The Renaissance Theatre has been taken over by Greek muses, roller skates and 1980’s style the next few weekends as the popular production “Xanadu” hits the stage.
Directed by Michael Thomas, the musical tells the story of a frustrated artist who, with the help of the classical Greek muses, works to fulfill his dream of opening Xanadu, a roller disco. Although based on the famously campy movie starring Olivia Newton John, Thomas said the show itself is genuinely funny.
“If you watch the movie it’s a real head scratcher. You look at it and think, what were they thinking? It’s so odd,” said Thomas with a laugh. “But they took this awful movie and made such a funny show out of it. I think part of it is because they’re commenting on how ludicrous the movie was and they do poke fun at it a little bit. It’s not mean-spirited, but it is definitely a little bit of a parody.”
In addition to classic music from the ‘80s – including ELO hits like “Have You Ever Been Mellow,” “Evil Woman,” “Magic,” and “Suddenly” – the musical also incorporates the roller boogie phase that had taken the nation by storm.
“It was this crazy craze that just swept the nation for about five years, and then it was gone,” said Thomas. “1980 was really the peak of it, and then it started going downhill.”
Five out of nine cast members will be on roller skates at one point or another during the show, but none more than Madeline Beer as the lead muse Clio.
Clio is known as Kira in her mortal disguise – a blonde, Australian pop singer not unlike Olivia Newton John. Beer described learning to roller skate as “fun, interesting, and also terrifying.”
“My skills consisted of having been on roller skates when I was probably 10 years old, and then being on them again at 25,” said Beer. “But I’m getting more comfortable with it and it’s a lot of fun. Really it’s all about balancing and finding your center gravity. When you lose your balance you lose all your confidence and that’s when you fall.
“For a second I was like, maybe I’ll join a roller derby after this,” she joked. “We’ll see.”
Roller skates also presented a challenge for choreographer Emily Stack, who plays Calliope/Aphrodite. Stack said she drew her inspiration from various “Xanadu” performances, as well as a few dance tutorials on YouTube.
“I myself am not on roller skates so it’s hard for me to say, ‘Do this.’ And they’re like, ‘We’re going to roll off the stage if we do that,’” said Stack. “In the last number, five of the nine cast members are on skates. It’s very exciting. It was actually pretty amazing how quickly they all came together and if something didn’t work we worked through it.”
Rounding out the talented local cast is Condrea Webber as Melpomene/Medusa, Colton Penwell as Danny, Louie Kurtzman as Thalia/Young Danny, Tucker Boggs as Terpsicore/Centaur, Lori Turner as Euterpe/Thetis and Hannah Bloir as Erato/Hera. Cody Shope from Columbus also joins the cast as Sonny.
“It’s a great showcase for the talent in this community. There are a lot of wide-ranging characters in this and it’s amazing to hear these really powerhouse voices singing these songs,” said Thomas.
“Xanadu” opens at 8 p.m. at the Renaissance Theatre on Friday, Feb. 13 and continues through Feb. 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28. The show will be performed in the Renaissance’s stage-on-stage style, and due to limited seating on the stage most shows sell out. Call the Renaissance box office at 419-522-2726 for tickets, or order online at MansfieldTickets.com.
“I think it’s a perfect show for the wintertime to get out of the house, sit back and laugh. And it’s also nostalgic,” said Thomas. “The humor is very funny but it’s not challenging, it really is just pure entertainment.”
Update: Due to the inclement weather on Feb. 14, the run of the show has been extended to include a matinee performance on Sunday, March 1.
