By Denise V. Suarez

Xanadu is about the Greek muse Clio who disguises herself as Kira, an Australian roller girl, and descends from Mt. Olympus to Venice. But this isn’t Venice, Italy of the Renaissance period; it’s Venice Beach, L.A. and she finds herself right in the middle of 1980. Instead of Michelangelo to inspire, there’s Sonny Malone, a chalk mural artist whose dream is to open a museum/concert hall/roller disco. Mayhem ensues when Clio’s jealous sisters mess with Clio and Sonny.

Xanadu is a short musical – it only has one act, and that’s a good and bad thing.

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Let’s start with the bad: Xanadu is supposed to be a parody of the 1980 movie with the same title. This movie stars Aussie Olivia Newton-John so Kira has an exaggerated Australian accent. Rachel Alejandro’s accent didn’t sound the least bit Australian and while it was sometimes funny, it was also distracting. Another distracting thing? Sonny Malone’s (played by Felix Rivera) shorts! Although Felix Rivera did a good job of playing the seemingly forever-stoned chalk mural artist, it gets hard to pay attention to a guy whose shorts are so near his ass.

The good: Xanadu is funny. It’s laugh out loud and still chuckling a few minutes later funny. Even though it’s set in 1980, the script is up to date with more current lines such as, “Are you a scientologist?” and “ Bitch, I don’t know your life!”

It’s hard to say who did a better job – Yael Pineda who played one of the jealous sisters, Calliope or Noel Trinidad who played real estate mogul, Danny Maguire. Whether she was in the spotlight or in the background, Yael Pineda was acting every moment she was on stage. Getting kinda bored? Sneak a peek at Calliope, she’ll make you smile for sure. On the other hand, Noel Trinidad is probably the cutest scary old man you’ll ever see. Just what is asked of his character, Noel Trinidad finds a way to be both intimidating and endearing.

(Planning to watch Xanadu? Find a place to eat nearby.)

The verdict: While not a must-see, Xanadu is a fun theater experience – and the tickets aren’t so bad either. You can get the best seat in the house for only Php 1,500. Make sure you bring your gay friends, they’ll love it!

Xanadu runs until September 19, 2010 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. For inquiries, contact Atlantis Productions.


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