XANADU 1st National Tour reviews (La Jolla)

[SakeDad]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 7:06pm

XANADU gets it's first reviews and they are very positive! Here's looking forward to a long, successful tour!
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081125/news_1c25xanadu.html

http://www.lajollalight.com/entertainment/250939-xanadu-is-a-tongue-in-cheek-adventure

http://www.theatermania.com/emailer/process_in.cfm/id/75969

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:03pm

Vive XANADU! :)

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:59pm

I wish I could be there to see my favorite show again. And I knew Von Essen & Stanley would be brilliant in it. Thanks again to Mr. Beane for making 'magic."

Best to all involved

[SakeDad]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 2:46am

It was announced to the cast tonight that the show is going to Tokyo for the month of May '09

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 5:26am

Another rave...
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/11/26/entertainment/theater/zec7ab1d8aab68cbc8825750b006a54ba.txt

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 10:07am

Boy, I saw this last night and I have to say it was like watching a souffle collapse. The audience was not buying the comedy and must of it landed with a thudding silence.

The cast was game and for the most part very good, but the audience killed the show. What in NYC was fizzy fun, was labored and forced on the stage in La Jolla.

I sure hope they find their audience on the tour.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 11:48am

Is the tour utilizing the onstage seating?

Great reviews! They make one wonder why the show closed on Broadway. I'm really looking for to seeing this again (and again) in Chicago.

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 11:58am

I love this show and of course I wish them well. It's just a little odd to me to see the cast photos--sort of like seeing people impersonating my family in a way. And Clio's 40's incarnation is named Kitty now instead of Tangerine (according to the one review)?? What up with dat?

[Bobby Maler]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 12:12pm

Can't wait to see Joanna Glushak as Calliope. She's hilarious and a wonderful performer/singer. Wishing this tour much success. The world needs a laugh!

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 12:32pm

Yes, there is on stage seating. The only real changes to the show involve not using any trap doors -- now the mural is on the back wall behind the on stage seating (instead of on the floor). They use the space behind the on stage seating a bit more than on Broadway.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 12:59pm

How is the show going to Tokyo if it's supposed to be in Chicago for 6 months?

[jaystarr]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 1:15pm

I think that would be a different set of touring company and cast..

J*

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 6:58pm

Same cast is going to Tokyo in May. They're working out the Chicago plans from what I understand.

[fanadu1996]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 10:00pm

it's the same cast, playing in chicago til may, (hopefully) and if it does well, after japan it will go back to chicago....the rest of the schedule is not released yet.

[fanadu1996]

Posted: 11/26/08 at 10:00pm

it's the same cast, playing in chicago til may, (hopefully) and if it does well, after japan it will go back to chicago....the rest of the schedule is not released yet.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 12:29am

Frankly, there's no way it will run longer than six months in Chicago, especially in this economy.

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 1:10am

I'm not sure sure about that. It's perfect escapism, is cheaper than all other Broadway in Chicago shows, and is in a much smaller theatre than the other BIC shows. And, it's got a strong advance, and great buzz (I was working on a show in Chicago earlier this fall and everyone was talking about it). I'd say chances are good for success there.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 1:32am

It would make absolutely no sense to pack the show up in Chicago, move to Tokyo for a month and then pack back up only to move back to Chicago. Honestly, if you're going to start a rumor at least think about what you are going to say before actually saying it.

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 1:41am

It's not a rumor. Sake Dad knows of what he speaks.

I think Japan has it's own physical production being built over there, so they can leave the tour set in Chicago while the cast is away. A similar strategy was employed in Toronto with MAMMA MIA. They shut down for two months and sent the cast to Vancouver, then reopened in Toronto. The earth didn't end, and it actually helped extend the life of the show by generating opening night buzz all over again. And if the show does indeed return to Chicago it'll re-open at peak tourism season, in a theatre on the Mag Mile... seems actually kind of clever to me.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 2:20am

Hmmmmm... didn't know this kind of thing was a regular occurrence. Still doesn't really make that much sense to me.

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 2:25am

Have faith. :)

[lakezurich]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 2:33am

It's not that I don't have faith in the show. I saw it on a trip to NY and loved every minute. It's just that the whole moving to Tokyo for a month just, at least to me, does not make sense.

[SakeDad]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 4:46am

And just how many shows have you produced? There are MANY details to shows and tours that never get posted on these websites that those of us "in the know" are very aware of. Producers do not, generally, make decisions without knowing they make sense and will make money for them. Trust us when we say Tokyo has been WELL thought out and will work out fabulously for all! Your doubts aren't really a concern but I'm sure the good thoughts are appreciated.

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/27/08 at 6:24am

In response to the change from Tangerine to Kitty.... I can only speculate. But I THINK it's a clever nod on Mr. Beane's part to a little known part of Xanadu history.

The 80's film XANADU was loosely based on a 1940's flick called "Down to Earth," in which Terpsicore comes to earth to help a producer put on a show about the muses. She takes the disguise of a chorus girl, and assumes the name "Kitty."

Just a guess.

[sandiego33]

Posted: 12/5/08 at 12:17am

Seen the show Tuesday night. Wow, what a treat. Elizabeth Stanley, who was somewhat weak in Cry Baby, sure came through in this one. The entire cast was well received and the crowd was really into it. Every cast member was memorable in their own right and each stood out at one time or another. I like the use of the back wall instead of the trap doors. Visually, it seems as if the muses jump off the wall, then come down from the back seating down the aisles. The show, with the touring cast is in very good hands.