Interview: Matt Alfano of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - THE MUSICAL at Overture Center

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - THE MUSICAL will strut its way into Madison Saturday night, March 4th at 8 p.m. for a one-night-only performance at the Overture Center featuring the chart-topping music of The Bee Gees.

This all-new production shares the iconic story of Tony, a kid from Brooklyn, and his love for dancing in spectacular new ways. Matt Alfano takes on the demanding lead role. When asked how closely the musical resembles the original movie, he explains that the script, while very similar to the R-rated movie, has been filtered through to remove the more aggressive dialogue, that the main story is still there, and the end of the show is more resolved.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - THE MUSICAL is fueled by vintage Bee Gee hits in this contemporary retelling that captures the energy, passion and life-changing moments that have thrilled audiences since 1977. I asked Alfano about his most favorite musical numbers.

"All the dance numbers are incredible, the entire ensemble, the whole cast is like this crazy force, a powerful talent. There's so much partnering and lifting that is so very true to the disco vibe of the time--the essence, the grittiness, the haziness of the disco scene, and the lifestyle too. I love dancing and started as a dancer first, so I love performing the big dance numbers, but in terms of Tony's story line, there's one, Top of Your Game, where Tony's talking about getting a raise. His father knocks him down a few pegs and is degrading and sort of a macho. Tony struggles to be accepted in this really macho society. He sings this song, it's a window into his soul and a bit more internal than the character being extraverted the whole show. It's a really nice moment to show the internal struggle in his mind. Top of Your Game was not one of the original Bee Gees songs, it was written special for the show. In fact, there are a few songs that have been added that are more rock and musical-theatre style to help progress the story forward."

Tony is on stage 90 percent of the time and Alfano says, "It's a bit of a mountain to climb, but adrenaline takes over. At the end of Act 1, my character does this famous dance solo to Night Fever. At this point in the show Tony's only escape is to lose himself in the dance, and so he disappears into that world because it's the only safe place where he can get out of his environment and the patterns of his every day life. Night Fever features all those classic disco moves that we take to the next level with the physicality of it and modernize it. Choreographer Marc Kimelman did an incredible job along with his assistant Josh Aassor. I have a lot of respect for their legit disco and making it fresher."

Alfano says his approach as an actor is to be as present and honest with what he's doing in the moment. So, when he comes off stage at intermission after the strenuous dance number, he has to take three minutes to kind of come back to earth, to breath and stretch, after such a big physical moment.

Alfano is passionate about SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - THE MUSICAL. "It's obviously something that's very rewarding to share. I'm grateful to be a part of this NorthCore production and the opportunity to show my take on this very iconic character that a lot of people associate with the movie and John Travolta."

When asked what else the audience might like to know about this coming-of-age disco fantasy, he was quick to share that the entire cast is an incredible force. "By the end of the show we break down the fourth wall and invite the audience to disco with us to a mega mix. It's very fun to share the environment with the audience. The idea is hopefully everybody finds something they can connect with. Any time you go to the theatre in terms of finding the humanity in the work I think as an audience member, I know for myself, you want to feel connected in whatever way."

I for one can't wait to be swept back in time to the disco era. This production of Saturday Night Fever The Musical, presented by NorthCore Productions and 2 Luck Concepts LLC, will be directed by Marcia Kash.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - THE MUSICAL will run at Overture Center for the Arts Saturday, March 4th for one night only. Tickets can be purchased at overturecenter.org, in person at the ticket office or by phone at 608.258.4141.

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies, and hundreds of local artists engage nearly half a million people in educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org

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