Interview: Logan Vaden of XANADU at The Garden Theatre

Logan Vaden is the artistic director of THE GARDEN THEATRE. He is producing and directing Xanadu, which opens August 14th and runs through the 30th at the MATCH. Xanadu’s story follows the simple journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California, in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny Malone, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO! But she does what no Greek daughter of Zeus should do, and falls in love. Of course, the 1980 film starred Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, and Gene Kelley. It flopped and became a cult classic. BROADWAY WORLD writer Brett Cullum talked to Logan Vaden about roller discos and jukebox musicals. 

Brett Cullum: So… Why do you want to produce Xanadu? Is there any connection for you? 

Logan Vaden: You know, it's so funny because I remember seeing the movie probably when I was in late middle school, early high school, and enjoying it, question mark, and then I only watched it once, I never saw it again, and then, you know. 10 or so years later, I saw when Stages did it, the fabulous production that was starring Holland Vavra and directed by Mitchell Greco, and I saw it so many times. I saw it so many times in their old building, and then they brought it back, and they actually are kind of what revitalized the arts in Houston after Harvey, and they did it at Miller, and I saw it at Miller Outdoor Theater every single performance that they had it there, because it just is so much fun. I am the kind of person that… I love a jukebox musical. I love something you can just go to, laugh, and have such a good time at, and kind of forget the outside world. I don't like things to be too heavy, especially when they come to my musicals. And Xanadu just fits that perfectly. Not to mention that the last season, one of our big musicals was Cruel Intentions, so it just right in with what we've already done, and taking a campy movie and making it even campier and musicalized, and it's just a good time. That's why I wanted to do it. It's just a good time.

Brett Cullum: I feel so bad because we were on the same aesthetic level or something, because I was obsessed with Cruel Intentions as a movie. I was obsessed with Xanadu as a movie. I was totally obsessed with your production of Cruel Intentions as a musical. And now you're gonna do Xanadu! I got in trouble when I was a kid. I am of a certain age, and I was actually alive when this thing came out. I know you weren't. But I actually skipped soccer practice, unbeknownst to my parents, to go and see this thing repeatedly, like, over and over and over again.

Logan Vaden: You are not the only person that I've heard a similar story about. I've heard that from Dennis Draper, who works for MATCH, and multiple people. I know this is Jennifer Decker, who is the artistic director of Mildred's Umbrella. It's her favorite movie. I saw the other day she already has tickets, of course. Of course. Yeah. It's just a movie of a certain time, that if you were around when that movie came out, I think it just means the world to you. This is going to sound kind of blasphemous, I think. I did watch the movie recently, knowing that we were going to do the show. I didn't really remember it from when I was in high school, and I watched it, and I thought, “This is terrible.” Critically, that is what people said, that it was not the greatest, but the soundtrack was what was so revered back then, and I couldn't believe that there was a certain plot, and I didn't remember this from watching it as a kid. There are certain giant plots in the musical that are not in the movie. Giant characters like the third and fourth leads in the show are not part of the movie. You don't even really, I don't think she even really says that she's a muse until closer to the end. And in my head, looking at it, I was thinking, if I were watching this for the first time, I didn't know this story. I would think, is she a ghost? Like, what is she? I'm so confused. They're not really explaining what's going on here. So I think the musical captured the movie's charm and elevated the story, which was helpful.

Brett Cullum: Yeah, well, I mean, I'll give you a spoiler alert. When they shot this movie. The first thing they were trying to do was figure out what the 80s would be like. We were headed out of the 70s into the 80s. Of course, roller discos, they just thought that was going to be it. That was going to be the big thing. They started shooting without a script, honestly. They made this up as they went, pretty much. And it was bad. There was a lot of tension on the set, and a lot of crazy stuff happened. But somehow they got through it. Xanadu had a really killer soundtrack. I think most people bought the album rather than going to see the movie, thankfully. But there is some kind of weird charm to that movie, and I don't know how to explain it other than it was just a magic time with Olivia Newton-John. Michael Beck was this huge hot guy from The Warriors, and of course, Gene Kelly. We all just kind of fell in love because we would take anything that Olivia Newton-John did and thought, no, she's great. But the Broadway show, when did it first come out? Do you remember?

Logan Vaden: It was 2007, 2008, somewhere around there.

Brett Cullum: Here is some Houston theater trivia: Dan Knechtges, the artistic director of Theatre Under the Stars, choreographed the original Broadway show.

Logan Vaden: And was nominated for a Tony for it. It makes me nervous. I'm so nervous about it. And you know what's funny is our choreographer is Courtney Chilton, who's done so many Garden Theatre shows at this point, but Courtney has also worked with TUTS a million times, and knows Dan very well. I think it would be fun for him to get to see what Courtney and I have done with it. 

Brett Cullum: I want Dan Knechtges and Holland Vavra to be seated together. Then we could just go crazy.

Logan Vaden: For me, Holland Vavra is a must. I'm gonna figure out a way to get her there. I know she's so busy, but we're gonna figure it out.

Brett Cullum: Yeah, no, she's a town for it. So, no problem. One of the big things, you are making this cast roller skate, right? They have to roller skate.

Logan Vaden: Every single one of them, which is not how the Broadway production was done. Danny and two of the muses didn't roller skate in the original production, but I'm making them. They're not thrilled about it, but they're going to do it.

Brett Cullum: What was funny about the movie, though, is I remember Gene Kelly was the best roller skater of them all.

Logan Vaden: Gene Kelly skating in that, it was just magical to see.

Brett Cullum: What is it about this one that kind of makes you go, oh, am I really doing this? And what am I scared about?

Logan Vaden: You know… It doesn't scare me at all. It really doesn't. This is the kind of thing that we're known for at The Garden Theatre. This is, like, our style. We do the dramas, we do the comedies, we do plays, we do musicals, we do classics, we do contemporaries, but the best thing we do is musical theater comedy. Especially in the vein where it can be a really over-the-top parody. We are figuring out ways we might incorporate some audience participation into it. We have a little running list of things that we're planning on putting in the playbill that's like when you hear this, you do this, and like not quite Rocky Horror because we don't want it to happen the whole show, but certain moments. If I had to choose something that's a little scary to me, it's that, because it hasn't been tested before. That's something new that I don't believe any other production has ever done. Just getting the audience involved. And that's always a little risky, right? Especially in a show that tends to lean more towards an adult audience. You know, there's a bar on site, and people can maybe have a little bit too much fun. And it's a jukebox musical, so people know the music and already feel welcome to participate. It can just open the door to too much participation. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. We're here for a good time. 

Brett Cullum: I'm so excited for Xanadu. I think it'll be perfect for The Garden Theatre. And one of the things I find interesting about your company is that you find some of the most talented singers in Houston. I mean, honestly, I mean, you're talking about people that have day jobs. But they might as well, most of them become singers because they sound incredible. 

Logan Vaden: I sometimes question. I sit back, and I'll watch a show and think, oh my God, this is so great. And not to sound full of myself, because I'm just so in awe of these people. And I, and I think sometimes, “Am I even a good director, or do I just pick the best people that can just make magic happen?” 80% of a director's job is picking the right people to create that magic. And I don't think we've ever missed on that one.

XANADU runs at the MATCH, starting on August 14th and going through August 30th. It will be done in 90 minutes without an intermission. Roller Skates and Olivia Newton-John concert shirts are encouraged. 

Photos provided by Pin Lim

 

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