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Xanadu (musical)
Encyclopedia
Xanadu is a musical
comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane
, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne
and John Farrar
, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name
which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth
film Down to Earth
. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan
, or A Vision in a Dream. A Fragment, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
. Xanadu
is the name of the Chinese province where Khan establishes his pleasure garden in the poem.
The story of the musical focuses on a Greek muse
, Clio
, who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest creation of his life - a roller disco
. But, when Clio, disguised as an Australian roller girl named Kira, falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and Clio risks eternal banishment to the underworld.
The musical opened on Broadway
in 2007 and ran for over 500 performances. It earned an Outer Critics Circle Award
for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award
for Best Book. It was also nominated for Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. The US Tour officially began on December 15, 2009 in the Orange County Performing Arts Center. A Korean production has opened, and a national tour and several foreign productions are planned.
barely broke even at the box office
and received uniformly unfavorable reviews, but the soundtrack
was a commercial hit, as were several of the songs singly. Although the film was nominated for six Razzies
, winning one for worst director, it became a cult classic. Announcements that the film would be adapted as a Broadway show drew skepticism and even derision, even from Carter Beane, who adapted the script.
According to Beane, in rewriting the script for the musical, he was influenced not only by the 1980 Xanadu film, but also by the 1981 fantasy film, Clash of the Titans
, prompting him to add the subplot "in which Kira’s jealous sister-muses doom her to fall in love with a mortal, incurring the wrath of their father, Zeus." He has noted that the stage musical focuses more on the Greek mythology
plotlines but has "a lot of [parody] references to the movie."
The score retains the hits from the film and also includes new arrangements by Eric Stern of "I'm Alive
," "Magic
," "Suddenly," and "Dancin'," as well as interpolating two classic Electric Light Orchestra
songs, "Strange Magic
" and "Evil Woman
," plus Farrar's "Have You Never Been Mellow
."
, New York City
, in January 2007, featuring performances by Jane Krakowski
, Tony Roberts
, and Cheyenne Jackson
. Readings of the stage version had previously been held on April 21 and August 3, 2006 at New World Stages in Manhattan.
Krakowski and Jackson were cast in their respective leading roles of Clio/Kira and Sonny Malone for the Broadway run, but both eventually dropped out. Jane cited her TV shooting schedule on the NBC show 30 Rock
, while Jackson cited post-production commitments for his film Hysteria.
Xanadu began previews on Broadway
on May 23, 2007 at the Helen Hayes Theatre
and opened on July 10, 2007. The production was directed by Christopher Ashley
and choreographed by Dan Knechtges
, with sets by David Gallo
, lighting by Howell Binkley
, costumes by David Zinn, sound by T. Richard Fitzgerald and Carl Cassella and projections by Zachary Borovay
. The key producers were Robert Ahrens
, Tara Smith and Brian Swibel
.
The production included a considerable amount of skating for the characters Kira and Sonny, and the set extended over the orchestra pit partly into the audience. The show was presented partially in the round
, with some audience members seated on benches on the stage. Like several other recent Broadway shows, a small cast was used, and the relatively short show (90-minutes) was played without intermission. James Carpinello
was cast as Sonny and played the role during May and June previews. The actor injured his foot rollerskating during a rehearsal on June 12, 2007. Cast members Andre Ward and Curtis Holbrook
alternated in the role of Sonny until Carpinello's replacement, Cheyenne Jackson
, assumed the role on June 21, 2007.
The opening night cast included Jackson as Sonny Malone, Kerry Butler
as Kira, Tony Roberts
as Danny Maguire, and Jackie Hoffman
and Mary Testa
as "evil" Muse sisters, part of a new plot twist introduced in the Broadway version. Olivia Newton-John
(star of the film) and composer John Farrar
attended on opening night and joined the cast on stage during the curtain call.
The production closed on September 28, 2008 after 49 previews and 513 performances.
in San Diego, California
on November 11, 2008 and played until December 31, 2008. A Chicago run of the production began in January 2009 preceding the U.S. national tour. The Chicago run ended on March 29, 2009, and the production ran in Tokyo for a month. Elizabeth Stanley played Kira, and Max von Essen
portrayed Sonny in the La Jolla, Chicago, and Tokyo runs of the production. The new U.S. national tour opened on December 15, 2009 in Costa Mesa, California
, with Stanley and Von Essen.
n-language rights to the show for two years. A production in Seoul
opened in 2008. The Philippine production of Xanadu this September. Atlantis Productions will stage the musical from September 3–19, 2010 with Rachel Alejandro and Felix Rivera in the roles of Clio/Kira and Sonny, respectively.
The Australian productionn opened on 1 March 2011, in a big top
called the Grand Xanadu Marquee in the Melbourne
Docklands. The roles of Clio/Kira, Sonny, Danny/Zeus, Calliope/Aphrodite and Melpomene/Medusa were played by Christie Whelan
, Sam Ludeman, John McTernan, Susan-Ann Walker and Alexandra (Ally) Fowler, respectively.
Previews for the first professional West Coast production began February 25, 2011 with the official run starting on March 4, 2011, at The Retro Dome in San Jose, California. Produced by Guggenheim Entertainment, the cast includes Sarah Aili (Kira/Clio), Adam Barry (Sonny), Brian Conway (Thalia/Cyclops), Stephen Guggenheim (Danny), Hilary Little (Melpomene/Medusa), Shannon Guggenheim (Calliope/Aphrodite), Kate McCormick (Euterpe/Thetis), Lizzie O'Hara (Erato/Hera), and Hector S. Quintana (Terpsicore/Hermes); dir. Scott Evan Guggenheim.
The Barter Theatre
in Abingdon, Virginia
, production ran from February 4 to April 16, 2011.
The SouthEast Regional Premiere opened April 21, 2011 at The Pointe Performing Arts Center in Orlando, Florida. Produced by FantasyLand Theatrical Productions, the cast included Adam Pate/David P. Landry Jr. (Sonny), Kayleigh Mollycheck (Kira/Clio), Christopher DeBoard (Danny), Angele Maraj, Kimberly Bonny, Tony Slater, Lisandra Moreno, Aja Jones, Christian De La Rosa, Kathey Beserra, and Travis Eaton, with direction by Christian St. John and Musical Director Daniel Doak. The show ran in April and May 2011.
The European Premiere opened September 11, 2010 at the Landestheatre Oberpfalz in Vohenstrauss, Germany. It was also the first German version - with the songs remaining in English. The Show ran in September 2010 und was resumed in September 2011. Directed by Daniel Gruenauer, the Cast included Susanne Stangl (Kira/Clio), Markus Engelstaedter (Sonny), Ruppert Gruenbauer (Danny) and as the muses Annika Fischer, Doris Hofmann, Silke Husslik, Katharina Stark, Ramona Zimmermann, Johannes Aichinger and Benjamin Oeser.
, the youngest, perkiest Muse, convinces her eight sisters (two of whom are men in drag), to travel to Venice Beach (rising out of the sidewalk mural) to inspire Sonny ("I'm Alive"). Zeus
's rules require that Muses must always be disguised from mortals. Clio
has the idea to wear roller skates
, leg warmers, and sport an Australian accent and the other muses agree. Clio changes her name to something contemporary: "Kira". Quickly inspired ("Magic"), Sonny decides that he can combine all the arts and "something athletic" all into one spectacular entertainment: a roller disco.
Two of Clio's sisters, Melpomene
(the oldest sister) and Calliope
are jealous that Clio (although the youngest) is the leader of the Muses and that Zeus had promised "Xanadu" to Clio, although no one knows exactly what that entails ("Evil Woman"). So they plot to discredit Clio and cause her banishment by tricking her into breaking one of Zeus's rules: a Muse must not fall in love with a mortal, so they will curse "Kira" and Sonny to fall in love.
Meanwhile, Sonny finds a good location for the roller disco, a long-abandoned theater in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles
called "Xanadu."
"Kira" inspires him to locate the owner in the phone book ("Suddenly"), and they set up a meeting with real estate
mogul Danny Maguire, who used to be a big band
clarinet
tist before he started in the real estate game.
Sonny visits hard-hearted Danny in his posh office in downtown Los Angeles
and tries to convince him to donate the theater for the roller disco, because it would bring the arts to the Fairfax district and drive up real estate values. But Danny scoffs, even though he had plans to open the theater himself, once upon a time. As Sonny leaves, "Kira" arrives, jogging Danny's memories of an old love and dance partner of his, who looked suspiciously like "Kira," named Tangerine ("Whenever You're Away from Me"). Tangerine tells Danny that although he had let his greed stop him from pursuing his dream to open the theater 35 years ago, he has a chance to redeem himself now by opening the roller disco with Sonny. Danny finds Sonny and tells him that if he can get the disco up and running in one day, he'll give him 25% of the take from the Disco ("Dancin'"). Excited, Sonny readily agrees.
Sonny finds "Kira" and tells her the good news. She is not impressed with the deal that he has cut. It is then that the evil sisters work their curse, and the winged Eros
, along with "Mama Cupid" shoot "Kira" and Sonny with the arrows of love ("Strange Magic"). "Kira" is soon overwhelmed with guilt over her loving feelings and of having created her own art (a hand-drawn picture) alongside Sonny – both violations of Zeus's restrictions on the Muses.
With the help of some of the muses, "Kira" and Sonny fix up the old theater ("All Over the World", and Danny agrees to go ahead with the opening. Clio realizes that she is falling in love with Sonny and tells him that she must leave ("Don't Walk Away"). But the evil sisters are not finished. Now they offer Danny piles of money if he will tear down the theater and build condos. Danny can't resist and tells Sonny that the deal is off.
"Kira" comes back to tell Sonny that she loves him, but the evil sisters tell her that she has broken Zeus's rules, and that she must tell Sonny the truth. So "Kira" reveals all to Sonny, including that her name is Clio, but he does not believe her and is upset. He suggests that she is a crackpot. He also doubts that she really loves him, and she is angry and hurt ("Fool"). The evil sisters have triumphed ("The Fall"), and Kira sets off for Mount Olympus to receive her punishment from Zeus ("Suspended in Time").
Meanwhile, Sonny and Danny discuss "Kira" and after seeing her in the sky - it all makes sense. Danny tells Sonny not to let go of his muse because of foolish pride as he once did back in the 1940s. Sonny, realizing that he really loves "Kira," decides to find her - even if it means climbing Mount Olympus.
Back on Mount Olympus, Zeus's wives ask him to take pity on Clio ("Have You Never Been Mellow"). One of Zeus's wives, Thetis
, retells the story of Achilles
and his vulnerable heel – all the demi-gods and demi-goddesses are so afflicted. This gives Clio an epiphany: She, too is invulnerable, except for her heels, but when the evil sisters had her shot with the arrows of love, she had been wearing the "mighty legwarmers," and so she must have been completely invulnerable. This means that she really did love Sonny! Kira then declares her love for Sonny and rips off her legwarmers ("I'm Free") and attempts to fly away with Pegasus and Sonny, before Zeus pulls them down with copper chains.
Sonny brashly declares that he would even fight Zeus for the woman he loves. Zeus, impressed with his pluck, decides to pardon Clio. The two evil sisters are displeased, the lovers are reunited, and Zeus reveals what Xanadu is: "True love and the ability to create and share art." Clio and Sonny go back to L.A. and Xanadu ("Xanadu").
Charles Isherwood, in The New York Times
, wrote that the show is "simultaneously indefensible and irresistible... there’s so much silly bliss to be had... there is enough first-rate stage talent rolling around in Xanadu to power a season of wholly new, old-school, non-jukebox musicals, if someone would get around to writing a few good ones... the show’s winking attitude toward its own aesthetic abjectness can be summed up thus: If you can’t beat ’em, slap on some roller skates and join ’em." Although Isherwood praised most of the cast, he noted that the musical "does have a few dead spots in its brisk 90-minute running time.... Mr. Beane’s inspiration seems to have failed him when it came to minting fresh fun from the subplot involving flashbacks to Danny’s 1940s romance. The stage "Xanadu" can’t really muster much in the way of an extravaganza, either.... The production is skimpy on both the casting and design fronts."
Hilton Als' review in The New Yorker
called Xanadu "probably the most fun you’ll have on Broadway this season, one reason being that everything about it is so resolutely anti-Broadway. In its wildness and ecstasy, Xanadu is a welcome relief from the synthetic creations that some Broadway producers have been peddling for years. Here you can’t count the disco balls fast enough—not to mention the roller skates, the frosted-pink lips, and the glittering spandex that the director, Christopher Ashley, hurls at you like a PCP flashback. Xanadu is far sleazier and cheesier than conventional musical theatre, and it points out just how tame most other musicals are."
recorded the original cast recording of the musical on October 29, 2007 and released it to stores on January 8, 2008.
. The video features past Tony Award winners like Duncan Sheik
, Julie White
, Beth Leavel
, John Cullum
, Martin Richards
and Carole Shelley
. Pre-pubescent "Cubby" claims to have been behind 63 Tony wins. Additional videos were released every few days. On the second episode, the producers of Xanadu ask Cubby if he would campaign for their show, but Cubby refuses, saying that it is a show for "the gay boys". However, the producers convince Cubby to go and see the show, which "bowls him over". He then says that Xanadu can win the Tony, creating the campaign's slogan
"Yes It Can!"
Subsequent episodes feature more Tony Award winners like Patti LuPone
, Cynthia Nixon
, Adriane Lenox
, John Lloyd Young
and John Gallagher Jr., and follow Cubby while he shows the cast of Xanadu the "Cubby steps to the Tony". Cubby makes them sell "Cub-Cakes
" to benefit the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
during the one-year anniversary of Xanadu on Broadway, teaches them "the art of the shmooze" and helps them build up their confidence. The sixth and most popular video is the only one in which Cubby doesn't appear. It features Tony winner Nathan Lane
and most of the Xanadu male cast.
Xanadu producers never acknowledged that Cubby Bernstein was a publicity stunt
, although Douglas Carter Beane
stated on May 15 that he believed this year"[Cubby] is going to go with Xanadu". Cubby Bernstein has been identified by Variety
as child actor Adam Riegler
, who appeared in the 2007 revival of I and Albert
and as Pugsley Addams
in The Addams Family
. Xanadu did not win any Tony Awards.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
comedy with a book by Douglas Carter Beane
Douglas Carter Beane
Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York...
, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
and John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
, based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name
Xanadu (film)
Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
which was, in turn, inspired by the 1947 Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
film Down to Earth
Down to Earth (1947 film)
Down to Earth is a musical comedy starring Rita Hayworth, Larry Parks, and Marc Platt, and directed by Alexander Hall. It is a sequel to the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, also directed by Hall. Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason reprise their roles from the earlier film, but Roland Culver...
. The title is a reference to the poem, Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, completed in 1797 and published in Christabel, Kubla Khan, and the Pains of Sleep in 1816...
, or A Vision in a Dream. A Fragment, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
. Xanadu
Xanadu
-Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles...
is the name of the Chinese province where Khan establishes his pleasure garden in the poem.
The story of the musical focuses on a Greek muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
, Clio
Clio
thumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
, who descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest creation of his life - a roller disco
Roller disco
A roller disco is a discothèque or skating rink where all the dancers wear roller skates of some kind . The music played is modern and easily danceable, historically disco but in modern times including almost any form of dance music or pop music...
. But, when Clio, disguised as an Australian roller girl named Kira, falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and Clio risks eternal banishment to the underworld.
The musical opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2007 and ran for over 500 performances. It earned an Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Best Book. It was also nominated for Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. The US Tour officially began on December 15, 2009 in the Orange County Performing Arts Center. A Korean production has opened, and a national tour and several foreign productions are planned.
Background
The 1980 film on which Xanadu is basedXanadu (film)
Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
barely broke even at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
and received uniformly unfavorable reviews, but the soundtrack
Xanadu (Soundtrack)
Xanadu is the soundtrack of the 1980 musical film of the same name, featuring the Australian singer Olivia Newton-John and the Britsh group Electric Light Orchestra....
was a commercial hit, as were several of the songs singly. Although the film was nominated for six Razzies
Golden Raspberry Awards
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
, winning one for worst director, it became a cult classic. Announcements that the film would be adapted as a Broadway show drew skepticism and even derision, even from Carter Beane, who adapted the script.
According to Beane, in rewriting the script for the musical, he was influenced not only by the 1980 Xanadu film, but also by the 1981 fantasy film, Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (1981 film)
Clash of the Titans is an American 1981 fantasy–adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus. It was released on June 12, 1981 and earned a gross profit of $41 million domestically, on a $15 million budget , by which it was the 11th highest grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film...
, prompting him to add the subplot "in which Kira’s jealous sister-muses doom her to fall in love with a mortal, incurring the wrath of their father, Zeus." He has noted that the stage musical focuses more on the Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
plotlines but has "a lot of [parody] references to the movie."
The score retains the hits from the film and also includes new arrangements by Eric Stern of "I'm Alive
I'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song)
"I'm Alive" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra, released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu....
," "Magic
Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)
"Magic" is a hit 1980 song performed by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film Xanadu. The song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for four weeks beginning on 2 August 1980...
," "Suddenly," and "Dancin'," as well as interpolating two classic Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
songs, "Strange Magic
Strange Magic
For the greatest hits collection of the same name, see Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra."Strange Magic" is a song written and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra. It can be found on the 1975 Face the Music LP....
" and "Evil Woman
Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song)
"Evil Woman" is a song written by lead vocalist Jeff Lynne and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fifth album, 1975's Face the Music. Released as a single in late-1975, the song became the band's first worldwide hit...
," plus Farrar's "Have You Never Been Mellow
Have You Never Been Mellow (song)
"Have You Never Been Mellow" is a popular song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John as the title track for her album of the same name.-History and release:...
."
Workshop productions
The musical was first given a workshop production and backers' audition at the Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in January 2007, featuring performances by Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
, Tony Roberts
Tony Roberts (actor)
David Anthony "Tony" Roberts is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in several Woody Allen movies, usually cast as Allen's best friend.-Early life:...
, and Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
. Readings of the stage version had previously been held on April 21 and August 3, 2006 at New World Stages in Manhattan.
Krakowski and Jackson were cast in their respective leading roles of Clio/Kira and Sonny Malone for the Broadway run, but both eventually dropped out. Jane cited her TV shooting schedule on the NBC show 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, while Jackson cited post-production commitments for his film Hysteria.
Broadway production
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on May 23, 2007 at the Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre with 597 seats is the smallest Broadway theatre and is located at 240 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan....
and opened on July 10, 2007. The production was directed by Christopher Ashley
Christopher Ashley
Christopher Ashley is a stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.In 1997, he completed The Drama League program for directors....
and choreographed by Dan Knechtges
Dan Knechtges
Dan Knechtges is a director and choreographer, for musicals, opera, television, film and music videos.-Life and career:Knechtges is from Grafton, Ohio and is a graduate of Midview High School and Otterbein College, with a degree in musical theatre. As a child, he took dance lessons in Elyria,...
, with sets by David Gallo
David Gallo
David Gallo is an American scenic designer and projection designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and international theatre venues...
, lighting by Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley is a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a musical for Jersey Boys....
, costumes by David Zinn, sound by T. Richard Fitzgerald and Carl Cassella and projections by Zachary Borovay
Zachary Borovay
Zachary Borovay is a projection and multi-media designer working primarily in Broadway, Off Broadway, US regional and international performance venues....
. The key producers were Robert Ahrens
Robert Ahrens
Robert Ahrens is a film and theatrical producer based in New York City.Robert is known most for his role in bringing the movie Xanadu to the Broadway stage , transforming a critically challenged film into a hit musical which was nominated for Best Musical at the 2008 Tony Awards. Robert began...
, Tara Smith and Brian Swibel
Brian Swibel
Brian Swibel is a Chicago born producer, director, writer and actor. He is the founder of b. swibel presents, a New York and Los Angeles based entertainment company that develops and produces diverse forms of media and arts education programming...
.
The production included a considerable amount of skating for the characters Kira and Sonny, and the set extended over the orchestra pit partly into the audience. The show was presented partially in the round
Theatre in the round
Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
, with some audience members seated on benches on the stage. Like several other recent Broadway shows, a small cast was used, and the relatively short show (90-minutes) was played without intermission. James Carpinello
James Carpinello
James Carpinello is an American film, television, and Broadway actor who came to national attention with his appearances in Tori Spelling's VH1 sitcom So NoTORIous. He is also in Rock of Ages.-Broadway productions:...
was cast as Sonny and played the role during May and June previews. The actor injured his foot rollerskating during a rehearsal on June 12, 2007. Cast members Andre Ward and Curtis Holbrook
Curtis Holbrook
-Biography:Holbrook was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1982. He married Xanadu castmate Patti Murin on October 4, 2009.-Film and television:Curtis Holbrook played a minor role in the 2007 movie Hairspray as the dancer Brad on the Corny Collins Show. He appeared in the film Across the Universe, also...
alternated in the role of Sonny until Carpinello's replacement, Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
, assumed the role on June 21, 2007.
The opening night cast included Jackson as Sonny Malone, Kerry Butler
Kerry Butler
Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...
as Kira, Tony Roberts
Tony Roberts (actor)
David Anthony "Tony" Roberts is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in several Woody Allen movies, usually cast as Allen's best friend.-Early life:...
as Danny Maguire, and Jackie Hoffman
Jackie Hoffman
Jacqueline Laura Hoffman , known as Jackie Hoffman, is an American actress and stand-up comedian known for her facially-contorting expressions, and one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues...
and Mary Testa
Mary Testa
Mary Testa is an American stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town and 42nd Street ....
as "evil" Muse sisters, part of a new plot twist introduced in the Broadway version. Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
(star of the film) and composer John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
attended on opening night and joined the cast on stage during the curtain call.
The production closed on September 28, 2008 after 49 previews and 513 performances.
U.S. Tour
The tour opened at the La Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on November 11, 2008 and played until December 31, 2008. A Chicago run of the production began in January 2009 preceding the U.S. national tour. The Chicago run ended on March 29, 2009, and the production ran in Tokyo for a month. Elizabeth Stanley played Kira, and Max von Essen
Max von Essen
Max von Essen is an American musical theatre actor and vocalist.A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children.Von Essen is a 1992 graduate of South Side High School,...
portrayed Sonny in the La Jolla, Chicago, and Tokyo runs of the production. The new U.S. national tour opened on December 15, 2009 in Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
, with Stanley and Von Essen.
Other productions
The producers of Xanadu licensed to Tin Tin Entertainment the exclusive South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n-language rights to the show for two years. A production in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
opened in 2008. The Philippine production of Xanadu this September. Atlantis Productions will stage the musical from September 3–19, 2010 with Rachel Alejandro and Felix Rivera in the roles of Clio/Kira and Sonny, respectively.
The Australian productionn opened on 1 March 2011, in a big top
Big Top
Big Top may refer to:* Big top , the biggest tent in early-20th century circuses, where the circus itself took place* Big Top , a Transformers character* Big Top , a children's television series in the 1950s...
called the Grand Xanadu Marquee in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Docklands. The roles of Clio/Kira, Sonny, Danny/Zeus, Calliope/Aphrodite and Melpomene/Medusa were played by Christie Whelan
Christie Whelan
Christie Whelan is an Australian actress who has worked extensively in musical theatre.Her career began in 2005 in Grease- The Arena Spectacular, playing the role of Patti Simcox...
, Sam Ludeman, John McTernan, Susan-Ann Walker and Alexandra (Ally) Fowler, respectively.
Previews for the first professional West Coast production began February 25, 2011 with the official run starting on March 4, 2011, at The Retro Dome in San Jose, California. Produced by Guggenheim Entertainment, the cast includes Sarah Aili (Kira/Clio), Adam Barry (Sonny), Brian Conway (Thalia/Cyclops), Stephen Guggenheim (Danny), Hilary Little (Melpomene/Medusa), Shannon Guggenheim (Calliope/Aphrodite), Kate McCormick (Euterpe/Thetis), Lizzie O'Hara (Erato/Hera), and Hector S. Quintana (Terpsicore/Hermes); dir. Scott Evan Guggenheim.
The Barter Theatre
Barter Theatre
Barter Theatre, located in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is one of the longest running professional theatres in the nation. In 1933, when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, most patrons were not able to pay the full ticket price...
in Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
, production ran from February 4 to April 16, 2011.
The SouthEast Regional Premiere opened April 21, 2011 at The Pointe Performing Arts Center in Orlando, Florida. Produced by FantasyLand Theatrical Productions, the cast included Adam Pate/David P. Landry Jr. (Sonny), Kayleigh Mollycheck (Kira/Clio), Christopher DeBoard (Danny), Angele Maraj, Kimberly Bonny, Tony Slater, Lisandra Moreno, Aja Jones, Christian De La Rosa, Kathey Beserra, and Travis Eaton, with direction by Christian St. John and Musical Director Daniel Doak. The show ran in April and May 2011.
The European Premiere opened September 11, 2010 at the Landestheatre Oberpfalz in Vohenstrauss, Germany. It was also the first German version - with the songs remaining in English. The Show ran in September 2010 und was resumed in September 2011. Directed by Daniel Gruenauer, the Cast included Susanne Stangl (Kira/Clio), Markus Engelstaedter (Sonny), Ruppert Gruenbauer (Danny) and as the muses Annika Fischer, Doris Hofmann, Silke Husslik, Katharina Stark, Ramona Zimmermann, Johannes Aichinger and Benjamin Oeser.
Synopsis
It is 1980, and chalk artist Sonny Malone is dissatisfied with his sidewalk mural of the Greek Muses (daughters of Zeus) and determines to kill himself. On Mount Olympus, ClioClio
thumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
, the youngest, perkiest Muse, convinces her eight sisters (two of whom are men in drag), to travel to Venice Beach (rising out of the sidewalk mural) to inspire Sonny ("I'm Alive"). Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
's rules require that Muses must always be disguised from mortals. Clio
Clio
thumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
has the idea to wear roller skates
Roller skates
Roller skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. A first basic type of roller skate consists of a boot with four wheels with ball bearings, arranged in the same configuration as the wheels of a typical car.-History:...
, leg warmers, and sport an Australian accent and the other muses agree. Clio changes her name to something contemporary: "Kira". Quickly inspired ("Magic"), Sonny decides that he can combine all the arts and "something athletic" all into one spectacular entertainment: a roller disco.
Two of Clio's sisters, Melpomene
Melpomene
Melpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots...
(the oldest sister) and Calliope
Calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad....
are jealous that Clio (although the youngest) is the leader of the Muses and that Zeus had promised "Xanadu" to Clio, although no one knows exactly what that entails ("Evil Woman"). So they plot to discredit Clio and cause her banishment by tricking her into breaking one of Zeus's rules: a Muse must not fall in love with a mortal, so they will curse "Kira" and Sonny to fall in love.
Meanwhile, Sonny finds a good location for the roller disco, a long-abandoned theater in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles
Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California
The Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the Mid-City West area of Los Angeles, California.- Geography :It is roughly bordered by West Hollywood on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the west and Wilshire Boulevard on the south...
called "Xanadu."
"Kira" inspires him to locate the owner in the phone book ("Suddenly"), and they set up a meeting with real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
mogul Danny Maguire, who used to be a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
tist before he started in the real estate game.
Sonny visits hard-hearted Danny in his posh office in downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and tries to convince him to donate the theater for the roller disco, because it would bring the arts to the Fairfax district and drive up real estate values. But Danny scoffs, even though he had plans to open the theater himself, once upon a time. As Sonny leaves, "Kira" arrives, jogging Danny's memories of an old love and dance partner of his, who looked suspiciously like "Kira," named Tangerine ("Whenever You're Away from Me"). Tangerine tells Danny that although he had let his greed stop him from pursuing his dream to open the theater 35 years ago, he has a chance to redeem himself now by opening the roller disco with Sonny. Danny finds Sonny and tells him that if he can get the disco up and running in one day, he'll give him 25% of the take from the Disco ("Dancin'"). Excited, Sonny readily agrees.
Sonny finds "Kira" and tells her the good news. She is not impressed with the deal that he has cut. It is then that the evil sisters work their curse, and the winged Eros
Eros
Eros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
, along with "Mama Cupid" shoot "Kira" and Sonny with the arrows of love ("Strange Magic"). "Kira" is soon overwhelmed with guilt over her loving feelings and of having created her own art (a hand-drawn picture) alongside Sonny – both violations of Zeus's restrictions on the Muses.
With the help of some of the muses, "Kira" and Sonny fix up the old theater ("All Over the World", and Danny agrees to go ahead with the opening. Clio realizes that she is falling in love with Sonny and tells him that she must leave ("Don't Walk Away"). But the evil sisters are not finished. Now they offer Danny piles of money if he will tear down the theater and build condos. Danny can't resist and tells Sonny that the deal is off.
"Kira" comes back to tell Sonny that she loves him, but the evil sisters tell her that she has broken Zeus's rules, and that she must tell Sonny the truth. So "Kira" reveals all to Sonny, including that her name is Clio, but he does not believe her and is upset. He suggests that she is a crackpot. He also doubts that she really loves him, and she is angry and hurt ("Fool"). The evil sisters have triumphed ("The Fall"), and Kira sets off for Mount Olympus to receive her punishment from Zeus ("Suspended in Time").
Meanwhile, Sonny and Danny discuss "Kira" and after seeing her in the sky - it all makes sense. Danny tells Sonny not to let go of his muse because of foolish pride as he once did back in the 1940s. Sonny, realizing that he really loves "Kira," decides to find her - even if it means climbing Mount Olympus.
Back on Mount Olympus, Zeus's wives ask him to take pity on Clio ("Have You Never Been Mellow"). One of Zeus's wives, Thetis
Thetis
Silver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...
, retells the story of Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
and his vulnerable heel – all the demi-gods and demi-goddesses are so afflicted. This gives Clio an epiphany: She, too is invulnerable, except for her heels, but when the evil sisters had her shot with the arrows of love, she had been wearing the "mighty legwarmers," and so she must have been completely invulnerable. This means that she really did love Sonny! Kira then declares her love for Sonny and rips off her legwarmers ("I'm Free") and attempts to fly away with Pegasus and Sonny, before Zeus pulls them down with copper chains.
Sonny brashly declares that he would even fight Zeus for the woman he loves. Zeus, impressed with his pluck, decides to pardon Clio. The two evil sisters are displeased, the lovers are reunited, and Zeus reveals what Xanadu is: "True love and the ability to create and share art." Clio and Sonny go back to L.A. and Xanadu ("Xanadu").
Musical numbers
- "I'm AliveI'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song)"I'm Alive" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra, released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu....
" – Clio/Kira and the Muses - "MagicMagic (Olivia Newton-John song)"Magic" is a hit 1980 song performed by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film Xanadu. The song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for four weeks beginning on 2 August 1980...
" – Kira - "Evil WomanEvil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song)"Evil Woman" is a song written by lead vocalist Jeff Lynne and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fifth album, 1975's Face the Music. Released as a single in late-1975, the song became the band's first worldwide hit...
"– Melpomene, Calliope and the Sirens - "Suddenly" – Kira and Sonny
- "Whenever You're Away From Me" – Danny and Kira
- "Dancin’" – Danny, Sonny and the Muses
- "Strange MagicStrange MagicFor the greatest hits collection of the same name, see Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra."Strange Magic" is a song written and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra. It can be found on the 1975 Face the Music LP....
" – Melpomene, Calliope and Kira - "All Over the WorldAll Over the World (song)"All Over the World" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra . It is featured in the 1980 feature film Xanadu in a sequence with the film's stars Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck...
" – Sonny, Danny and the Muses - "Don't Walk AwayDon't Walk Away (Electric Light Orchestra song)"Don't Walk Away" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra . It is featured in the 1980 feature film Xanadu in an animated sequence by Don Bluth.The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu...
" – Sonny, Danny and the Muses - "Fool" – Kira and the Muses
- "The Fall" – Sonny and the Muses
- "Suspended in Time" – Kira and Sonny
- "Have You Never Been MellowHave You Never Been Mellow (song)"Have You Never Been Mellow" is a popular song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John as the title track for her album of the same name.-History and release:...
" – Kira and the Greek gods - "I'm Free" Kira, Sonny, and Pegasus [Young Woman]
- "Xanadu" – Kira, Sonny, Danny and the Muses
Casts
The following are the casts of the major productions:| Character | Broadway 2007 | U.S. Tour 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Clio / Kira | Kerry Butler Kerry Butler Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:... |
Elizabeth Stanley |
| Sonny Malone | Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie... |
Max von Essen Max von Essen Max von Essen is an American musical theatre actor and vocalist.A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children.Von Essen is a 1992 graduate of South Side High School,... |
| Danny Maguire, Zeus Zeus In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus... |
Tony Roberts Tony Roberts (actor) David Anthony "Tony" Roberts is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in several Woody Allen movies, usually cast as Allen's best friend.-Early life:... |
Larry Marshall |
| Calliope Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad.... , Aphrodite Aphrodite Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia.... |
Jackie Hoffman Jackie Hoffman Jacqueline Laura Hoffman , known as Jackie Hoffman, is an American actress and stand-up comedian known for her facially-contorting expressions, and one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues... |
Annie Golden Annie Golden -Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Golden began her career as the lead singer of The Shirts . During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums,Fire in Newtown, Toxic Emotion, and Back for More. She then returned to The Shirts... |
| Melpomene Melpomene Melpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots... , Medusa Medusa In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone... |
Mary Testa Mary Testa Mary Testa is an American stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town and 42nd Street .... |
Natasha Yvette Williams |
| Thalia, Siren Siren In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli... , '80s Singer, Cyclops Cyclops A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead... |
Curtis Holbrook Curtis Holbrook -Biography:Holbrook was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1982. He married Xanadu castmate Patti Murin on October 4, 2009.-Film and television:Curtis Holbrook played a minor role in the 2007 movie Hairspray as the dancer Brad on the Corny Collins Show. He appeared in the film Across the Universe, also... (also Young Danny) |
Kevin Duda (also Eros Eros Eros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite.... ) |
| Euterpe Euterpe In Greek mythology, Euterpe + τέρπειν terpein ) was one of the Muses, the daughters of Mnemosyne, fathered by Zeus. Called the "Giver of delight", when later poets assigned roles to each of the Muses, she was the muse of music. In late Classical times she was named muse of lyric poetry and... , Siren, '40s Singer, Thetis Thetis Silver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths... |
Anika Larsen | Veronica J Kuehn |
| Erato Erato In Greek mythology, Erato is one of the Greek Muses. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully suggested in the invocation to Erato that begins Book III of his Argonautica.... , Siren, '40s Singer, Hera Hera Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her... |
Kenita R. Miller (also Eros) | Chauntee Schuler |
| Terpsichore Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore "delight of dancing" was one of the nine Muses, ruling over dance and the dramatic chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". She is usually depicted sitting down, holding a lyre, accompanying the dancers' choirs... , Siren, '80s Singer, Hermes Hermes Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and... , Centaur Centaur In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse... |
Andre Ward | Jesse Nager (also Young Danny) |
Critical reception
Xanadu's opening night reviews from the New York critics were mostly positive. The musical broke the Helen Hayes one-day box office record the day after the reviews came out.Charles Isherwood, in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, wrote that the show is "simultaneously indefensible and irresistible... there’s so much silly bliss to be had... there is enough first-rate stage talent rolling around in Xanadu to power a season of wholly new, old-school, non-jukebox musicals, if someone would get around to writing a few good ones... the show’s winking attitude toward its own aesthetic abjectness can be summed up thus: If you can’t beat ’em, slap on some roller skates and join ’em." Although Isherwood praised most of the cast, he noted that the musical "does have a few dead spots in its brisk 90-minute running time.... Mr. Beane’s inspiration seems to have failed him when it came to minting fresh fun from the subplot involving flashbacks to Danny’s 1940s romance. The stage "Xanadu" can’t really muster much in the way of an extravaganza, either.... The production is skimpy on both the casting and design fronts."
Hilton Als' review in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
called Xanadu "probably the most fun you’ll have on Broadway this season, one reason being that everything about it is so resolutely anti-Broadway. In its wildness and ecstasy, Xanadu is a welcome relief from the synthetic creations that some Broadway producers have been peddling for years. Here you can’t count the disco balls fast enough—not to mention the roller skates, the frosted-pink lips, and the glittering spandex that the director, Christopher Ashley, hurls at you like a PCP flashback. Xanadu is far sleazier and cheesier than conventional musical theatre, and it points out just how tame most other musicals are."
Original cast recording
PS ClassicsPS Classics
PS Classics is a record label that specializes in musical theatre and standard vocals. Founded in 2000 by Grammy-nominated freelance producer Tommy Krasker and singer/actor Philip Chaffin, their releases have been critically acclaimed for their meticulous sonic detail and high-quality packaging and...
recorded the original cast recording of the musical on October 29, 2007 and released it to stores on January 8, 2008.
Cubby Bernstein promotion
On May 10, 2008, a video introducing "Tony Campaign Manager Cubby Bernstein" was released on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The video features past Tony Award winners like Duncan Sheik
Duncan Sheik
Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...
, Julie White
Julie White
Julie White is an American actress. She is known for her role in Grace Under Fire and for her role as Judy Witwicky in the Transformers film series.-Personal life:...
, Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel
-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
, John Cullum
John Cullum
John Cullum is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including On the Twentieth Century and Shenandoah , winning the Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each...
, Martin Richards
Martin Richards (producer)
Martin Richards is a film producer. He won the Best Picture Academy Award for the production of Chicago.-External links:...
and Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley is an English actress. Among her many stage roles are the character of Madame Morrible in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.-Life and career:...
. Pre-pubescent "Cubby" claims to have been behind 63 Tony wins. Additional videos were released every few days. On the second episode, the producers of Xanadu ask Cubby if he would campaign for their show, but Cubby refuses, saying that it is a show for "the gay boys". However, the producers convince Cubby to go and see the show, which "bowls him over". He then says that Xanadu can win the Tony, creating the campaign's slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
"Yes It Can!"
Subsequent episodes feature more Tony Award winners like Patti LuPone
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
, Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
, Adriane Lenox
Adriane Lenox
Adriane Lenox is an American stage and film actress whose performance in the play Doubt: A Parable garnered her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2005. She also appeared as Hattie in the Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate and had a role in the 2009 film The Blind Side, as Denise...
, John Lloyd Young
John Lloyd Young
John Lloyd Mills Young is an American actor and singer. In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli in Broadway's Jersey Boys. He is the only American actor to date to have received a Lead Actor in a Musical Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics...
and John Gallagher Jr., and follow Cubby while he shows the cast of Xanadu the "Cubby steps to the Tony". Cubby makes them sell "Cub-Cakes
Cupcake
A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup...
" to benefit the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
during the one-year anniversary of Xanadu on Broadway, teaches them "the art of the shmooze" and helps them build up their confidence. The sixth and most popular video is the only one in which Cubby doesn't appear. It features Tony winner Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
and most of the Xanadu male cast.
Xanadu producers never acknowledged that Cubby Bernstein was a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
, although Douglas Carter Beane
Douglas Carter Beane
Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York...
stated on May 15 that he believed this year
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
as child actor Adam Riegler
Adam Riegler
Adam Riegler is an American child actor from Westport, Connecticut.- Career :Riegler's big break in show business was when he played Cubby Bernstein, "Broadway's Tony Award Campaign Manager", in a series of publicity stunts for the Broadway musical Xanadu in 2007.He is known for appearing in Shrek...
, who appeared in the 2007 revival of I and Albert
I and Albert
I and Albert is a 1972 musical by composer Charles Strouse, and lyricist Lee Adams. The plot is based on the lives of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was adapted for the stage by Jay Presson Allen.-Production:...
and as Pugsley Addams
Pugsley Addams
Pugsley Addams is a member of the fictional Addams family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams.Pugsley is the oldest child of Morticia and Gomez Addams. He is a pre-teen boy who is almost always seen wearing a striped T-shirt and shorts...
in The Addams Family
The Addams Family (musical)
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for...
. Xanadu did not win any Tony Awards.
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were there... |
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| Outstanding Book of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee which comprises New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York... |
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| Outstanding Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie... |
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| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was first awarded in the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has subsequently been awarded every year. In the 1993-1994 Drama Desk Awards the award was given under the name of Outstanding Supporting Actress - Musical... |
Mary Testa Mary Testa Mary Testa is an American stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town and 42nd Street .... |
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| Outstanding Director of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley is a stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.In 1997, he completed The Drama League program for directors.... |
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| Outstanding Choreography Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography -1970s:* 1970: Ron Field – Applause** No nominees* 1971: Michael Bennett – Follies and Donald Saddler – No, No, Nanette** No nominees* 1972: Patricia Birch – Grease and Jean Erdman – Two Gentlemen of Verona... |
Dan Knechtges Dan Knechtges Dan Knechtges is a director and choreographer, for musicals, opera, television, film and music videos.-Life and career:Knechtges is from Grafton, Ohio and is a graduate of Midview High School and Otterbein College, with a degree in musical theatre. As a child, he took dance lessons in Elyria,... |
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| Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... |
Distinguished Production of a Musical | ||||
| Distinguished Performance | Kerry Butler Kerry Butler Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:... |
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| Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie... |
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| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding New Broadway Musical | ||||
| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Beane now lives in New York... |
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| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Kerry Butler Kerry Butler Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:... |
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| Best Choreography Tony Award for Best Choreography -1940s:* 1947: Agnes de Mille – Brigadoon / Michael Kidd – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: Jerome Robbins – High Button Shoes* 1949: Gower Champion – Lend An Ear-1950s:* 1950: Helen Tamiris – Touch and Go* 1951: Michael Kidd – Guys and Dolls... |
Dan Knechtges Dan Knechtges Dan Knechtges is a director and choreographer, for musicals, opera, television, film and music videos.-Life and career:Knechtges is from Grafton, Ohio and is a graduate of Midview High School and Otterbein College, with a degree in musical theatre. As a child, he took dance lessons in Elyria,... |
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External links
- Official website
- Official website, Australia
- Barter Theare, VA
- Music Theatre International Obtain a license to produce Xanadu at your theater
- Broadway rehearsal video
- NY mag article
- Kelsey Osgood's Story of A Book of the Musical for outsideleft.com