Review: The Infectious Joy of XANADU at Skylight Music Theatre

Who’s having more fun: the audience or the cast of Xanadu at Skylight Music Theatre? Under the flashy, fabulous direction of Milwaukee theater favorite Doug Clemons, this stage musical retelling of the cult classic 80s film—which stars Australia’s own Olivia Newton-John—is here to spread a little love and joy. Xanadu is just what we need. It’s the vibrant, camp-tastic antidote to winter gloom. Theatrical sunshine. Bubbly (sometimes literally) and bright.

Xanadu is the story of the Greek muse, Kira, who descends from Mount Olympus to inspire a struggling artist in 1980 Venice Beach. To hide her demi-god status, Kira dons the perfect disguise: legwarmers, roller skates, and an Australian accent. The script is playfully self-aware, and this Skylight production and its delightful cast lean all the way into it.

That cast is led by Kaitlin Feely as Kira, the muse, and Mitchell Gray as Sonny, the struggling artist. Feely brings quirkiness to Kira, clearly unafraid to unleash a crazed look or goofy voice to get the laughs. Her expressions and delivery are as hilarious as her singing is sweet, moving from pop to jazz-scat with ease. Gray is a great match for Feely as the earnest Sonny.

The rest of the cast is made up of Kira’s many sister muses. Each one is fantastic in their own right, but Molly Rhode is a standout as the eldest sister and “evil woman” Melpomene. Rhode finds her comedy accomplice in Rhonda Rae Busch as Calliope.

One to watch: D Eric Woolweber as Terpsicore, muse of dance. With arguably the most camp performance of them all, Woolweber makes it tricky to tear your gaze away from his overly-theatrical exuberance and precise, athletic movements. He also slays a flashback tap number and briefly doubles as both a centaur (amazing) and Hermes (hilarious).

Rachel Bednarowski, Rashard (Rai) Hudson, and Samantha Sostarich round out the muses. Lastly, there’s Rick Richter as real estate tycoon Danny Maguire. All together, the cast seems to be having a total blast from start to finish, and as Doug Clemons says in his director's note, “With so many diseases in this world, we often forget that joy is equally contagious.”

Adding to the joy are costumes by Jason Orlenko, a rainbow confection of sheer, sparkly, full-of-surprises fabulosity set against a less-is-more set by scenic designer Shane Cinal. Armed with shimmery accordion capes, oversized folding fans, and appearances by mythical creatures from Cyclops to Pegasus, the wearables and accessories did a lot of heavy lifting to draw the eye and fill the stage. And, I imagine, some props for these eye-popping—well—props should go to properties designers Patrick McGuire and Simone Tegge.

Choreography by Stephanie Staszak and musical direction by David Bonofiglio keep the whole show moving and grooving. The choreography is particularly cartoonish and funny, perfectly suited to Xanadu’s overall tone. As is noted at one point by the muse Calliope, “it’s like children’s theater for gay 40 year-olds.”

It’s one-liners like this that leave the audience in stitches. Those in the theater community, creative types, and cult-classic movie buffs will get a particular kick out of Xanadu’s many levels of self-awareness: the dramatic medium, the musical comedy genre, and the so-bad-it’s-good source material. Xanadu is an upbeat 80-minute, no-intermission piece of exuberant theater that will put a pep in your step—or, perhaps, the disco in your roller skates.

Photo Credit: Mark Frohna

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