Xanadu

Last night I saw the Broadway musical Xanadu - you know, the one based off of the 1980 Olivia Newton-John roller disco movie. I haven't actually seen the movie, but my understanding is that the movie was pretty awful (now I fully intend to go see it too). But the play was a total blast and it is the the fact that the movie was so awful that makes the play so great - most of the play is spent just making fun of the movie.

For those of you who have never heard of the movie Xanadu, ONJ plays a roller-skating Greek muse named Clio (who, as a human, goes by the alias Kira, "which is good because that's her name") who inspires a guy named Sonny Malone in Venice Beach, California in 1980 to open a roller-disco called The Xanadu. However, she breaks the key muse rule of not falling in love with a mortal and she falls in love with Sonny.

Sadly, I didn't get to see star Kerry Butler in it, but her understudy Patti Murin was fabulous so it was still a riot. I loved her overdone Australian accent and I'm very impressed with her rollerskating skills. I suck at rollerskating, so I can't imagine having to wear rollerskates through in an entire play and do things like dance with them on.

The whole cast was awesome and they all looked like they were having the time of their lives. I would say my favorite was Jackie Hoffman as the muse Calliope. She was absolutely hilarious - so campy. The whole play was just so campy that I think even the most avid musical hater might enjoy themselves, because not only is it mocking the movie Xanadu, but it's almost (lovingly) mocking musical theater.

I highly highly recommend Xanadu if you want to go see a super fun Broadway show. Although don't sit too close to the stage - I was in the very front row (Row B on the left side of the auditorium) and it gets kind of hard to see sometimes. Plus they kept making fog, which nearly asphyxiated us a few times.

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