Jenna Rubaii was last seen soaring high above the stage as an aerial ballerina in Green Day’s pop-punk musical American Idiot, but she really should be dancing, yeah. So the American actress is getting down and starring in a different – and far more iconic – show: Saturday Night Fever.
Rubaii is taking on the leading role of Stephanie Mangano, whose (boogie) shoes the actress says weren’t easy to fill. ‘American Idiot takes place during my generation, but I didn’t grow up in the ’70s, so finding that rhythm, that vibe, is a little more difficult,’ she says. And Rubaii admits she didn’t even catch the original film until she was called in to audition for this stage performance.
Coming into the classic flick with fresh eyes might be a boon. The first thing she discovered was that the movie is nothing like the glitzy, glamorous tale she thought it was: ‘Whenever someone talks about Saturday Night Fever, all they would mention is John Travolta in the iconic white suit or the amazing dance scenes. But what people never talk about is the searing truth and depth of the storyline. There’s darkness – a sense of realness to the script people tend to gloss over.’
And this production by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group doesn’t shy away from that darkness. The plot, after all, revolves around a group of guys totally disillusioned with life. But not to worry, folks – the famous Bee Gee tunes like ‘Stayin’ Alive’ and ‘Tragedy’ haven’t changed.
‘You’ll still get those energetic and enthralling dance scenes in the club,’ says Rubaii. ‘But you’ll also see a truthful story filled with the grit and complexity that the movie always had.’