Glitter Extravaganza Promised at HCTO’s XANADU Feb. 23-April 7

"You name it, we've covered it with glitter," says Anne Swenson, managing director/executive producer of Hale Center Theater Orem's XANADU. "Binoculars, paint buckets, Converse shoes. Mod Podg and glitter, as many as three coats."

XANADU, the deliriously giddy musical based on the deliriously awful '80s movie of the same name, celebrates all things roller disco. At the Hale Orem production, XANADU will get the full-tilt glamour-glitter, discomania treatment-mirrored disco balls, glitter eyeshadow and, of course, leg warmers.

"I'm a huge fan of the movie," says XANADU's director, Chris Clark. "It's a horrible, completely campy movie. My friends and I used to laugh hysterically at how awful it was."

When Clark heard it was going to be made into a Broadway musical, he thought it was "a ridiculous idea," but when he saw the result during its 2007 New York premiere, "I've probably never laughed harder at a musical," he says. "It was a riot."

Swenson has high praise for the directorial abilities of Clark and his ability to produce creatively rich shows. "Chris always steps back, turns his head and looks at a show in a new way. He is tremendously creative."

"I'm trying to recapture the awfulness of the movie and parody it just a bit further," Clark said. "This show is ridiculous-just a whole lot of fun."

In XANADU, a beautiful, magical Greek muse named Kira is sent to Earth to inspire a young artist to achieve his greatest dream: to build the first roller disco! But she lets her demi-god stature drop when she falls in love with Sonny as they create Xanadu, the ultimate roller disco nightclub. Kira's sister muses-Melpomene and Calliope-are viciously jealous and add to the hilarious mayhem.

Perhaps a line directly from the script by Calliope explains the show best: "This is like children's theater for 40-year-old gay people!"

XANADU features such pop hits as "Suddenly," "I'm Alive," "(You Have to Believe We Are) Magic" and "Evil Woman." Sing the first syllable three or four times to remind yourself of "E-e-e-e-evil Woman."

Hale Center Theater Orem presents XANADU, Feb. 23-April 7, directed by Chris Clark, musical direction by Korianne Orton Johnson, and choreography by Jennifer Hill-Barlow; book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and based on the Universal Pictures film screenplay by Richard Danus and Marc Rubel.

XANADU stars, in alternating casts, Kate Bailey and Delaney Westfall as Kira-Clio; Darick J. Pead and David Guy Holmes as Sonny Malone; and Shawn Lynn as Danny-Zeus. The design team includes Bobby Swenson (scenic design), MaryAnn Hill (costumes), Janna Larsen (hair and make-up), Cody Swenson (lighting) and Cody Hale (sound). 801-226-8600, www.haletheater.org.

CAPTION: Darick J. Pead as Sonny Malone and Kate Bailey as Kira-Clio (Hale Orem photo by Pete Widtfeldt)

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