The cast of "Xanadu" rehearses a scene at Ephrata Performing Arts Center. They are, from left, James Barksdale, Jessica Henry, Andi Jo Hill, Alex Weaver, Katelyn Mullen and Brian Viera.
THEATER REVIEW
OK, "Xanadu," which opened Thursday at Ephrata Performing Arts Center, doesn't have the greatest pedigree.
It's based on a pretty stinky 1980 movie of the same name about a roller-skating Australian/Greek muse named Kira, played by Olivia Newton-John.
She comes down to earth from Mount Olympus and falls in love with a guy who dreams of opening a roller disco in Venice, Calif. Zeus, centaurs and a dance club owner from the 1940s all make appearances.
And in case you were thinking this was a camp extravaganza, the creators of the film took it rather seriously.
The movie inspired the creation of the Golden Raspberries Awards, or Razzies, which honor the worst films of the year.
The movie did have a hit soundtrack with music by Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra, including such classics as the title song and "Magic."
Fast forward to 2007, when "Xanadu" was turned into a Broadway musical.
The show got a new book by Douglas Carter Beane ("Little Dog Laughed"), which added plenty of humor, including some sibling rivalry between Kira and her sisters, Melpomene and Calliope.
Most importantly, the stage show knows very well that roller discos, Greek muses and centaurs cannot be taken seriously.
The production at EPAC is a lot of fun, though not quite as sharp as it could be.
There was a loose, tentative feeling to the show I saw Friday night, which made it feel a little unfinished.
Now you might not mind that at all if you're looking for mindless fun, a bunch of laughs and the chance to hear some old pop hits.
Watching "Xanadu," which is directed by Cody Smith, is like eating cotton candy at a carnival. You're having a good time eating all that sugar, but there is absolutely no nutritional value.
But then "Xanadu" isn't pretending to be anything more than an excuse to go back to a time when disco, roller skating and short shorts were all the rage.
Katelyn Ann Mullen is Kira, the Greek muse with the Australian accent, who tries to inspire Sonny (Brian Viera) to fulfill his dream and open a roller disco.
Bruce Weaver is Danny, who once ran a dance club back in the 1940s and reluctantly goes into business with Sonny. He too had his own experience with a muse.
David "BD" Frey and Wendy Caldwell are Kira's jealous sisters, Melpomene and Calliope. The two have a lot of witty lines and get to sing "Evil Woman."
(And Frey looks a lot like Theresa from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey.")
The orchestra, under the direction of Paula Lied, sounds fantastic, and Mullen is a terrific singer who really gets into the songs.
Viera's strong suit is not his singing, but he's got a good sense of comic timing and gives Sonny the perfect amount of sweet innocence. You can see why Kira, who's got her own kind of sweetness, falls for him.
Some things get surreal in the show, like the scene on Mount Olympus when Kira has to explain falling in love with a mortal to her dad, Zeus. (That's where the centaur shows up.)
How surreal does it get? Well, that's when they sing "Have You Never Been Mellow."
If this floats your boat, you'll probably love "Xanadu."
Here's hoping that, as the run goes along, the show will get sharper and snappier. Even campy cotton-candy shows need to run like a well-oiled machine — and this one isn't there just yet.
"Xanadu" runs through May 12.
