Sahara’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’ unafraid of boogie men

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 9:17 a.m.

What: "Saturday Night Fever."

When: 8 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; dark Thursdays.

Where: Sahara Theater.

Rating (out of five stars): **** 1/2

"Saturday Night Fever" covers many subjects, among them rape, assault, gang warfare and suicide, but, hey, it's still a fun show.

The musical, based on the hit 1977 movie starring John Travolta, debuted at the Sahara last week.

Comments heard following a recent performance:

Whether Tony Gonzalez, who plays Tony Manero, can survive the criticism of his vocal prowess, only time well tell.

And by all accounts the show should have plenty of time to develop. The musical is a perfect fit for Vegas -- focusing on the dancing and singing as it glosses over the sordid subjects that are a prominent component of the motion picture.

It is a story filled with plots and subplots that deal with some pretty profound subject matter -- all of which can be summed up in the feeling of "dissatisfaction" and the primal concept of "evolution."

Most of the main characters are dissatisfied with their lives and are looking to evolve, to go to another level of existence.

The world is in a constant state of change, which "Saturday Night Fever" is all about. It is a story dealing with the coming of age of young people who ultimately must evolve into adults.

It is also a story of unrequited love, and how the character Annette (played by Clarissa Grace) tries to turn into a bad girl to gain the attention of Tony.

One subplot concerns Tony's brother, priest Frank Manero Jr. (played by Stephen Smith) leaving the priesthood, another example of an evolution -- an evolution of spirit.

Another deals with a troubled teen (Bobby C., played by Brandon Nix) who can't handle change (becoming an unwed father) and ends up killing himself.

There are so many subplots that if each were dealt with fully, this would be an epic.

The original stage production, which debuted in London in 1998, was divided into three acts and included an intermission.

But the Vegas version has been reduced to about an hour and 40 minutes (without an intermission), which some thought was still too long for a production in a casino showroom.

Regardless of its length, the story is tightly written and moves quickly as the lives of the characters evolve in their Brooklyn neighborhood and inside the 2001 Odyssey disco.

"Saturday Night Fever" has become a familiar icon of an era -- replete with bell-bottom pants, white suits, unbuttoned polyester shirts, Afro hairdos and disco music.

Most of the songs in the musical are by the Bee Gees (among them "Stayin' Alive," "Night Fever," "More Than a Woman" and "How Deep is Your Love").

The Brothers Gibb wrote two new songs for the stage version -- "Immortality" and "It's My Neighborhood."

Director/choreographer Arlene Phillips did a magnificent job with her troupe of talented dancers, who bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the production.

The sets are brilliant in their simplicity, just a few hints of a room, the disco, an apartment in Manhattan.

The cast is very strong, especially the leggy, 19-year-old Stephanie Mangano, who portrays the female lead, Kristin Piro -- an ambitious young woman eager to escape the bonds of her old neighborhood.

Shea Rafferty, who plays the role of Monty, the DJ, received the seal of approval of Las Vegan Monte Rock III.

Rock created the role for the movie. Rafferty immersed himself in the flamboyant character, becoming a highlight of the show.

"Look at me, look at me," Rock, who is known for his often barbed comments and his jaded point of view, said after the performance. "I'm smiling."

And everyone else is dancing.