We arrived at the club around 8. Though they technically didn’t open until 9, there were already a handful people gathered around outside waiting to get in. It didn’t take long for a pair of men to approach us, their heavy New York accents coming through.

“Oh my GAWD, I can’t wait to get inside!” one of them exclaimed. He was excited because he just appeared in his first modeling ad, and was proudly showing it off to anyone who would look. Later, I’d learn that his name was Hunter, he was in love with a movie star, and that I’d be spending a lot of time with him that evening. His friend, Cory, was slightly aloof but clearly was ready to have a good time. By the time the night was over, both of their lives would change.

So began our time at NIGHT FEVER, the latest immersive show from our friends at JFI Productions. I had planned to see this show ages ago; over two years, in fact, but never got the chance because of COVID. However, with their residency at The Three Clubs in full swing, JFI Productions has revamped and expanded the show for their new location. I’ve been dying to see this for so long now but the question in my mind was “Will Night Fever be worth the wait?”

The answer, quite simply, is a resounding YES.

I don’t even know where to begin with the story itself because there were just so many threads to unpack! Suffice it to say that there are multiple storylines running throughout the evening, and the cast does a spectacular job of getting you involved in as many or as little as you’d like. Each story was incredible, well-thought out, and had a solid arc to it. Watching them unfold before our eyes, and getting to be part of them, was like a cocaine-fueled dream (which, based on some segments, is very appropriate for this show).

As mentioned, our stories began outside while waiting in line. We were able to meet some of the characters, got to know their stories a bit, and even got a sneak peek of what was to come. We opted for the 8 PM tickets, giving us an extra hour in the club, and getting a lot more story in the process. Because the club wasn’t technically open yet, we were treated to some dance rehearsals of things we would see later on that evening, while also continuing to interact with the club’s characters. It was a great way to really get to know people before the rest of the crowd got in there, and I highly recommend purchasing the earlier tickets.

During this pre-show segment, I also got to show off a little bit myself. Apparently one of the bus boy positions opened up, and they held auditions to fill it. I got to do my best cat walk in front of the crowd, and even though I didn’t get the job, I still had a blast doing it. But once 9 PM hits, and the regular crowd comes in, things really kick off. The dance floor is filled, the characters do synchronize dance numbers, and their stories all come to life even more.

This author, living his best disco fantasy

Over the course of the four hours we were there, we danced our asses off, we laughed, we cried, and we got involved in the lives of these other people. Hunter, as mentioned earlier, was someone that I spent a lot of time with that evening. Played by the incredible Jacob Miller, he was very open about his life, his dreams, and then, eventually, his love for a famous movie star that just also happened to be in the club (played by Kylee Thurman, another JFI great). Over the course of the evening, I got to give him advice on dating, I got to help him flirt with his potential beau, we helped him learn how to dance to impress her, and we even helped smooth things over when they got into a fight. I’m not going to lie, I really felt emotionally invested in this relationship, and I was thrilled with how things ended up for both of them by the end of the evening.

Another very memorable interaction was with Z, the drug dealer. Dressed to the nines, and played by Austin Minard, some of the funniest moments of the night came directly from Z. After a slight misunderstanding where I walked up to him and said “Gimme drugs!”, we managed to smooth over our relationship and still have a great time together. I’ll never, ever forget the moment when he “snorted cocaine” off my forehead for all to see. That’s truly the magic of immersive theater, folks.

But here’s the thing though… These are just some of many, many stories taking place within Night Fever. By the end of the night, even though I had interacted with tons of people, I was thoroughly impressed with the number of characters that I didn’t even get to interact with at all! There is SO MUCH to do. The diversity and amount of character interactions happening all night was incredible. Much like The Willows, there is no way to see it all in one go; you just have to go with the flow and do what you can.

Now that it’s days later, I’m really trying to wrack my brain to remember every character I interacted with. It’s basically an impossible task, because they were so many! But some highlights include getting to meet Bob, the club’s owner, and having a fantastic conversation with him in his office. There were also the bus boys / dancers, who when they weren’t picking up trash, were wearing nothing but booty shorts on the dance floor and having a great time. Brock was one of these, and he enlisted my help in starting a fight with Nicky, a dancer he didn’t like. The interactions I had with Brock, played by Mason Conrad, were some of my favorite in ANY immersive show. And thought I didn’t get to interact with them much, much love needs to be given to the rest of the cast. They were all incredible, and honestly, JFI’s streak of only hiring the best continues.

And to be fair, since a lot of guests were dressed to theme, I even had some difficulty telling who was a character and who was not! I talked to someone for a solid 10 minutes before I realized he was just another patron…and I wasn’t even mad about it! He was so much fun to talk to, and then we went off to do a character interaction together.

Circling back to the dance number portions, I was incredibly impressed by Stephanie Turek’s choreography. There were a few that happen throughout the night, and the ones I was lucky enough to see up close were very, very, VERY good. It was almost like watching Saturday Night Fever. Kudos to the whole cast on their awesome moves!

JFI Productions are known for their incredibly immersive shows, putting audience members right in the center of the action, and this one is only different in that it it was their most impressive yet. Set in 1977, in the glamor of New York City, the entire location is transformed into disco heaven. Every inch of The Three Clubs oozes with character, from the “outside” of the club, complete with stoop and dirty trash, all the way to the vintage ads hanging in the restrooms. I lived on the east coast for most of my life, and while I wasn’t there in the 70s, this truly felt like being back home. It was very impressive.

In addition to all the immersive elements, they truly just know how to throw a great party! The drinks were fantastic, the music was incredible, and I can’t even remember the last time I had so much fun.

I was so immersed in the show that I barely took any photos…so it’s a great thing that they had a photographer on hand all night, running around and taking shots. All the photos in this review are from their photographers, and I have to say, it was a great touch. They were there to capture some of the best moments of the night, and the photos came out gorgeous, so thanks to Max and Samantha Baker for their work!

All in all, Night Fever was an immersive spectacular that I highly recommend. I’m not usually a “club” guy, but I had such a blast here. JFI Productions are truly at the top of their game here, and each subsequent show they do gets better in better.

If you’re looking to dance the night away, and get lost in the 70s for a bit, I highly recommend.

Night Fever runs through April 9, 2022. Tickets are available at https://nightfeverla.com.