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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(204,0,0)"><b style><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><br>
</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">XANADU:<span style> </span>Beck makes bad script into funky fun</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">So there is
no question about the praises that appear in this review:<span style> </span>XANADU is a bad script, with an uneven
musical score, and few redeeming qualities.<span style> </span>In spite of this, the Beck Centers production is mostly
funky fun.<span style> </span>There are three reasons
for this:<span style> </span>Martin Cιspedess
choreography, Scott Spences awareness that playing the material as a comic
strip rather than a for real piece of musical theatre was necessary, and some
over the top performances.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Xanadus
so-called storyline centers on Sonny, an artist who becomes frustrated because
of the low quality of his mural of the Greek Muses.<span style> </span>His depression leads to thoughts of suicide.<span style> </span>But, on Mount Olympus, Clio, Zeuss
youngest daughter, decides to come to Venice Beach, California, and save him
from himself.<span style> </span>She, along with her
seven sisters, descend and help Sonny combine the arts with something athletic,
roller skating.<span style> </span>Forbidden from
appear as a Muse, Clio changes her name to Kira, wears roller skates and leg
warmers (an important plot device) and speaks in an Australian accent.<span style> </span>In the process, Clio/Kira falls in love
with Sonny, and problems from above are created, as her jealous sisters encourage
the forbidden love, potentially causing Clio to be banished into the underworld
(thats where you and I live).<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Honest,
thats the story.<span style> </span>Could I make up
such ridiculousness?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Everything
about XANADU is strange.<span style> </span>The
musical score, rather than being written by a librettist and a composer, as is
the norm, is a series of songs, some written by Jeff Lynne, others by John
Farrar, but none co-conceived.<span style> </span>The
play is based on a flop movie which was originally inspired by two other less
than world shaking flicks, DOWN TO EARTH and its sequel HEAVEN CAN WAIT.<span style> </span>Both are based on a rather obscure
poem, <i style>A Vision in a Dream</i> and refers
to a Chinese province where, in the rhyme, Kubla Khan established his pleasure
garden.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Again, could
I make this stuff up?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The movie,
which lost a great deal of money for its producers, has become a cult favorite,
making it a ROCKY HORROR SHOW-type experience, where viewers, often shod in
roller skates, dress the roles and act scenes at midnight showings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The musical,
which opened on Broadway in 2007, ran for over 500 performances, receiving the
Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Musical.<span style> </span>This, in spite of the fact that it
received mostly marginal reviews.<span style>
</span>A tour of the show appeared in Cleveland in 2010 to basically negative
reaction.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Songs from
the show include such modern classics as <i style>All
Over the World</i>, <i style>Im Alive</i>,<i style> Have You Never Been Mellow</i>, and <i style>Magic</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Director
Scott Spencer, realizing that he was not directing the likes of WEST SIDE STORY
or CHORUS LINE, takes on the staging with a joyful mockery, bridging tongue in
cheek comedy with farcical overtones.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Martin
Cιspedes picks up Spencers attitude and creates choreography that is a mιlange
of styles.<span style> </span>Among others, he uses
ribbon, rock, tap, bop, line, modern, and hand jive moves.<span style> </span>His dancers are fun to watch,
especially Matthew Ryan Thompson and Ben Donahoo, as the two cross dressing
muses.<span style> </span>Thompson, who is making a
career of playing fey, is a total hoot, as well as being a talented dancer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Amiee Collier
(Melpomene), as the wicked sister and Leslie Andrews (Calliope) as her
co-conspirator, are delightful. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Handsome Sam
Wolf (Sonny Malone) is physically right for the role, has a pleasant singing
voice, but needed more dynamism to pull off the leading man role.<span style> </span>Kathleen Rooney (Clio/Kira), as with
Wolf, looks the role, but her Australian accent often sounds more like New
Joisey and her voice sometimes gets a little shrill.<span style> </span>She gets lost in her voluminous untamed blonde wig.<span style> </span>Her rendition of <i style>Magic</i> is nicely done.<span style>
</span>Wolf and Rooneys <i style>Whenever Youre
Away From Me</i> is well sung.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Greg Violand,
who portrays Danny Maguire (a business man who was entranced by Clio, many
years ago), and is double cast as Zeus, has the best singing voice in the
cast.<span style> </span>The muses (Leslie Andrews,
Maggie Stahl, Kathleen Ferrini) sing, pose, and dance well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Trad Burns
has transformed the Beck stage into a Greek temple, complete with lots of white
pillars, which change colors through creative lighting.<span style> </span>Alison Garrigan uses traditional Roman
togas, while dressing Sonny (Sam Wolf) in 70s inspired skin tight short shorts
and funky tank tops.<span style> </span>Larry
Goodpaster rocks the house with his musical arrangements.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:<span style> </span>If you are in the mood for total
silliness, want to hear some well sung classical modern songs, and desire to
see some excellent dancing, XANADU is for you.<span style> </span>The Magic may Suddenly take you to Xanadu, allowing
you to be Suspended in Time, so, Dont Walk Away from seeing this show at
Beck.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">XANADU is
scheduled to run through October 14 at Beck Center for the Arts.<span style> </span>For tickets and information on call
216-521-2540 or go to <a href="http://www.beckcenter.org">www.beckcenter.org</a><span style> <br></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(204,0,0)"><br><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><span style><span style="color:rgb(204,0,0)"></span><br></span></span></p>