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XANADU ON BROADWAY




In 2001, producer Rob Ahrens attended a showing of Xanadu Live! in Los Angeles.  He liked it so much that he began a five-year process of acquiring the rights for what was originally intended to be an off-Broadway production of Xanadu.  Workshops and readings were held in New York in 2006, with actress Jane Krakowski slated to play the lead role of Kira.  When the Helen Hayes Theatre was found to be available, the production went from off-Broadway to Broadway.  Due to scheduling issues, Jane Krakowski was not able to take part in the production, and Kerry Butler was brought in to play the role of Kira.  James Carpinello was brought in to play the role of Sonny, and Tony Roberts took on the role of Danny.  The cast also includes Broadway veterans Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman, along with Curtis Holbrook, Andre Ward, Kenita Miller, and Anika Larsen.  Writer Douglas Carter Beane was hired to write the script, which is very different from the movie and plays up the campiness aspect.  All of the original songs from the film are included, with two classic E.L.O. songs ("Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic") and one Olivia Newton-John song ("Have You Never Been Mellow") added in.

Previews began on May 23, 2007, with an opening scheduled for June 26.   When James Carpinello broke his foot while rollerskating during a rehearsal, Cheyenne Jackson was brought in to play Sonny, and the opening was rescheduled for July 10.  Olivia Newton-John and songwriter John Farrar attended the opening night and after-party.  The show has received mostly positive reviews from the critics and has sold out many times.  It is currently still playing at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Times Square, and there is a tour being planned for other cities in 2008.
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