NCTC Presents XANADU 12/2-1/15/2012
By: BWW
News Desk Jan. 15, 2012
NCTC will present Xanadu by Douglas Carter Beane, Jeff Lynne, and John Farrar. The show will run from December 2, 2011 through January 15, 2011: Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. All performances will take place at The New Conservatory Theatre Center (Decker Theatre), located at 25 Van Ness Ave. near Market St. in San Francisco. Tickets are $26-$45 each, and are available at the NCTC Box Office (415) 861-8972, or online at www.nctcsf.org.
Based on the 1980 cult classic film, Xanadu is the story of a beautiful Greek Muse named Clio who descends from Mt. Olympus to inspire struggling Sonny, a struggling artist. It is in this moment that Sonny discovers his ultimate goal in life: to create a space where art, culture, and athleticism can collide; a space where people can be free amongst music and euphoric art. He is speaking of course, of the first roller disco. But when Clio, disguised as an Australian roller girl named Kira, falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and Clio risks eternal banishment to the underworld. This musical spoof of the 1980 film is full of tongue-in-cheek banter, laughable villains, roller-skating divas, and comical spectacles that will have you singing and dancing through 80's nostalgia.
In today's social climate, it is difficult to find someone over the age of twenty that doesn't claim to love the 1980's. Many sources site the immense amount of entertainment geared toward young adults existing at the time as the main reason for what has been dubbed "80s nostalgia." From walkmans to eccentric fashion to afternoon cartoons, there was seemingly and entertainment outlet for everyone. Afternoon cartoons increased their programming and visibility by offering adventure based storylines during after school hours. Animated shows like The Gummy Bears, Muppet Babies, and Rainbow Bright kept children glued to their seats while films like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future gave teens an excuse to go to the movies. Merchandise coated in bright colors and fashion mimicking the eccentric tastes of pop bands like The Culture Club and singer Cindi Lauper kept kids and their parents visiting retail stores. With trends accessible to nearly everyone in the country, the American populous became united under the umbrella of entertainment and consumerism. This unification may explain the current surge of nostalgia for the time period and our desire to revisit this not-so-distant past. Although Xanadu was, at the time of its release in 1980, considered a box office flop, its soundtrack was a commercial hit. The film was nominated for multiple Razzie awards and won for Worst Director. Surprisingly, this launched the film into the realm of cult classics, another cultural phenomenon that many researchers claim was a creation of the 1980s. The seeming irony of films like Clash of the Titans, on which Xanadu the musical is also based, gave Americans yet another entertainment-based cultural community to be a part of.
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