The Gods Must Be Crazy About “Xanadu”!
WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED that a live version of the 1980 movie “Xanadu” was being produced on Broadway, it seemed the demise of American theatre had arrived. Conventional wisdom cannot explain how an insipid movie with a schmaltzy plot about a roller disco could inspire such a clever parody, but the creators of “Xanadu” did it! Playing at the Village Playhouse in Mt. Pleasant through May 29, “Xanadu”is an all out energetic, musical romp.
For those who remember the 1980 movie with Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, you will be delightfully surprised how much fun this musical is considering how bad the movie is. (May you rest in peace, Gene Kelly.) From Mt. Olympus, a compassionate demi-goddess named Clio descends to Venice Beach, Calif., with her six sisters—five white, one black, and two male—to inspire a struggling, young, handsome, male artist, Sonny Malone, to build the ultimate arts center with live theatre, movies, an art gallery, and the Olympian form of artistic expression: roller disco! As a muse, Clio, under the alias “Kira” and with an adopted Australian accent, is forbidden by Zeus to create art or fall in love and “create art”; she must remain an “ageless, loveless, non-creating Muse.” It would not be a spoiler to say that Kira does not remain so for long.
For all of the plot’s predictability, the tongue-in-cheek humor is what makes the show so enjoyable. Melodramatic Greek tragedy and flamboyant 1970s musicals make a hilarious comedic marriage. The playwright, Douglas Carter Beane, also draws upon iconic cultural references, which I shall not reveal so as not to spoil the surprise. Some of the inside humor is targeted toward the theatre-going set. To quote Calliope (Samantha Andrews), “This is like children’s theatre for forty year-old gay people!” It also helps if you are of a certain age and remember the 1970s: disco, wrap-around dresses, roller skates, striped knee socks, psychedelic musicals, and tourniquet-tight denim cut-offs.
The wardrobe is one of the Village Playhouse’s most ambitious. Costumer Julie Ziff has assembled a kaleidoscope of costumes. From Sonny’s red and white-striped tank top to the vibrant, Grecian disco togas and tunics to the futuristic finale with hilarious, mythological figures, Ziff’s designs are themselves emblematic of the whole production’s burlesque treatment of classical Greece and self-mocking attitude of the “Xanadu” movie. At the same time, the costumes are flattering to the actors.
Director Keely Enright’s talented cast is packed with experienced “triple threats”—actors/singers/dancers—led by Lara Allred as Kira and Will Haden as Sonny. With her breadth as a comedic actress, singer, and dancer, Allred is ideally cast as “Kira.” She switches accents with aplomb, masters the physical humor, and has one of the best musical theatre voices in Charleston. Haden is well cast as the handsome, young, street-chalk artist. Although he is not as confident with his dancing, Haden makes for a charming Sonny and his vocals suit the musical style of the score, particularly in “Don’t Walk Away.” No moment is sappy for too long as Enright’s direction strikes that satirical tone with over-the-top shtick and lines such as, “Humans fall in love for lust, companionship, and air conditioning.” Kira’s jealous sisters, Melpomene (Becca Anderson) and Calliope, mischievously wreak havoc with the aid of Cupid, played by the cute-as-can-be Piper Reinwald.
Each chorus member is distinctive and obviously having fun. Special commendation to Lindsey Lamb for wearing two hats as a chorus member and choreographer who combines various styles of dance. The flashback scene is a delight. A young, dapper Danny Maguire (Drew Archer) taps dances with Kira dressed in a quaint cap and cloak, while the older Maguire (Nat Jones) croons for his long-lost love, Kitty, who bears an amazing resemblance to Kira. Lamb’s dance-skate choreography makes the most of the Greek theatre-in-the-round set that also serves as the roller disco.
Dave Reinwald’s Greek amphitheater of faux marbling is authentic looking and massive. The two built-in, box sections oddly had a scant two people in each. Circular ramps serve the dual purpose of enclosing the arena and acting as roller skate ramps. With Ziff’s set decorations, Mt. Olympus is converted into a roller disco! That’s just funny. Even the most pedantic classics professor has to laugh at the irony of classical Greece, the foundation of western civilization, being transformed into a banal monument of narcissism via a demi-goddess descendant of Zeus himself.
Under the musical direction of Ghadi Shayban, the three-piece band and the cast make the refurbished pop songs, such as “Magic” and “All Over the World” sound fresh. The big-band numbers, “Forget About the Blues” and the crooning, “I’ll Never Be Far Way,” smoothly blend into the 1970s soundtrack by pop-rock stars Jeff Lynne of the band ELO and songwriter John Farrar.
“Xanadu” is snugly tucked into the Village Playhouse’s bistro theatre, incorporating all the elements of a full-scale musical. Dionysus must be giddy to have this much talent assembled under one roof with an audience enjoying the fruit of his vines.
Learn more at Village Playhouse.
