BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: September 8, 2007

XANADU

"This is like children's theater for 40-year-old gay people." opines Calliope, one of the zaniest featured players to hit Broadway since the invention of the sandbag. And, what makes the line so darn funny is that it is dead-on. XANADU, the first musical entry of the new season, is shamelessly directed to those in-the-know about all that's "in" in theatre. Yeah, gay people over forty. Those who won't admit it will like it, too—admit to being over forty, that is.

Now, if you're reading this notice sprawled out on an expensive Upper Eastside sofa, not to worry. Some of you will appreciate the piercing wit of book author (FYI: that's the person who write the stuff between the songs in a musical) Douglas Carter Beane. You know who you are: female types with a better than fair share of male friends in artsy professions.

For those of you who do not fit into any of the aforementioned demographics, there is one category left: those who actually liked the original source material. Thought by many to have rung the death knell for the genre, the 1980 movie musical "Xanadu" starred Olivia Newton-John who, two years earlier, played opposite John Travolta in the mega-hit celluloid adaptation of GREASE. But, lightening—greased, or otherwise—did not strike twice for the Australian songstress and this mega-dud short-circuited her ascending film career.

So, how could anyone recommend a screen-to-stage production of one of the most infamous flops in the annals of filmdom? Easily. This Broadway resurrection is so cleverly conceived by its author and director, Christopher Ashley, that nightly on the stage of the Helen Hayes Theatre the unthinkable takes place: artistic achievement in the absence of noble intention. XANADU is cultural lampooning at its best.

It's 1980 on Venice Beach and the hunky chalk artist, Sonny (Cheyenne Jackson), lays down an illustration of the Greek Muses who, through the magic of theatre, come to life. Sonny is having a sudden lapse of faith in his art when the prettiest of the Muses, Clio (Kerry Butler), offers to become earthbound to save him from self-demise. Taking the name Kira and affecting an Australian accent, she rolls into his life on skates and fills him with the inspiration to open a roller disco.

Incurring the jealousy of two of her sister Muses, Melpomene (Mary Testa) and Calliope (Jackie Hoffman), they cast a spell on Clio/Kira which drives her to do all sorts of things that a good Muse ought not do and, of course, all Hades breaks loose. Factoring into all this is Danny Maguire (Tony Roberts) who, thirty-five years hence, fell for a frighteningly similar girl, but ultimately surrendered his artistic soul to the deific dollar.

Playwright Beane, who penned last season's clever comedy, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, makes no effort to veer from this cheesy plot. In fact, embracing it is what makes it so fun. Director Ashley ingeniously stages the music and lyrics of Jeff Lynne, of Electric Light Orchestra fame, and John Farrar, who launched many of Olivia Newton-John's biggest hits.

Casting all around seemed to be blessed by the gods. Jane Krakowski had the lead in the workshop phase, but the Fates chose differently and the adorably sassy Kerry Butler landed the role. Slipping into a shrimp-on-the-barbie accent mode, Butler is inspiration personified and her mimicking of the breathy style of Olivia Newton-John never fails to fracture.

Taking over from James Carpinello who broke his foot during previews, Cheyenne Jackson firmly picks up Sonny's baton, one he carried in the show's developmental stages. Mary Testa's demonic eyes and Jackie Hoffman's chinless expressions are manna to theatergoers. Their rendition of "Evil Woman" is absolutely side-splitting. Tony Roberts fits comfortably into his Danny Maguire persona and, later, hams it up as Zeus in the splashing finale, a la "Clash of the Titans."

This is a talented company astutely directed and energetically choreographed by Dan Knetchges. That the show originated from such drek makes the end result all the more fascinating. XANADU reaches those Olympian heights where the show is so bad that it's actually great.