Xanadu Is Campy Fun, But Frequently Falters

By Sharon Falduto
Photos by Jackie Blake Jensen Photography

Victoria Vaughn as Clio; Skylar Matthias as Sonny

Coralville - Nostalgia for the recent past is big business, as musicals like Mamma Mia! have shown. Xanadu mines a similar vein for an audience who wants to reminisce about its youth, and maybe cringe a little along the way.

Xanadu is a labor of love for director Chris Okiishi. He admits to book problems in his director’s note, but tells us how he went to the movie five times in its opening week anyway. His love for the high concept musical shows in the details, but I fear his adoration may have blinded him to some of its weaknesses. Fortunately, the show is, if nothing else, a lot of fun.

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.

Auditions for Xanadu

Coralville - "Come audition for the musical comedy event of the fall! Xanadu features all the great music from the terrible 1980s movie, but with a fresh, new, actually coherent script!

Featuring the music of the Electric Light Orchestra, the Tubes, Olivia Newton-John, and Gene Kelly, this musical is a mash up of Greek Mythology and 80's Disco culture.

There are roles available for a wide variety of singer-actors. Visit citycircle.org for a list of characters and the audition sign-up form. Email director Christopher Okiishi with questions or to see a perusal script.

For the audition, prepare a short comedic monologue (less than 1 minute) and one verse/chorus of an 80's pop song; bring sheet music in the correct key. Roller skating ability is a plus!"


Source: CCPA Newsletter

City Circle Adds Xanadu to Its Season

City Circle Acting Company of Coralville announces that it will produce the Iowa City-area premiere of the 2007 musical comedy Xanadu, which is inspired by the 1980s film of the same name. The production will be directed by Christopher Okiishi.