|
Warning. This outlandishly entertaining,
outrageously ingratiating and absurdly enjoyable little entertainment, which
probably has no place in the high priced real estate of Broadway, may well
capture your imagination and earn your affection. Director Christopher
Ashley and author Douglas Carter Beane have created a sparkling confection
out of the remnants of a flop movie from 1980 which starred Olivia
Newton-John and Gene Kelley and featured the music of the Electric Light
Orchestra. They jettisoned the earnestness, the pretension and the movie's
failed effort to be a love story for the ages. In their place, they created
a light, bright entertainment that invites the audience to have a blast with
the hijinks and the movie's peppy ten-song score, augmented with four
additional numbers including the Newton-John hit "Have You Never Been
Mellow?" (Tony Roberts is, indeed "Mellow!") At over a dollar a minute, the
top price of a ticket is outlandish, and, what is more, the opportunity cost
of those minutes is high because the show plays at the same times that more
substantial and lengthier entertainments deliver their enchantments. Still,
what a fun time! |
|
Storyline: Clio, one of the daughters of Zeus,
whose duty is to visit Earth to stimulate the arts, lands not in Venice,
Italy in 1780 but in Venice, California in 1980 (euhhh!) where
she helps a street artist by the name of Sonny achieve his dream. He wants
to open a combination art gallery, night club and roller disco. In the
process, she falls in love with the young man. That is a violation of Zeus'
absolute rule - no goddess may love a mortal.
The movie was an attempt to capitalize on the
success of Grease to establish Olivia Newton-John as a star of the
first order. The effort failed because the movie failed at the
box office, but its score made a highly successful soundtrack
album. That score was the work of John Farrar who had written and produced
some of Newton-John's earlier hits and Jeff Lynne who had been responsible
for some of the hits of The
Electric Light Orchestra. Their work seemed to mix well.
Xanadu was Gene Kelley's last dancing role in a movie and he brought
charm to the piece, especially in the old-style dance sequence with
Newton-John to the tune of "Whenever You're Away From Me." For the Broadway
show, Douglas Carter Beane's book keeps its tongue very firmly planted in
its own cheek. For example, in this show based on a failed movie, he has
Zeus predict the future of art in the theater as: "They'll just take some
stinkeroo movie, add some pop star's songs, throw it on a stage and call it
a show!" Christopher Ashley's direction keeps the pace just a smidgeon above
the point where the audience might pause to think a bit about the story. As
it is, who has time to contemplate character and plot when you are having
this much fun?
Kerry Butler, who was the original Penny in
Hairspray and the original Broadway Audrey in
Little Shop of Horrors four years ago, handles the lead role nicely but
seems a bit unsure of herself on roller skates even in the overly-simplified choreography
on skates. The role of her artist/love was supposed to be James Carpinello's return to Broadway after Saturday Night Fever failed to
make him a big star. However, he injured himself on the roller skates and
the role has been temporarily taken by Cheyenne Jackson. Tony Roberts is a
joy to watch in the role Gene Kelley had in the movie. It helps that he
doesn't have to cope with the demands of roller skating on stage. Among
Beane's marvelous additions to the story for the stage version is the team
of jealous muses played with all the over-the-top pizzazz needed by Mary
Testa and the absolutely hysterical Jackie Hoffman.
With the price of
these tickets, it is difficult to accept the sparse setting, or the decision
to sell even more tickets by putting some of the audience on stage where
their presence is occasionally distracting. At one point, fabulously funny
Hoffman and Testa pull the focus of the audience from the action in front
when they offer popcorn to some of the on-stage audience members who,
at least at the performance we saw, seemed to debate with themselves whether
etiquette allowed them to accept. (Please, Broadway, get the amateurs off
the stage and out in the audience where they belong!) It is practically
inexplicable that set designer David Gallo, who is fully capable of creating
fabulous visuals even in small theaters, wasn't allowed to create an
impressive effect for the transformation of the derelict theatre into the
Xanadu roller rink/club of young Sonny's dream. Instead, the plain brick
back wall remains visible as a mirror ball is lowered into place. Really!
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne
and John Farrar. Book by Douglas Carter Beane. Based on the screenplay by
Richard Danus and Mark Rubel. Directed by Christopher Ashley. Choreographed
by Dan Knechtges. Music direction and arrangements by Eric Stern. Design:
David Gallo (set) Zachary Borovay (projection) David Zinn (costumes) Charles
G. Lapointe (hair and wigs) Howell Binkley (lights) T. Richard Fitzgerald
and Carl Casella (sound). Principal cast: Kerry Butler, Jackie Hoffman,
Curtis Holbrook, Cheyenne Jackson for James Carpinello, Tony Roberts, Mary
Testa.
|
