SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Opens Tomorrow at Sydney Lyric Theatre

The iconic hit musical Saturday Night Fever will have its Australian Premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre tomorrow night in front of a star-studded capacity audience, playing exclusively in Sydney until 2 June.

The coveted lead role of Tony Manero, made famous by John Travolta, is played by rising star Euan Doidge, Helpmann Award nominated for his role in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, after performing in Les Miserables, A Chorus Line and the Gordon Frost Organisation's Grease and Legally Blonde. As Stephanie Mangano, the unrequited love interest of Tony and the best dancer at the nightclub, is Melanie Hawkins, who has previously appeared in Singin' In The Rain, Strictly Ballroom the Musical and GFO's Wicked and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Australia's original disco queen, Marcia Hines, will play the role of The Diva, who performs at Disco Odyssey 2001, the nightclub where Tony Manero dances every Saturday night, while Paulini, Bobby Fox, Natalie Conway and Nana Matapule are the star vocalists who give voice to the much-loved disco Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Tim "Timomatic" Omaji(Fame, In the Heights) joins the cast as Monty, the MC at the nightclub. Tony's older brother, Frank Jr., is played by Stephen Mahy, recently seen in Mamma Mia!, as well as in Miss Saigon and as Kenicke in Grease. Angelique Cassimatis (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mack & Mabel) plays Annette, a neighbourhood girl who longs for a closer relationship with Tony, while the troubled Bobby C is played by recent NIDA graduate Ryan Morgan.

The cast also includes the best dancers working in Australia today - Justin Anderson, Jared Bryan, Giuliana Carniato, Lachlan Dearing, Lauren Elton, Mitchell Fistrovic, Gaynor Hicks, Elysha Manik, Kiara McGowan, Coby Njoroge, Maddie Peat, Stephen Perez, Erica Stubbs, Lola Rose Thompson, Benjamin Turland and Chris Van Doren. Tony's parents will be played by Denise Drysdale and Mark Mitchell in a cameo filmed segment.

"I'm sure we have the hottest cast that has ever played on Sydney stages. With the sensational Marcia Hines and our wonderful ensemble of singers pumping out those disco hits, and the most talented dancers in Australia strutting those moves, I know the audience will be on their feet every night," said producer John Frost. "The incredible unforgettable and infectious songs in Saturday Night Fever are loved by all, young and old, so it's sure to be a party every night at the Sydney Lyric."

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.

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 one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time with over 45 million copies sold.

The Australian premiere has been secured for Sydney by the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and will be a major drawcard for visitors to the State.

Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase said securing Saturday Night Fever demonstrates the NSW Government's commitment to securing the very best musicals for the State.

"Saturday Night Fever is a musical which transcends all generations; making it the perfect night out for the whole family. The incredible line-up of talent paired with phenomenal music, singing and dancing creates a performance which is guaranteed to have audience members bopping along in their seats. Anyone looking for a fun and entertaining experience should make sure they head to Sydney for the Australian premiere of this outstanding musical," Ms Chipchase said.

The original 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. This brand-new production premiered recently in Paris incorporating more songs and dancing with stunning new choreography, a celebration of one of the most loved films and soundtracks of all time.

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 is based on the Paramount/RSO movie and the story by Nik Cohn, adapted for the stage by Robert Stigwood and Bill Oakes, while the new version has been arranged and edited by Ryan McBryde. Music and lyrics are by artists including The Bee Gees.

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