Two musicals that just won’t go away, which means they have stood the test of time admirably, are Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Is it just a coincidence that, next to the fact they’re musicals, the common denominator here is John Travolta, who until Grease came along was known as Vinnie Barbarino?
The movies both became musicals that, to this day, are successful. To enhance its entertainment product, Royal Caribbean is seizing on the success by bringing Saturday Night Fever onto the Liberty of the Seas after the three-year-old ship emerges from drydock, where it goes to be freshened up in January.
The show — credited with being the defining moment in the 45-year-old career of the Bee Gees — will make its debut on the Liberty in April. Royal Caribbean made the announcement yesterday, to the everlasting delight of fans of the Bee Gees (ahem), whose music dominates the movie and the shows, and whose song/album became the title.
It’s the third major musical for Royal Caribbean, following the trend set by Hairspray (Oasis of the Seas) and Chicago (coming soon on Allure of the Seas). The deal had to be made with Robert Stigwood, the producer who introduced the three British-born Australian-bred singers/songwriters to the world in 1967.
In a press release, here’s what Stigwood said: “Royal Caribbean’s commitment to innovative and quality entertainment will have guests out of their seats and groovin’ in the aisles.”
Now, that might be a little over the top, at least for these Bee Gees fans, who don’t jump out of their seats and groove in the aisles even when there’s nobody watching. But when a show plays both in London’s West End (1998) and New York’s Broadway (1999), you know something about the quality.
Auditions for Royal Caribbean’s version start next week in New York. No, we’re not.