XANADU Opens at the Carnegie, 8/11 - 8/26

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center (The Carnegie) begins its 2012-13 Theatre Series with the funny and feel-good roller skating Broadway musical XANADU. Based (often satirically) on the 1980 Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly film of the same title, XANADU features pop hits including "Evil Woman," "I'm Alive" and "Magic." The production receives its local professional premiere in The Carnegie's Otto M. Budig Theatre weekends August 11 – 26, 2012, under the direction of lauded former Cincinnatian Alan Patrick Kenny. Tickets are $19 - $26 and are available online at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tu – Fr, noon – 5 p.m.).

XANADU is presented by Mark & Rosemary Schlachter.

XANADU is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Beautiful Greek muse Kira has journeyed from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in a quest to inspire struggling chalk artist Sonny to create the most resplendent work of art the world has ever known… the roller disco! But can Sonny capture the imagination of a jaded landlord to save his disco from the wrecking ball, and will Kira's jealous muse sisters destroy Sonny and Kira's forbidden love?

XANADU is an "all skate" of '80s pop rock pandemonium, featuring musical hits including "Magic," "All Over The World," "I'm Alive," "Suddenly" and "Evil Woman."  

Returning to The Carnegie to helm XANADU is Sycamore High School grad and recent UCLA masters alumnus Alan Patrick Kenny, best known locally for his artistic leadership of the bygone theatre company New Stage Collective. Kenny's most recent credit at The Carnegie was an award-winning 2009 staging of another movie musical, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, which, like XANADU, paired him with Carnegie Managing Director of Theatre, high school classmate and New Stage Collective (NSC) co-founder Joshua Steele. Recipient of the Acclaim Awards Rising Star scholarship and myriad other local arts honors, Kenny is thrilled to return to his former home before taking a faculty position at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point this fall.

"XANADU is the quintessentially perfect summer show: fabulous and addictive tunes, a hysterical script that celebrates the original film's ridiculousness and an OIympian company rollerskating their tails off and working those leg warmers," raves Kenny.  "I'm thrilled to be back at The Carnegie working again in the Cincinnati theatre scene - I've missed this community terribly, and am glad to be returning with a show that is positively gleeful with joy and heart, and not afraid to laugh at itself a little."  

The venue and community aren't the only elements of XANADU familiar to Kenny, whose team and cast includes a number of old friends. Nationally-demanded performer Margaret-Ellen Jeffreys* returns to Cincinnati and makes her Carnegie debut in the lead role of Kira, the Greek muse who seeks to inspire Sonny to create a roller disco. In addition to NSC productions of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Petra) and DEAD CITY (various) under Kenny's direction, Jeffreys has been seen in many Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park productions, including THE FANTASTICKS (Luisa) and THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL! (June). XANADU also reunites Kenny with production music director Brian D. Hoffman, a recent CCM doctoral alumnus who has collaborated with Kenny on DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS as well as CAROLINE, OR CHANGE at NSC; and with Broadway veteran choreographers Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard, who last worked with Kenny on his NSC production of THE FULL MONTY.

XANADU will also represent Carnegie debuts for a number of gifted local professional actors. Best known locally for her award-winning work at The Covedale Center and Showboat Majestic, Eileen Earnest is comedic sidekick to XANADU villainess Melpomene, played by prolific Cincinnati Shakespeare Company member and go-to comedienne Miranda McGee. Popular Covedale and community theatre leading man Rick Kramer takes on the Gene Kelly role of money-hungry landlord Danny Maguire, the foil to clueless chalk artist Sonny, played by CCM Musical Theatre standout Blaine Krauss. 

NKU Musical Theatre student and Oxygen network's "The Glee Project" performer McKynleigh Abraham leads an ensemble which includes CCM musical theatre student Aubrey Ireland and local actress Megan Ainsley Callahan, along with Carnegie veteran actors Blair Bowman (OLIVER), Brian Wylie (CAROUSEL and PIPPIN) and Andrew Maloney (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR).

The complete cast includes: (Kira / Clio) Margaret-Ellen Jeffreys*, (Sonny Malone) Blaine Krauss, (Danny Maguire) Rick Kramer, (Melpomene) Miranda McGee, (Calliope) Eileen The ensemble includes McKynleigh Abraham, Aubrey Ireland, Brian Wylie, Blair Bowman, Megan Ainsley Callahan, Andrew Maloney, Emily Martin.

The Production Team includes Director Alan Patrick Kenny, Assistant Director Phillip Webster, Music Director Brian D. Hoffman, Choreographers Missy Lay Zimmer, Andrew Hubbard, Asst. Choreographer Katie Farry, Technical Director Richard J. Sillen, Jr. Scenic Designer Ryan Howell, Lighting Designer Tim Schmall, Costumer Deb G. Girdler, Sound Designer Hunter Spoede, Stage Manager Ellen Beltramo, Asst. Stage Manager Jessie Sherman, Production Manager Bleu Pellman, Producer Joshua Steele.

*Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Opening on Broadway in 2007 and playing for 512 performances, the stage musical iteration of "Xanadu" wholeheartedly embraced the film's campiness while knowingly poking fun at itself on its way to Tony Award nominations for "Best Musical," "Best Book of a Musical," "Best Actress in a Musical" (Kerry Butler as Clio) and "Best Choreography." 

The Carnegie's staging is the region's first professional production of XANADU.

Tickets to The Carnegie's production of XANADU are $19 - $26 and may be purchased online at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tue – Fri, noon – 5 p.m.).

XANADU will feature eight performances: Saturday, August 11, 7:30pm, Sunday, August 12, 3:00pm, Friday, August 17, 7:30pm*, Saturday, August 18, 7:30pm, Sunday, August 19, 3:00pm, Friday, August 24, 7:30pm^†, Saturday, August 25, 7:30pm, Sunday, August 26, 7:30pm.  *Performance includes closed captioning and American Sign Language interpretation; ^†Performance includes closed captioning only.  Tickets are $26 for Adults, $23 for Carnegie and Enjoy The Arts Members, $21 for Groups of 8 or More, and $19 for Students.  The 2012-13 Theatre Series has two subscription packages available:

Full Subscription: Patrons attend all four 2012-13 Theatre Series offerings, selecting one performance of their choice for each. Full Subscriptions are $82; $76 for Carnegie Members.

Pick Three Subscription: Patrons attend three 2012-13 Theatre Series offerings of their choice, selecting one performance of their choice for each. Pick Three Subscriptions are $69. 

THE CARNEGIE THEATRE SERIES produces professional, innovative stagings of an eclectic range of popular and rarely-performed works. Striving to unite the greater Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati theatre community through partnerships and collaborations, the series engages and nurtures both emerging and established talent, including working professionals, committed part-time theatre artists, university performing arts students and younger students. Carnegie Theatre Series productions bring together these forces to provide quality theatre for Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area.

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Over the course of the past ten years The Carnegie has "morphed" from a grassroots gallery with an education component into an all-inclusive arts organization offering professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists and a comprehensive arts education program.  

The Carnegie is home to The Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 465-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and-coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie's Theatre and Concert Series. The Carnegie is the largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky.   

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.