This is such a great idea for a campy musical comedy: use the disaster movies of the 1970s as inspiration and populate the soundtrack with (sometimes deliciously cheesy) 1970s tunes.

And so Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick whipped up “Disaster! The Musical,” which the Chestnut Street Playhouse in Norwich is staging starting Thursday and through March 1.

An array of characters gather on the first floating casino and disco in New York City in 1979 and, of course, disasters strike. They belt out tunes ranging from “Hot Stuff” to “Feelings,” “Torn Between Two Lovers” to “I Will Survive.”

Lisa Foss directs and choreographs the production. The cast includes Jack Barie, Keri Danner, Lucas Periera, Marc Bibeau, Makayla O’Connor, Nichelle Rollins, Maureen Pollard, Arnie Woelfel, and Erin Foley Machnik. There is also an ensemble, with each actor playing multiple roles, and a six-person band.

By the way, Rudetsky, who wrote “Disaster! The Musical," was nominated for three Emmys while he was a comedy writer for "The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” He also wrote for the Grammys in 1999 and 2000 and wrote the opening numbers for the Tonys in 1998 and 2000.

“Disaster! The Musical,” Feb. 13-March 1, Chestnut Street Playhouse, 24 Chestnut St., Norwich; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays; $27 adults, $25 seniors, $15 children/students; (860) 886-2378.