Download Xanadu Production Preview Guide

Xanadu Production Preview Guide Many people have different ideas about what material is appropriate, both for themselves and their families. This parental guideline is provided to give you the necessary information to determine if the content of our production suitable for you and your loved ones. Please be aware that this document is provided with the intent of full-­‐disclosure, and therefore contains plot spoilers. Also, because all of our productions are locally produced, there may be cases where minor changes occur as the director prepares the show for the stage. In such cases, this guide will be updated accordingly. Once the show is open and on stage, there will be no further changes. VERSIONS AVAILABLE TO PREVIEW: The original film version of Xanadu was produced in 1980, directed by Robert Greenwald and starring Olivia Newton-­‐John, Michael Beck and Gene Kelly. Please note that the musical Xanadu is a tongue-­‐in-­‐cheek version of this movie. The script is also available through the Box Office should you wish to read it. SCRIPT CONTENT DETAILS Please note: the following information contains plot spoilers. Xanadu briefly mentions a character’s comedic thoughts of suicide in a suicide note, though the character is easily talked out of the act of jumping off the edge of a pier. There is one gay joke, though none of the characters are actually gay. One of the characters is flashed in a scene, though nothing is shown to the audience. Language is fairly clean; there is one spoken “bitch,” one “what the hell,” and brief talk of “eternal damnation.” SHOW SYNOPSIS: The following synopsis is provided to give you a full account of the story of Xanadu without ornamentation and with as much information as possible. This synopsis contains many plot spoilers. Note: this show has one act and there will not be an intermission. Act 1 The show opens with a frustrated artist named Sonny who is creating a chalk mural. Suddenly (and without Sonny’s knowledge) characters from the painting come alive with the number “I’m alive.” These characters are muses: sisters Thalia, Euterpe, Erato, Melpomene, Calliope, Terpsicore, and Clio. The sisters talk of how Sonny needs their inspiration and as the leader of the muses, Clio decides to go in disguise to give Sonny inspiration for his artwork. She renames herself Kira and dons legwarmers, roller skates, and an Australian accent. As Sonny is writing a rather comedic suicide note, feeling failed by his attempts as an artist, Kira skates up to him and begins talking to him. After a short time, Sonny confesses that he would like to open a roller disco and Kira cheers him on to go forward with the idea, telling him that she can bring all his dreams alive. Sonny abandons the idea of suicide just seven minutes after contemplating it and decides to go forward with the idea of opening a roller disco. Meanwhile, Kira returns to visit with her muse sisters. Melpomene questions if Kira is falling in love Sonny or wishing to create art herself. Kira brandishes this idea, stating that it is forbidden by Zeus for muses to create their own art or fall in love with a mortal. The punishment is eternal damnation. Kira states that she will inspire Sonny to create “Xanadu,” though she doesn’t know what Xanadu is yet. Kira leaves and it is revealed that Melpomene is jealous that Kira is the leader of the muses. She asks her sister, Calliope, and Calliope’s children (The Sirens) to help put a curse on Kira so she falls in love with Sonny and is not able to return to her leadership position. Back in the mortal world, Kira meets up once again with Sonny. They find an abandoned building called “Xanadu” and Kira believes it is a sign. Sonny calls the owner of the building and arranges a meeting with him. Danny, the owner, is a man of business and tells Sonny that his plans for the Xanadu were to knock it over and replace it with condo buildings. He also reveals that he built the Xanadu but never opened it. When implored why he never opened it, Danny is taken on a flashback where he has just built a theatre for his girlfriend, Kitty. Kitty looks exactly like Kira, but has a southern accent. It is Kitty who names the theatre Xanadu and who plans to have “big concerts” there in the future. When Kitty asks Danny when it will open, Danny tells her that now is not the right time due to the wars and depression going on. Kitty is upset by this, believing that any time is a good time for art, and accuses Danny that he just doesn’t want to lose money. Danny confirms this is true. Kitty leaves Danny, but not before her flashback-­‐self encourages him to help Sonny open the roller disco (despite the real Kitty never having actually said that) and she tells Danny the path back to her is the theatre. Meanwhile, Calliope and Melpomene are at the theatre preparing for their evil scheme of making Kira and Sonny fall in love. They hide in the theatre and Sonny enters. Danny surprises Sonny by being at the theatre as well and the two discuss potential plans for the Xanadu. Danny had a vision for concerts in the theatre with music along the lines of the Andrew Sisters. Sonny corrects his vision with his own 80’s rock and roll vision of The Tubes, and soon Sonny is on board with the idea of a roller disco. He wants to collaborate with Sonny and tells him if he fixes up the theatre by that afternoon he will give the Xanadu to Sonny and Kira for 25% off. Sonny knows it’s a horrible deal (Kira even tells him this), but he takes it anyway. He begins to draw up plans right there in the theatre and encourages Kira to help. Kira protests in fear of Zeus’ rules against muses creating art, but with Sonny’s encouragement she finds she actually enjoys drawing. Melpomene and Calliope decide this is the right time to make them fall in love and they bring a scantily-­‐
clad Eros out who shoots an arrow at the two. Kira then decides they need the help of her sisters to complete the Xanadu and she introduces Sonny to Terpiscore, Euterpe, Thalia, and Erato. Soon the theatre begins to look really good. Upon seeing how good it looks, Danny agrees to the partnership. In his excitement, Sonny kisses Kira. While Sonny and Danny go to look at the new Xanadu sign, Kira receives a message from Zeus through Hermes, the messenger god. Zeus warns Kira that she must not create anything and she must not fall in love. Kira realizes the only way to avoid these two things is to avoid Sonny, and so, she tells Sonny she is leaving. Sonny doesn’t understand and Kira runs away. Fearing that their evil plan might not work out, Melpomene and Calliope pose as real estate agents and try to tempt Danny with large sums of money to tear down the theatre. Danny refuses at first, but then exits with the money. Sonny finds Kira talking with Calliope and Melpomene at Venice beach. Kira has just confessed to them that she has fallen in love with a mortal. With her sister’s encouragement she confesses whom she really is to Sonny and that under Zeus’ command she must leave Sonny forever. Melpomene and Calliope come clean as well, admitting they cursed the two to fall in love. Kira claims that she is truly in love with Sonny, that it isn’t the curse that has made her love him. Sonny doesn’t believe any of the muses about anything they have said except for the curse part. He rejects Kira, saying they were actually cursed and cannot really be in love; that they fell in love too quickly for it to be true love. Upset and calling Sonny a “fool,” Kira and her sisters return to Mount Olympus through Sonny’s old chalk drawing. Danny, walking down the street, spots Sonny. Danny tells Sonny that he just sold the theatre and Sonny confesses that it’s fine because Kira actually turned out to be crazy. He explains who Kira really is. Danny has a realization that Kira is actually Kitty and both are actually Clio. He pushes Sonny to go after Kira and his love for her, curse or no curse, and Sonny manages to jump into the mural and go to Mount Olympus. At Mount Olympus, Kira stands before her father Zeus, his wife Hera, Aphrodite (goddess of love), and Thetis (goddess of the sea). Zeus begins to banish Kira to the netherworld when Thetis claims she can prove the existence of genuine love between Kira and Sonny. She speaks of her son Achilles and how an arrow that hit the unprotected spot on his heel killed him. She points out that Kira was also dipped in the river Styx, and because those who are dipped in the river are held by their ankles, Kira has the unprotected spot on her ankles as well. This means her ankles are the only spot a curse can penetrate her. Thetis notes that because Kira was wearing leg warmers, the curse did not affect her. Thus, she truly was in love with Sonny. Sonny stumbles into Mount Olympus and, still not believing in ancient Greek gods, he thinks he is on the set of “Clash of the Titans.” Unafraid of Zeus, he decides he wants to be with Kira forever and will do anything for her, including fighting the gods. Kira agrees to give up her powers as a muse and make a quest as a mortal to take the “improbably popular art forms and use them to remind mankind that the human experience is something greater than wealth or fame.” Zeus decrees that to love another and create art shall be called Xanadu and instead of banishing Kira to the netherworld, he makes her an Australian mortal and sends both Kira and Sonny back to earth to continue their quest for a roller disco.