Roller-skating rock goddesses and a tight-shorted tenor make for a raucous evening at The Aurora Fox. The regional premiere of Xanadu is more than a simple eighties retrospective. Running March 2 through April 1, the musical comedy is cheesy, but brilliant.
Based on the 1980 film starring Olivia Newton John, Xanadu takes a huge step away from its roots in a really exciting way. One does not go into Xanadu expecting to be entertained for the right reasons, but the reworking results in a show worth seeing. Douglas Carter Beane's writing makes the best of the film's clichés, but The Fox cast puts it over the top.
The storyline, a naïve young artist who falls in love with a Greek muse, is thin at best, perhaps one of the reasons the film was such a failure. Throw in a real estate tycoon and conniving demigods and the plot doesn't get much better. The life raft for the stage musical is the edgy humor, often at the expense of the film. Cultural jive talk in conjunction with post-disco pop music creates the kind of feel good show which lifts you up, even as high as Mount Olympus.
A unique perspective is offered to a few brave souls willing to watch the performance onstage. From the point of view of someone who generally frowns on audience participation, I have to admit, the choice to sit onstage was not a mistake. If you have the opportunity to book stage seats for Xanadu, do it!
One does miss a bit of the action, as it is sometimes difficult to absorb the entirety of a particular scene having to shift focus from one actor to another. What makes this perspective worthwhile is watching the actors practice their craft at point-blank range; it is almost cinematic. You get a rare look at the nuance of facial expression which can often be missed from the house.
It is a tribute to Piper Arpan that the choreography is just as interesting onstage as it must be from the audience. One does occasionally miss a bit of the song text onstage. A few times the harmonies are not as tight as they could be, but then a number like "Don't Walk Away" comes along and those week spots are easily forgiven. There is nothing more enthralling than a well choreographed, melodically riveting group number.
Though the cast works fantastically well as a collective, the solo performances are what give this production its sparkle. Andrew Diessner (Sonny) is somehow so convincingly sweet that Sonny's laughable artistic conundrum becomes believable. And Amy Board (Kira) handles the show's implicit sarcasm so nimbly. I was particularly caught up in the chemistry Board and Diessner share and their ability to walk the line between corny and tender.
The space at The Fox is well-used. One would think four couches with up to sixteen audience members, and nine actors occupying a stage at once could get a bit crowded; however, with the addition of a few skate ramps and a thrust, the intimacy actually works in the production's favor.
The couches, and respective audience members, give the cast a lot to play around with which reads well in the house. For a show intent on not taking itself too seriously, there have to be opportunities for the cast to play. To this end, I feel the ramps and poles could have been utilized more often.
The technical show-stopper is a beautiful white aerial silk used in "Suspended in Time." It is a powerful metaphor for a show with so little depth. But don't worry, the number gives way to a lighter side soon enough, making way for a disco ball, Mylar, and gold lame, a feast of color and light, a vibrant close to very fun production.
This oversimplified story makes one wonder why it is so engaging. Perhaps because sarcasm is built in, because it assumes the inevitable insult and throws it back at the audience, does the plot not annoy or patronize. In essence it is delightful. read more