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It will never work.  It is folly. This is bereft of all artistic merit.  This synopsis mentions “mighty legwarmers.” [Cue shudders of revulsion.]

Silly me. Xanadu was awesome. Go see it. Seriously. Stop reading this review now and buy tickets for you and your best buds, so you can collectively shut off your brains and just revel in the sheer cheeky joy of Starlight Theatre’s new production.

Based on, as well as mocking the movie of the same title, Xanadu tells story of a muse inspiring a young street artist to create “something to combine all the arts and ‘something athletic’ into one event: a roller disco.” I know. It’s an awful premise. The studio execs who green-lit that movie must have been blinded by Gene Kelly’s age and Olivia Newton John’s leotard and legwarmers.  The movie rightfully was an epic flop.  The musical however has become quite popular, probably due to the nostalgia factor that the eighties were awful artistically and since we are finally removed enough from that decade, we can mock them freely and fiercely.

The cast was consistently excellent and left me eager to catch the next outlandish joke or meta reference. Xanadu begged for mugging out the wazoo and the actors knew that in order for this show to work, they needed to be in on the joke. And they didn’t disappoint.  The numerous expositions were delightfully awful and performed tongue-in-cheek.  Is there any other way to discuss Greek mythology in the context of a roller disco extravaganza?  I think not.

Elizabeth Stanley was the standout in her role of Clio, the Muse.  The affected Australian accent she adopted when she became Kira was atrociously bad in all the good ways.  Her roller skating was quite impressive as well.  Vocally, Stanley took Newton John’s breathiness to full throated belt with aplomb.  Her love interest, Sonny, played by Darren Ritchie, fared less well on the skates, but got in his share of jokes.  His singing was best when mimicking other 80’s singers.

Villainesses, Melpomene and Calliope, played by Alix Korey and Annie Golden, were a vengeful, petty pair of hams.  It took a couple of minutes on stage for them to fully settle into character, but when they did, they were stellar.  Korey shocked me with the force and edge in her voice on “Evil Woman.”  It was completely unexpected. The pair’s interaction with the on-stage audience members were bon mots of the background. Golden had some of the choice lines of the show and her Bronx and later Swedish accent were preposterous and perfect in context. 

The set, a fractured Parthenon-esque structure, not only allowed for some audience members to sit on stage but also was sturdy enough to handle roller skaters and disco dancers.  The costumes were flashy lamé microshorts and leggings, neon tank-tops and togas of vibrant hues, all stereotypically and hysterically time-appropriate.

I was beyond cranky going into the show.  I left giggling, smiling, and somewhat perplexed by how all the splendid atrocities committed on that stage managed to gel into a show of absolute zaniness and wonder.

REVIEW:
Starlight Theatre
Xanadu
August 15–21, 2011 (Reviewed August 16)
Starlight Theatre
4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO
For information and tickets call 816-363-7827 or visit www.starlightkc.com

By Lee Hartman

Editor-in-Chief; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Lee Hartman holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (D.M.A., M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). At the University of Delaware, he received a Dean's Scholar position enabling him to pursue an individually designed academic program combining music education and composition. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City he served for three years as the Assistant Director to Musica Nova, the conservatory's new music ensemble, while teaching a variety of composition classes.

In 2007 he was invited to both the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland and the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China to give lectures and master classes in composition. In the summer of 2009, Hartman served as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Opera Theater Center for various performances. He serves on the National Executive Committee of the Society of Composers, Inc. as Submissions Coordinator. His primary composition instructors include James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, John Beall, and Jennifer Margaret Barker. He currently teaches music theory at the University of Central Missouri and general music classes at Park University having previously taught at UD (2007–08) and UMKC (2006–07).

His compositions can be found at http://www.leehartmanmusic.com