Xanadu Opens October 10

Victoria Vaugnh  and
Skyler Matthias

Coralville - "City Circle Acting Company of Coralville will present the Broadway hit musical Xanadu for six performances October 10-19 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Adapted from the Universal Pictures cult film by Douglas Carter Beane and featuring music by Jeff Lynne (of the Electric Light Orchestra) and John Farrar, Xanadu follows the journey of the magical and beautiful Greek muse Kira, who descends from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco! But when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds. The musical adaptation contains all the great Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John music from the film, plus four additional classic songs.

Xanadu was a surprise hit on Broadway and one of the best-reviewed musicals of 2007. The New Yorker called it “ridiculously brilliant” and the Washington Post called it “the most infectious show to land on Broadway since Spamalot.”

Director Christopher Okiishi promises a top-flight comic cast of City Circle veterans and newcomers for this production, including Victoria Vaughn as Kira and Skyler Matthias as Sonny. “This hilarious musical is loosely based on the cult classic film, but has a brand new, much better script that actually makes sense,” says Okiishi. “It’s like a mash up of Percy Jackson and Dance Fever. Or Clash of the Titans and Donna Summer with some Queen thrown in. Only much, much funnier.”

The production will feature a special appearance by members of the Cedar Rapids Rollergirls and Iowa City Roller Derby teams and is sponsored by TheLuxeZone and Mike & Jan Finlayson.

With its message of following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, Xanadu is hilarity on wheels for the whole family. (Contains one instance of profanity.)

Performances are October 10-19, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets ($12-$27) are available at coralvillearts.org, by phone at 319.248.9370, and in person at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts box office (1301 5th Street) and Coralville Recreation Center (1506 8th Street).

City Circle Acting Company is a community theater organization in residence at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Since 1997, City Circle’s mission has been the production of high quality dramatic, musical, and performing art pieces for the enjoyment of the public. Upcoming City Circle productions include A Year with Frog and Toad (December 12-21), Black Comedy and The Real Inspector Hound (February 13-15), and Into the Woods (April 24-May 3)."


Source: City Circle/CCPA press release