Guilty Pleasure: Xanadu Comes To Broadway

It’s like admitting that you wear a toupee, or that you dig it when she wears a strap on, but fuck it: I love the classic 1980 musical flop Xanadu. The music is awesome, and every kid born in the 70’s had a crush on Olivia Newton-John; Grease did us all in with one fell swoop. Xanadu’s story was ridiculous, the cartoon interlude during the Cliff Richards song is the worst thing Don Bluth has ever done, and some of the costumes were just hideous reminders of how wrong fashion can get. Nevertheless, hot chicks on roller skates is never a bad thing, not even weird 1980 versions.

True, this is the vehicle that killed the once-promising career of Michael Beck, who took this gig hot on the heels of his starmaking turn in The Warriors, and he’s never done anything noteworthy since. But Xanadu also remains the last picture to feature Gene Kelly in hale form, and—it has to be said twice—the music is awesome!

On stage, this cheesy Hollyweird picture will be an amazing show. Especially if you show up with a heavy twist on, in you know what I’m saying.

Tickets are stupidly expensive, like so many of the Broadway spectaculars these days. There is only one row in the back of the mezzanine at the Helen Hayes theater where the seats are (only) $41.25; the rest are all $111.25. Of course, you could use the special code and get ‘em for half off…

Xanadu On Broadway [xanaduonbroadway.com] warning: loud theme music ensues!