STAGE TUBE: In Rehearsal with Piper Theatre's XANADU

Piper Theatre brings the unrestrained fun and fashions of the 1970s to the Old Stone House this July, as they present the Brooklyn premiere of "Xanadu," the musical comedy adapted from the 1980 cult classic film starring Olivia Newton-John. Go inside rehearsal with the cast below!

Piper Theatre is celebrating its seventh season of free, outdoor summer theatre at the Old Stone House's Washington Field and has chosen "Xanadu" as its first-ever main stage musical production. Washington Park's newly renovated playground and gardens now make it one of the most beautiful destinations in Brooklyn, so come see what the neighborhood is buzzing about and stay for the best free theatre in any of the five boroughs. "Xanadu"'s tongue-in-cheek humor, its soundtrack featuring classic ELO tunes *and* "Have You Never Been Mellow," and last but not least, the fact that the cast is on rollerskates for almost the entire production makes it the summertime-perfect escape for Brooklynites of every age and cultural stripe.

The musical looks back on the glittery innocence of the late 1970s with an equal mix of love and parody. The story, by Douglas Carter Beane (the award-winning playwright of "The Little Dog Laughed" and "Lysistrata Jones"), is set in Venice Beach circa 1980 and centers on Kira, a Greek muse who descends from Mt. Olympus in order to inspire Sonny, a struggling street artist, to realize his grand artistic vision and open a roller disco. As is often the case when Greek demigods are involved with mortals, star-crossed love ensues, along with plot-twisting complications from jealous Olympian relatives.

"Xanadu" is an Equity showcase directed by Piper Theatre founder/artistic director John P. McEneny and choreographed by Karen Curlee (Together In Dance). Its set and costume design painstakingly recreate the Venice Beach of the late '70s, paying homage to the street art and visual style emblematic to that place and time, a West Coast counterpart to New York City's more famous underground art scene.

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