Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Of course, if you're of a certain age, it remains a pleasure to hear the many disco classics in the show: "Stayin' Alive," "How Deep is Your Love?" and the here aptly named "Disco Inferno." Many are sung in Oakbrook Terrace by Alex Newell, who plays Candy and whom you might remember from "Glee." As with everything else in a show that will confound a few expectations, Newell makes sure there is a lot going on all around."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...If you happened to be on the planet in 1977, you will surely recall the sensation generated by a guy named John Travolta who burst onto the screen as Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever," dressed in platform dancing shoes and slightly belled trousers, and walking with that insinuating gait dubbed the Brooklyn Hustle. Two decades after Elvis Presley had performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, Travolta re-energized the pelvic swivel for the disco generation, and he even lit a flame in Princess Diana, who memorably danced with him at a White House gala."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...Drury Lane's "Saturday Night Fever" serves up a feast of '70s nostalgia and Bee Gees hits with some important, and welcome, changes. The production debuts a new "North American version" script by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti, and it wisely scrubs some of the film's jarring sexism and racism."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...These reinterpretations are fun, but, as in the original, they don’t advance the plot or deepen the characters. More successful are Rachel Laritz’s eye-pleasing, historically accurate costumes and director Dan Knechtges’s inventive choreography; Adrian Aguilar is extremely likable as Manero."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...Being at an age where I remember the 1977 Robert Stigwood film Saturday Night Fever, I can recall the great music by the Bee Gees and going to the dance clubs after seeing the movie. My friends and I would go out and buy the clothes, then watch the movie several times so we could learn the latest dance moves. Everyone wanted to be cool like Tony Manero, (John Travolta). After seeing Saturday Night Fever (The Musical) at the Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook, I happily revisited those enjoyable times from so long ago."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...Saturday Night Fever - The Musical is cute escapism by not as sharp and compelling as past Drury Lane shows like Crazy For You and Smokey Joe's Cafe. so if you need a disco fix, try this show."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Many of us recall the movie upon which this based on. It featured John Travolta and the glorious music of The Bee Gees. It is a story about a Brooklyn kid, who during the “disco” era found dancing to be his escape from the life that was placed before him. He has his “gang” of guys, his typical Italian Catholic mother who loves her family and her church, and is blessed because her oldest son is a Priest. The patriarch of the family is a blue color worker who survives, day-to-day. Tony, our hero (the part that Travolta made famous, or perhaps infamous) is played in this production by local actor Adrian Aguilar, who is worth the price of the ticket to see in this role. He may not have the best vocal range in town, but dancing-wise he is sensational, and acting-wise, I feel a Jeff Nominee is in the wings."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...While this musical may not be on most theatre audience's top ten list, Dan Knechtges has directed and choreographed his topnotch cast with care, precision and love. It's a lot of fun, with a sincere message about living one's life without kowtowing to any one else's expectations. It features a cast of extremely talented singing-and-dancing actors to enjoy, a score of familiar songs by the Bee Gees to stir up fond memories and plenty of bright lights and high octane energy to keep audiences dancing in their seats. With hit tunes like "How Deep Is Your Love," "Night Fever," "More Than a Woman," "Boogie Shoes" and "Jive Talkin,'" Oakbrook Terrace has turned the winter into a hot and fiercely dynamic "Disco Inferno.""
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended
"...But its saving grace is that, to many audience members coming to see Saturday Night Fever, those nits simply don’t matter; the point of seeing this show is time travel. And Drury Lane’s assembled talent is more than capable of taking folks back to a time when they believed they should be dancing."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...While there was some jumping around from place to place, this show is great if you're looking for a groovy night out. If you're expecting the 70s, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER has it all."