For a film famously reviewed as “Xana-Don’t,” the ill-fated 1980 Olivia Newton-John/ Gene Kelly musical Xanadu lingers in the mind. True, it helped kill the movie musical, along with the careers of most people involved, but the color, spectacle and sheer wrongness of the whole venture gave it a certain cult appeal. And the Electric Light Orchestra songs weren’t bad, either.
As one who has seen multiple big-screen revivals of Xanadu and even butchered the theme song on a few karaoke nights, it’s a pleasure to report that the stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2007 and played through the snowy weekend in Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium, enraptured both those bored silly by the original movie and those who still recall with fondness its laser-riffic effects and nonsensical storyline.
Said storyline involves Sonny (Max Von Essen), a none-too-bright Venice Beach artist with a propensity for headbands and short-shorts, who finds a new inspiration in Kira (Elizabeth Stanley). Kira happens to be an actual muse-disguised as human with roller skates, leg warmers and a horrible Australian accent, and she encourages Sonny to pursue his dream of opening the ultimate center for the arts … a roller disco. Complications ensue that involve Kira’s jealous sisters (Natasha Yvette Williams and Annie Golden) and a wealthy developer (Larry Marshall).
The deliberate goofiness of Douglas Carter Beane’s book includes a Greek chorus of muses, a love duet in a rolling phone booth, leg warmers as a plot point, a love song performed on a hovering Pegasus and a plethora of ELO songs, many of which Stanley delivers in an uncanny mimic of Newton-John mannerisms. The production calls attention to its own artificiality, with audience members seated on stage and a major character disappearing from the climax…because, it’s pointed out, the actor is already on stage in another role.
More than just a genuinely amusing redo of a flop movie, though, Xanadu is a sly critique on the current state of Broadway musicals that’s still accessible to those who’ve never set foot on the Great White Way. In an age where almost every show is either based on a movie or a collection of repurposed rock oldies, Xanadu uses its muse characters and the movie’s infamous history to poke fun at the lack of originality on stage while reminding the audience that this is a stage musical based on a movie that uses old rock tunes for its soundtrack.
Perhaps there’s still a dearth of original songs and stories on stage, but Xanadu gets plenty of laughs and energy out of what one character calls “the box known as juke.” It’s enough to almost make you want to buy some leg warmers at the gift shop afterward (yes, they’re on sale). Perhaps I won’t be the only one mutilating the theme at the karaoke bar. Xanaduuuu….Xaaaaaaaannnnnadduuuuuuuuuuuu….
As audience members file into the theater to see this touring production of South Pacific, they see a huge screen hanging in front of the stage. It’s covered with phrases that refer to the “Japs” and the human heads available as souvenirs. Striking a note of defiantly old-fashioned terror, this prop effectively sets the scene for audience, and reminds us that the original production, produced in 1949, came as America was still recovering from the trauma of World War II.
This South Pacific is the touring production of Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed 2008 Broadway revival, with a new cast. Despite the unsettling opening tableau, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical, and the 1958 movie, have long been in the zone of comfort food. For those who need a refresher, however, we’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean while World War II rages offstage. On an island, U.S. Navy ensign Nellie Forbush, a sweet but unworldly girl from Arkansas, meets the much older plantation owner Emile de Becque. They fall in love, but Nellie freaks when boy introduces her to his mixed-race children.
As Emile, David Pittsinger strikes the right note as a man running from the past. His baritone voice fills the house, especially during the mournful song “This Nearly Was Mine.” Carmen Cusack plays Nellie as a wide-eyed naïf whose enthusiasm belies some deep-seated prejudices, complete with an Arkansas accent that wouldn’t be completely out of place in the Triangle.
As the show’s second set of lovers, in the show’s spy mission subplot, Anderson Davis imbues Lt. Joseph Cable with a sense of patriotic duty, while Sumie Maeda plays Liat with a touching vulnerability. Both couples show believable chemistry, with Pittsinger and Cusack’s being deeper yet slightly hesitant, and Davis and Maeda’s being sweetly innocent.
Elsewhere in the cast, Matthew Saldivar provides comic relief as Luther Billis, portraying him as a hapless would-be entrepreneur, and Gerry Becker plays Capt. George Brackett with blustering authority. Filling out the show is an able and non-obtrusive chorus.
With the peppy tunes and engaging dance numbers, this cast makes this journey to the South Pacific a pleasant one that does no harm to the canonical status of the show.
A male dancer catapults himself onto a small table on center stage. He slowly moves into a handstand, then contorts himself to lay perpendicular to the stage, supported by one hand. The audience clapped and cheered. It could only be a Cirque trick.
But which Cirque?
Obviously, what comes first to mind is Cirque du Soleil. I’ve never seen Cirque du Soleil live, but I grew up devoted to it on TV. Back in Bravo’s pre-Project Runway days, they used to air a lot of Cirque du Soleil specials, thus providing one of my first introductions to what I considered avant-garde theater. However, after the movie Knocked Up associated Cirque du Soleil with a bad mushroom trip in Las Vegas, the company probably lost a little of its claim to hipness.
In the past three weeks, I’ve seen two different cirques. However, neither was a Soleil. One was a media sneak peek at an upcoming show at Durham Performing Arts Center, and one was a performance with symphony accompaniment at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
The sneak peek was for a Florida-based outfit called Cirque Dreams, which has a new production it’s calling Illumination. Naturally, light is a major portion: The video consisted of glow-in-the-dark objects that resembled flags and a line drawing of stair-steps reminiscent of a page from Harold and the Purple Crayon. A character called The Director features prominently, whose main characteristic is blowing a whistle with such frequency to rival the Grandmother in The Triplets of Belleville. As much as we could glean from the film, the show is devoted to acrobatics featuring one-handed balancing acts and aerial spinning with rings and scarves.
After the video screened, three performers came onstage to entertain the audience. Two of the dancers in red hounds-tooth suits performed a pantomime involving one being controlled by the other. The third, clad in a sparkly tank top and sailor pants, balanced on a small platform and did the ever-popular one-handed handstand, gaining applause from the assembled media.
Cirque Dreams takes the stage at DPAC from Sept. 15-20. Here’s video from Illumination:
Lisa Creech Bledsoe on "Notes from IgniteRaleigh: To be a spark, and not to be rickrolled": "Speed dating for the tech set," funny! Nice write up of an incredible event. I'm voting for Scrubby next year. Scrub-by, Scrub-by, Scrub-by!
Lisa aka @glowbird (the boxing chick)
DK on "Notes from IgniteRaleigh: To be a spark, and not to be rickrolled": Just moved back to the Triangle from Seattle, which is where Ignite started. It kind of caught on and blew up really fast, and organizers had to keep upping the venue.
I think people have been looking for this kind of cabaret for a while. They like going somewhere and being a crowd together, and it's
Christine Fawley on "Notes from IgniteRaleigh: To be a spark, and not to be rickrolled": A fabulous night highlighting the diversity of talent and intellectual pursuits here in the Triangle. An event like this could be held every month and still barely scratch the surface of the passions of our community.
We were honored to be included and appreciated the support and enthusiasm of the crowd as we delivered "20
