming season to come.
And you better bet I'm going to note and appreciate the use of what I’m almost certain were actual cigarettes. There’s just something indescribably cool about seeing smoke fill the space and add to the haze of the lights. Sparks flicking off the soles of shoes, smoke trailing from ash trays, and seeing the flame from a lighter in the dark just adds a certain something to the authenticity of a seedy and grimy 1970s disco scene. There did seem to be a mixed response to the use of cigarettes during Friday’s performance, but when the actors first lit up on stage and smoke filled the auditorium, at least one vocal gentleman behind me affectionately grumbled, “Hmph … that takes me back.”
It's always a thrill when I can review a show and simply let my brain turn off and enjoy the show for the hours I spend inside the theatre, and Saturday Night Fever is a compelling start to the summer season. If you have the chance, you should absolutely trek into the woods to catch it.
Saturday Night Fever runs at the Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll IL) through June 15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (815) 244-2035 and visiting TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
