Xanadu

Xanadu is "a place where dreams come true," not a place to take yourself too seriously, especially if everyone remembers you as a terrible film. You are better off as a nutty musical on a Broadway stage.The film, starring Olivia Newton-John, took itself too seriously. The musical at the Helen Hayes Theatre does not. It is an hour and a half of smart, campy, nonsensical fun, with a cute goddess-next-door, Kerry Butler, as Clia, the muse who becomes Kira, the mortal.

Adapted by Douglas Carter Beane (The Little Dog Laughed), the Richard Christian Danus/Marc Rubel story features Sonny Malone, a dopey Venice, California artist with artist-block. He has been working on a sidewalk mural of muses, but his real ambition is to converge together all the arts, painting, music, even athletics (is that an art form?) within an art center/roller disco.

Remember this is taking place in 1980.

The muses, all sisters, rise from the mural, donning roller skates. One of them, Clia, rolls smack into Sonny. She tells him her name is Kira, adapting an ace Australian accent and the light, breathy, very sweet voice of Olivia Newton-John. The purpose of muses is to inspire artists without falling in love with them, so Kira offers to help Sonny with his dream of owning an art center/roller disco. Romance, unfortunately, begins to bloom, fanned by Kira's sister muses, Melpomene and Calliope (Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman), who would like their father, Zeus, to punish the lovestruck Clia/Kira and oust her from Xanadu (Mount Olympus). Those gals are viciously jealous and deliver their comic moments with fierce over-the-top glee. Each is an Evil Woman.Kira and Sonny decide to transform a vacant local theatre, Xanadu, into a musical multiplex roller disco. They visit Danny Maguire, a former big band musician, now real estate magnate, who is about to tear down the old theatre. Kira revives in Danny's mind the memory of an old love, and she cajoles him into giving Sonny a chance. Sonny gets one day to transform the old theatre into his dream.

One day -- is this even possible? Only in a fantasy. You will not be sitting at the edge of your seat in suspense, but you will be drawn into the energy of the wacky plot, the sublime performances, and director Christopher Ashley's humorous pacing.

Kerry Butler, faultless and lovable, gives all she has to the zany story, singing with a fluid, strong vocal tone and wringing out every bit of comedy with keen timing. In the evening I attended, Sonny was performed by Curtis Holbrook for ailing James Carpinello. Holbrook is a nimble dancer and convincing singer and actor. Tony Roberts plays Danny Maguire with a mix of wry cynicism and sentimentality. In the '40s flashback, Roberts joins Butler with Luke Hawkins stepping deftly in as young Danny to duet "Whenever You're Away From Me," reliving an attraction that could never develop into love. Roberts later portrays the patriarchal Zeus in a Clash of the Titans heaven.

Music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar come from the film, songs like the energizing "I'm Alive," "Magic," "Have You Ever Been Mellow," and the title tune. "Suspended in Time" accompanies Kira's ride up toward Mount Olympus on winged horse Pegasus, and Dan Knechtges' dance choreography is disco Xanadu. Inside jokes bounce around, mainly about culture in the '80s, musical theatre, including jukebox musicals and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Costumes by David Zinn are billowy and theatrical. David Gallo's versatile set includes a multipurpose Greek column, skating ramps, various disco balls, a huge mirror to reflect the rise and retreat of the muses into the sidewalk.

On all counts, Xanadu is dedicated to having escapist fun and, best of all, imparting the fun to the audience, some of whom are seated onstage. Who knows, maybe next up will be Ishtar-the Musical.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
July 17, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org