Download douglas carter beane jeff lynne john farrar

“…INDEFENSIBLE AND IRRESISTIBLE...” -NY TIMES
BOOK BY
DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE
music + lyrics by
JEFF LYNNE JOHN FARRAR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About ATC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction to the Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Song List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Meet the Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Meet the Creators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Road to Xanadu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Greek Mythology in Xanadu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Kublai Khan, Marco Polo and Xanadu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A Brief History of Roller Skates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A View from the 1980s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
References and Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Discussion Questions and Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Dane Stokinger and Jessica Skerritt in Arizona Theatre
Company’s Xanadu. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
Xanadu Play Guide written and compiled by Katherine Monberg, ATC Literary Associate. Discussion questions and activities provided by April
Jackson, Education Manager, Amber Tibbitts and Bryanna Patrick, Education Associates.
SUPPORT FOR ATC’S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:
APS
JPMorgan Chase
The Lovell Foundation
Arizona Commission on the Arts
John and Helen Murphy Foundation
The Marshall Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona
Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
City Of Glendale
PICOR Charitable Foundation
The Stocker Foundation
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Rosemont Copper
Cox Charities
Stonewall Foundation
The William L. and Ruth T. Pendleton
Memorial Fund
Downtown Tucson Partnership
Target
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
The Boeing Company
Ford Motor Company Fund
The Donald Pitt Family Foundation
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation
The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.
Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Pima Arts Council
A
Wells Fargo
ABOUT ATC
Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid
professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any
particular person as a profit.
Each season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage. In addition, ATC currently
employs about 100 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are carpenters,
painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, computer specialists, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents,
stage crew – the list is endless – representing an amazing range of talents and skills.
We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in financial
and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the theatre in our community.
Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousand of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing their
tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially.
All of this is in support of our vision and mission:
OUR VISION IS TO TOUCH LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF THEATRE.
Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence and that resonates locally, in the state of Arizona and
throughout the nation. In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber,
and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens.
The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown Tucson.
The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown Phoenix.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY
Xanadu
Book by Douglas Carter Beane Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar
Based on the Universal Pictures film
Screenplay by Richard Danus & Marc Rubel
Director: David Ira Goldstein
Choreographer: Kathryn Van Meter
Music Director: Tim Symons
The Company of ATC’s production of Xanadu. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
It’s hilarity on wheels in the award-winning musical comedy for anyone who has
ever wanted to feel inspired. In this smash Broadway hit, Kira, a beautiful,
magical Greek muse, is sent on a quest from the heavens to inspire a young artist
to achieve his greatest dream – to build the first roller disco. (Hey, it’s 1980!)
A delightful musical spoof of the classic Olivia Newton-John/Gene Kelly film, this
hilarious roller-skating, disco-dancing adventure weaves a tale of endless fun
perfect for the whole family. Featuring popular ‘80s songs like “Magic,” “All Over
the World,” “Suddenly,” “I’m Alive,” “Evil Woman,” and “Xanadu.”
SYNOPSIS (SPOILER ALERT!)
Sonny Malone, a young artist in Venice, California is painting a mural of an ancient Grecian panorama, to be
titled “The Ancient Greek Arty Chicks.” Dissatisfied with one of the figures in his mural, he tears up
his drawing plan in a fit of self pity. The nine muses gather to witness his desperate need for
inspiration; their leader, Clio, decides to descend to the earth to be Sonny’s muse, disguised as an Australian
roller skater named Kira.
Kira emerges from the mural just in time to interrupt Sonny’s suicide, convincing him to live and follow his
destiny as a great artist. With her encouragement, Sonny discovers his true passion lies in converging all of the
arts in one place: a roller disco.
Kira returns to her sisters to celebrate their successful inspiration; she has been visited by Zeus in a dream, who
told her that she and Sonny would be granted Xanadu, the greatest of all mythological places. Melpomene
reminds her that she is forbidden to fall in love with a mortal, on pain of death, according to the decree of
Zeus. When she departs, Melpomene and Calliope concoct a plan to curse Kira with love for Sonny, which will
result in her death according to Zeus’ proclamation.
Actor Dane Stokinger, who plays Sonny Malone
in ATC’s production of Xanadu.
Kira and Sonny happen upon the Xanadu Theater – the perfect place for a roller disco! – and head to downtown L.A. to speak to the landlord, businessman Danny Maguire. Danny remembers Kira from his own youth,
when she inspired him through the guise of a woman named Kitty, and agrees to let Sonny use the theater if
he can fix it up by sundown. Sonny convinces Kira to help him draw up the plans – but the creation of art is
forbidden to the muses. Melpomene and Calliope curse Kira with love, and their evil plan is complete.
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Actor Jessica Skerritt, who plays Kira/Clio in
ATC’s production of Xanadu.
When Sonny declares his love for Kira, she reveals to him her true nature as a muse. Sonny then rejects her love, believing it to be a byproduct of the curse
orchestrated by Melpomene and Calliope. Heartbroken, Kira departs through the chalk mural on a Pegasus to receive her punishment from Zeus. While she
despairs, Danny convinces Sonny to go after her.
Meanwhile, Kira arrives before Zeus and several goddesses to be tried for her crimes. Thetis, goddess of the sea, declares that Kira’s love for Sonny is real, and
urges Zeus to be lenient. She claims that Kira’s leg warmers make her impervious to curses, proving the truth of her love. Zeus allows Kira to live as Sonny arrives
at Mount Olympus to save her from Zeus’ wrath.
Everyone breaks into song to celebrate love and art, as disco balls descend from the sky.
SONG LIST
ACT ONE
I’M ALIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira, Muses
MAGIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira, Muses
EVIL WOMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melpomene, Calliope, Ensemble
SUDDENLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira, Sonny
WHENEVER YOU’RE AWAY FROM ME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny, Kira
DANCIN’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny, Sonny, Muses
STRANGE MAGIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melpomene, Calliope, Kira, Sonny
ALL OVER THE WORLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sonny, Danny, Muses
DON’T WALK AWAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sonny, Muses
Actor Lisa Estridge, who plays Melpomene in
ATC’s production of Xanadu.
ACT TWO
FOOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira, Muses
THE FALL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sonny, Muses
SUSPENDED IN TIME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira, Sonny, Muses
HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Company
XANADU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Company
“Xanadu,” “All Over the World,” “The Fall,” “I’m Alive,” “Evil Woman,” “Don’t Walk Away” and “Strange
Magic” written by Jeff Lynne, published by EMI Blackwood Music Inc.
“Magic,” “Suddenly,” “Dancin’,” “Suspended in Time,” “Whenever You’re Away From Me,” “Fool” and “Have
You Never Been Mellow” written by John Farrar, published by John Farrar Music.
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Actor Christine Riippi, who plays Calliope in
ATC’s production of Xanadu.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Actor Jeff Steitzer, who plays Danny
Maguire in ATC’s production of Xanadu.
Actor Michael Feldman, who
plays Thalia / Young Danny in ATC’s
production of Xanadu.
Actor Richard Peacock, who plays
Terpsicore/Hermes in ATC’s production
of Xanadu.
Actor Jessica Low, who plays
Erato/Eros in ATC’s production
of Xanadu.
Actor Taylor Niemeyer, who plays
Euterpe/ Thetis in ATC’s production
of Xanadu.
SONNY MALONE: A young California artist facing a crisis of creativity until,
inspired by a muse, he ambitiously embarks on a quest to open his own roller
disco: Xanadu.
DANNY MAGUIRE: The California businessman from whom Sonny attempts to
purchase the building for his roller disco; inspired by Kira/Clio in earlier days,
when she was disguised as a woman named Kitty.
KIRA/CLIO: Clio is the Greek muse of history and the leader of the muses who
visits earth to inspire Sonny Malone to new artistic possibilities by disguising
herself as Kira, a friendly Australian roller skater with a fondness for leg warmers.
THALIA: The Greek muse of comedy and idyllic poetry; the eighth-born of the
nine muses.
TERPSICORE: The Greek muse of dance and the dramatic chorus.
MELPOMENE: The Greek muse of tragedy, firstborn of the muses.
ERATO: The Greek muse of lyric poetry, particularly love and erotic poetry.
CALLIOPE: The Greek muse of epics; Melpomene’s partner in evil whom Zeus
removed from leadership of the muses upon the birth of her four daughters, the
Sirens; she plots against Clio out of jealousy.
EUTERPE: The Greek muse of music, often referred to as the “giver of delight.”
MEET THE CREATORS
DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE (Book) wrote a new book for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, currently on Broadway, and was
also represented on Broadway this season with the new play The Nance starring Nathan Lane and directed by Jack O’Brien.
Musicals: Lysistrata Jones (Tony Nomination, Best Book), Sister Act (Tony Nomination, Best Book) and Xanadu (Tony Nomination,
Best Book, Drama Desk Best Book, Outer Critics Circle Best Musical); Plays: The Little Dog Laughed (Tony Nomination, Olivier
Nomination, GLAAD Media Best Play), As Bees in Honey Drown (Outer Critics Circle), Mr. & Mrs. Filch (starring John Lithgow and
Jennifer Ehle), Music from a Sparkling Planet, The Country Club, Advice from a Caterpillar, The Cartells; Revues: White Lies, Mondo
Drama; Screenplays: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and Advice From a Caterpillar. Artistic Director: Drama
Dept 1994-2006, 2 Lortels, 2 Obies; Honors: Lortel Playwrights Sidewalk, Ovation Visionary Playwright Award; LIFE: Partner
Lewis Flinn, son Cooper, daughter Gaby.
Douglas Carter Beane
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Jeff Lynne
John Farrar
JEFF LYNNE (Music & Lyrics) formed the Electric Light Orchestra, or E.L.O., in the 1970s. The group gradually developed from cult
favorites into one of the 1970s’ leading recording acts, scoring international success with several platinum-selling albums, including
A New World Record and Out of the Blue. Lynne’s dual talents as a composer and producer ensured the group’s status but, sensing
an artistic sterility, he abandoned his creation in 1986. The artist then assumed an increasingly backroom role, but won praise for
his production work with George Harrison (Cloud Nine), Randy Newman (Land of Dreams) and Roy Orbison (Mystery Girl) and he
has also contributed his distinctive production qualities to much of Tom Petty’s recent output. Lynne’s work with Orbison coincided
with his position as Otis Wilbury in the Traveling Wilburys, an informal ‘supergroup’ completed by Orbison, Harrison, Tom Petty
and Bob Dylan. This particularly prolific period was also marked by his work with Brian Wilson on the ex-Beach Boy’s first
long-awaited solo album. In recent years, Lynne has produced the Beatles lost tapes, notably “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love”.
He co-produced Paul McCartney’s Flaming Pie in 1997.
JOHN FARRAR (Music & Lyrics) is a music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a
former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs; The Strangers; Marvin, Welch & Farrar; and
The Shadows; in 1980 he released a solo eponymous album. As a songwriter and producer, Mr. Farrar worked with Olivia
Newton-John from 1971 to 1989. He wrote her number-one hit singles: “Have You Never Been Mellow” (1975), “You’re the
One That I Want” (1978 duet with John Travolta), “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (1978), and “Magic” (1980). He also
produced her number-one albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974); Have You Never Been Mellow (1975); Olivia’s
Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1982); and was a co-producer of Grease (1978) – the soundtrack for the film of the same name. Farrar
also produced Newton-John’s first U.S. number-one hit single, “I Honestly Love You,” which was awarded the Grammy Award
for Record of the Year in 1975. Farrar produced one side of the Xanadu soundtrack for the 1980 film of the same name, and
in 1995 he collaborated with Newton-John and lyricist Tim Rice for the musical score of Heathcliff, based on the Emily Brontë
novel Wuthering Heights. Mr. Farrar currently runs the Moonee Ponds Studio at Sweetwater Road in Malibu.
THE ROAD TO XANADU
The Xanadu story begins on the 1970s streets of Venice Beach, California, where screenwriter Marc Rubel
watched roller skaters whizzing by with fad-inspired enthusiasm. He imagined a story, loosely based on
one of his colorful Venice Beach friends who painted the album covers for Tower Records, which would
develop into the inspiration for a local rock club, Xanadu. Convinced by a friend to pitch the idea to future
Hollywood producer Joel Silver, the next few months were dedicated to the development of the story,
which began to morph from a comedy into a musical fantasy. The story was then sold to Warner Bros. as
“a very low budget, no star, tiny small” project intended to piggyback on the growing roller disco craze.
Soon afterward, Silver was hired by Universal Studios, and took the concept of Xanadu with him. Hurried
along by the announcements of impending roller disco productions from two other studios, director
Robert Greenwald was hired with an anticipated production date of September 1979. The scope – and
budget – of the film was drastically increased with the addition of Olivia Newton-John to the cast, the
star still riding the recent success of Grease (1978), followed by the signing of the legendary Gene Kelly
to play Danny Maguire. Newton-John’s long-time musical partner John Farrar, Jeff Lynne of Electric Light
Orchestra, and the rock band The Tubes, known for their outrageous theatrical antics on stage, rounded
out the high-profile production team.
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Olivia Newton-John as she appeared on the film poster for
Xanadu (1980).
The Tubes performing in Oslo, Norway, 1977. Photo by Helge Øverås.
Filming began in September of 1979, and proved a chaotic journey of script and musical rewrites. At Xanadu’s public premiere in August of 1980, after a massive
marketing campaign, viewers and critics destroyed the film in their reviews, nominating it for The Golden Raspberry Foundation’s “Razzie” Awards for worst actor,
screenplay, song, director, and picture. The soundtrack, on the other hand, would earn Jeff Lynne the Novello Award for Best Film Theme Song for “Xanadu” and
rise to #4 on the Billboard U.S. album charts.
The next decades kept Xanadu hovering in the underground film and media scenes as a prime example of ’80s nostalgia, until Annie Dorsen debuted a stage
adaptation of the film, Xanadu Live!, at the 2000 Williamstown Theater Festival. Intended to be a one-night performance, strong audience response and producers
Amy Pietz and Kenneth Alan Williams brought XL! to Culver City, California for a one-month run – and met with resounding success.
In 2001, producer Robert Ahrens approached the original Xanadu film team with a plan to write an official stage adaptation, complete with roller skating, disco
dancing, and the original smash hit songs. Ahrens was finally granted the rights in 2006 and collected a team of young, ambitious producers and Tony-nominated
playwright Douglas Carter Beane. Ahrens next recruited director Christopher Ashley, already established as a director of cult classic productions with his recent
Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the team embarked on the long journey of casting, rewrites, and workshops.
Opening in May 2007, the Broadway debut of Xanadu was a blur of success, breaking the opening night box office record of the Helen Hayes Theatre and earning
four Tony Award nominations, in addition to nominations from the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards. It ran for 513
performances and was followed by massive success in productions around the country, its hummable songs, fast-paced roller skating, and enthusiastic disco themes
capturing the imagination of audiences across the United States.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY IN XANADU
ACHELOUS: The river god, patron deity of the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece, making him the
chief of all river deities; the consort of Melpomene and father of the Sirens.
ACHILLES: Greek hero of the Trojan War, his body invulnerable to injury except for one of his heels due to
being dipped in the River Styx by his mother, Thetis.
APHRODITE: Greek goddess of love, beauty, and procreation, the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
CENTAUR: Mythological creature with the head, arms, and torso of a human being and the body and legs
of a horse.
CYCLOPS: A giant, with a single eye in the middle of the forehead; the name is thought to mean “roundeyed” or “circle-eyed.”
EROS: The Greek god of love, sometimes represented as the son of Aphrodite; the Greek counterpart of
the Roman Cupid.
HEPHAESTUS: The Greek god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, metals and metallurgy, fire, volcanoes,
sculptors and artisans; he is the son of Zeus and Hera, and makes all weapons for the gods.
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Bronze statue of a centaur made to look like the
Young Centaur, one of a pair known as the Furietti Centaurs,
based on Hellenistic models.
HERA: The wife of Zeus and the goddess of women and marriage, noted for her jealous and
vengeful nature.
HERMES: The god of transitions and boundaries, often portrayed as a messenger of the gods and the
conductor of souls into the afterlife. He is the patron god of travelers, herdsmen, thieves, orators, literature,
poets, athletics, invention, and trade.
MEDUSA: The only mortal Gorgon, a monster with the face of a hideous woman and venomous snakes in
place of hair; meeting her gaze would turn her onlookers into stone.
MNEMOSYNE: The keeper of memory, with whom Zeus fathered the nine muses on nine consecutive
nights.
Medusa by Caravaggio. Oil on canvas, 1595-1596.
MOUNT OLYMPUS: The highest mountain in Greece and the home of the Twelve Olympian gods in
Greek mythology.
MUSES: The nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddesses of inspiration of literature, science,
and the arts; considered the source of knowledge.
PARIS: The son of Priam, king of Troy, who fatally wounds Achilles in the Trojan War.
PEGASUS: A divine winged stallion of Greek mythology, usually depicted as pure white in color.
RIVER STYX: A river in Greek mythology that forms the boundary between Earth and Hades, the Underworld.
SIRENS: Dangerous and beautiful creatures, femme fatales who lure nearby sailors to their deaths with
their enchanting music.
THETIS: Goddess of the sea, a nymph, and the mother of Achilles.
URANIA: The muse of astronomy.
POLYHYMNIA: The muse of poetry, hymns, eloquence, agriculture, and pantomime.
ZEUS: The king of the gods; god of sky and thunder.
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Pegasus sculpture on the roof of Poznan Opera House
in Poland. Photo by Radomil.
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE’S “KUBLA KHAN”
Samuel Taylor Coleridge is believed to be responsible for the first mention of Xanadu in an artistic forum
when he penned the lines of his famous poem “Kubla Khan” after waking from an opium-induced dream in
1797. According to the preface originally published with the poem, before falling asleep Coleridge had been
reading about Xanadu, the famed summer palace of Kublai Khan, a Mongol ruler and Emperor of China
during the thirteenth century.
The book that Coleridge was studying was entitled Purchas, His Pilgrimage by clergyman and geographer
Samuel Purchas, a collection of writings describing places and religions of the world as discovered by explorers
through the ages. This particular reference to Xanadu was based on a report by Marco Polo, who is believed
to have visited Xanadu in his global explorations sometime around 1275.
Portrait of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1795 by
Pieter van Dyke.
Coleridge woke from the dream with lines of poetry already formed in his mind; unfortunately, he was interrupted before he could copy down all 200-300 lines as they had appeared to his unconscious mind. Unable
to remember the rest of the poem after the interruption, Coleridge left the poem unpublished, sharing it only
with his friends until his friend and fellow poet Lord Byron urged him to submit it for publication in 1816.
Though it was originally met with some disdain and skepticism regarding Coleridge’s description of its origin, today “Kubla Khan” is recognized as one of the most
famous examples of English Romanticism, and one of Coleridge’s three greatest poems alongside “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Christabel.”
Theories are abound about the supposed meaning or meanings behind the words of “Kubla Khan,” but most literary critics agree that the poem speaks to the power
of the imagination and the celebration of creativity, using the imagination as a lens through which to discuss issues of tyranny, war, reality, and poetry itself.
KUBLA KHAN: OR A VISION IN A DREAM
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
Copy of “Kubla Khan,” handwritten by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge sometime before its publication in 1816, and
donated to the British Museum by the Marquess of Crewe
in 1962.
But O, that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
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A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
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KUBLAI KHAN, MARCO POLO AND XANADU
Portrait of explorer Marco Polo.
Xanadu, spelled Xandu by Marco Polo, on a map of Asia drawn by Sanson d’Abbeville, the geographer
of King Louis XIV, in 1650.
Kublai Khan was the fifth Khagan (Great Kahn) of the Mongol Empire, which he ruled from 1260-1294. The grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai took the throne in
1260 amidst a war of succession that ended with the defeat of his younger brother, Ariq Böke. Though the real power of Kublai Khan centered in China and Mongolia,
his domain as leader of the Mongol Empire stretched across one fifth of the world’s inhabited lands and stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea, and from
Siberia to modern day Afghanistan.
In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty, naming himself Emperor of China and conquering the previous Southern Song Dynasty in 1279. He
is known for his adoption of Chinese forms of government in lieu of the nomadic traditions of the Mongols, and for reestablishing the unity of China for the first time
since the Tang Dynasty which ruled China from 618-907. He established his own capital city in what is now Beijing and engaged in a series of unsuccessful wars to
expand his Empire further and establish China as the center of the world. He is also celebrated for establishing paper money as the sole medium of exchange.
Kublai rose to international attention through the writings of Venetian merchant and adventurer, Marco Polo. Polo’s adventures, recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo¸
introduced Europe to China and Central Asia for the first time, and documented his meeting with Kublai Khan in 1266. Kublai Khan, always deeply interested in
questions of religion, tasked Marco Polo with delivering a letter to the pope, and asked that an envoy bring him back holy anointing oil from Jerusalem. Polo and his
companions returned with the oil and correspondence from the pope sometime between 1271 and 1275, meeting Kublai Khan at Shangdu (Xanadu), his summer
palace near present day Zhangjiakou.
Though the details of Marco Polo’s stay with Kublai Khan are unknown, it is suggested that Marco Polo became an official in Kublai Khan’s government, indicated by
the descriptions of imperial visits in his manuscripts. Polo and his companions were several times denied permission to leave China until the nephew of Kublai Khan
requested they return with him to Persia to celebrate his wedding in 1292.
Marco Polo returned to Venice in 1295, to find Venice at war with Genoa. He was imprisoned, during which time he related his adventures to a fellow inmate, who
collected the stories into the now famous The Travels of Marco Polo. Upon his release from prison in 1299, Marco Polo returned home to become a wealthy merchant,
remaining in Venice until his death in January, 1324.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROLLER SKATES
The first patented design of the roller skate appeared in France in 1819, several decades after their official
debut in a London stage performance in 1743. Their lack of maneuverability led to their continued redesign
until the four-wheeled quad skate, designed by James Leonard Plimpton, was introduced in New York City
in 1863. Its innovative method of turning by simply leaning to one side was a huge success, leading to the
first U.S. public skating rink in Rhode Island in 1866. Continued innovations in wheel design and the
introduction of the toe stop in 1876 further popularized the roller skate as a form of exercise and
entertainment.
Beginning in the 1880s, the mass production of roller skates was undertaken in America, leading to a
boom period in roller skate sales. In 1898, Levant M. Richardson started the Richardson Ball Bearing and
Skate Company, featuring his patented design that incorporated ball bearings in skate wheels to reduce
friction, and began providing skates to professional racers.
The Company of ATC’s production of Xanadu. Photo by
Mark Kitaoka.
In the late 1930s, the Roller Skating Association was formed to promote the sport and establish business
practices of rink owners. New technology in the field of plastics revolutionized roller skates in the 1960s,
allowing them to be made of lighter, more durable, and faster materials. Roller skating hit another boom
in popularity as a leisure activity during the 1970s, when disco burst onto the American music scene,
leading to a slew of roller skating disco films still fondly remembered as icons of ‘70s and ‘80s nostalgia.
As disco and roller skating began to fall from the height of their 1970s popularity, the brothers Scott and
Brennan Olson once again revolutionized the roller skating industry in 1983 with the introduction of the
Rollerblade. This new type of in-line skate, based on the design of ice hockey skates, consisted of a single
row of wheels rather than the two-row, four-wheel design of the previous century, and arguably dominates
the roller skating industry into the present day.
A VIEW FROM THE 1980s
POLITICS
The Cold War, generally agreed to span the years 1947-1991, continued through the ‘80s with increased
U.S. pressure on the communist Soviet Union, and the eventual dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
The U.S. also undertook further anti-communist and anti-drug measures under President Ronald Reagan,
including involvement in several direct and indirect conflicts in Central and South American countries.
Elsewhere in the world, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe gained independence from the
United Kingdom.
Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
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MUSIC
The 1980s were hugely impactful to the development of the modern music industry. The ’80s saw the
official launch of MTV, and the music video craze began to impact music popularity. Michael Jackson,
Whitney Houston, Duran Duran, Prince, Madonna, and Queen all jumped onto the music video bandwagon, turning music videos into a profitable facet of the industry.
New wave and Synthpop became popular musical phenomena through the mid ’80s, and musical
subgenres began to appear and rise in popularity including house, goth, and rap metal. Disco died after a
brief and bright popularity in the ’70s, and hard rock and heavy metal became some of the new decade’s
dominant styles with the arrival of bands such as Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Iron Maiden,
Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Megadeth, and Slayer, to join the ranks of still-popular 1970s hard rock
icons like AC/DC, Van Halen, and KISS.
By the late ’80s, hip hop had emerged onto the music scene, gaining recognition through artists like
The Beastie Boys, Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Ice-T, and The Sugar Hill Gang. Country music, techno, punk rock
and grunge also made strides in the musical community, rounding out the eclectic sound of the ’80s.
SOCIETY
Arcade and video games began to emerge as a major industry by the early 1980s, introducing Nintendo
Entertainment Systems to the U.S., which would control 90% of the industry by the end of the decade.
Personal computers, the Walkman, and boomboxes also became household items for the first time.
The early 1980s were plagued by an economic recession that had significant impact on most of the world.
Laissez-faire or neoliberal economic reforms, led by the U.S. and the UK, began to emphasize reduced
government, lower taxes, and deregulation of stock markets, leading to an economic revival mid-decade.
The 1980s was arguably the decade of the largest population growth in human history, particularly
in Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia, with a natural increase near 4%. The ’80s also saw the
beginning of the AIDS pandemic, increasing anti-smoking campaigns, political correctness as a trend in
Western behavior, an increase in the number of women in the workplace, growing opposition to nuclear
power, increasing environmental concerns, and the introduction of the gay rights movement in the west.
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Michael Jackson performing in Vienna, Austria, in 1988.
Photo by Zoran Veselinovic.
REFERENCES AND GLOSSARY
COGNAC: A variety of brandy.
DON MCLEAN: American singer and songwriter most famous for his 1971 album American Pie, containing the songs “American Pie” and “Vincent.”
ERROL FLYNN: Australian actor of the 1930s and 1940s known for his Hollywood film roles as a romantic swashbuckler and for his playboy lifestyle.
FRESCA: A diet citrus soft drink made by the Coca-Cola Company, first introduced to the U.S. in 1966.
HOMER: Author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, revered as the greatest of ancient Greek epic poets; the dates of his life are unknown, but most researchers place
Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC.
JOEY: A young kangaroo.
JUKE BOX: A partially automated coin-operated music playing device.
KUBLAI KHAN: Mongol leader and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century.
MARQUEE: A sign placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre that displays messages.
XANADU: Also spelled Shangdu or Xandu, the summer capital of Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty in China, visited by Marco Polo around 1275 and the inspiration
of the famous poem “Kubla Khan” by English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
MEDITERRANEAN: Reference to the European, Asian, and African land areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
MELBOURNE: The capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia.
MOZART: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a prolific and influential composer of the Classical Era, generally considered to be one of the most talented and enduring
popular classical composers.
OMNIPOTENT: Unlimited power, often attributed to deities.
OVID: Publius Ovidius Naso, a Roman poet who lived from 43BC -17/18 AD, best known for the Metamorphoses, a 15-book continuous mythological narrative
written in epic meter and one of the most important sources of classical mythology.
PICASSO: Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention
of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and the exploration of a wide variety of artistic styles.
SCHIZOPHRENIA: A mental disorder characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and a deficit of typical emotional responses; symptoms include
delusions such as paranoia and auditory hallucinations, and disorganized thinking and speech. A common misconception attributes the symptom of “multiple
personalities” to schizophrenia, which is actually associated with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
SCIENTOLOGIST: A member of the Church of Scientology, a body of beliefs and practices created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 which teaches
that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature.
SHAKESPEARE: William Shakespeare, English poet and playwright, largely regarded as the greatest writer and dramatist of the English language.
SYDNEY: The state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia.
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TELLY SAVALAS: American actor and singer, best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak and nominated for an Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).
THE OUTBACK: Reference to the vast, remote, arid area of Australia; generally refers to locations more remote than those areas named “the bush.”
THE TUBES: San Francisco-based rock group known for their wild and theatrical stage antics, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single “White Punks
on Dope.”
VAUDEVILLE: Theatrical genre of variety entertainment popular in the U.S. and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s, composed of a series
of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The musical Xanadu is based on the 1980 film of the same name, starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Why do you think the writers of this new stage
musical chose to revive the story more than 20 years later?
2. When the film Xanadu was first released, it was less than successful – both critically and in the box office – but has since enjoyed “cult classic” status.
What do you think makes a movie a cult classic? Why do audiences crave revivals or adaptations of these fan favorites?
3. The stage version of Xanadu, by contrast, has been a hit since debuting on Broadway in 2007. Why do you think the stage version would find immediate success
when the original film did so poorly?
4. What do you think of art – be it film or television, visual art, theatre, etc. – that exists purely as a piece of entertainment? What is the purpose of
entertainment? Does it carry any less intrinsic value than a piece of art that holds a strong social or philosophical message?
5. Discuss the film qualities that you think would make for a successful stage adaptation, and vice versa. What are some other examples of musicals or plays turned
into movies, and movies adapted for the stage? How successful do you think those adaptations were?
6. What are some things you can accomplish in film that you can’t accomplish in live theatre? Are there are any traits inherent in live theatre that can’t be replicated
in film?
7. Which format do you think suits this story of Xanadu better, film or live theatre?
8. This musical was visually inspired both by ancient Greece and the early 1980’s. What elements did you see in the musical that were inspired by ancient Greece?
What elements were inspired by the 1980’s? How did the ATC designers represent each of these influences onstage?
9. What extra challenges did the actors face in performing Xanadu? How might an actor create a character that is based on a popular movie? Is the actor
responsible for recreating the original movie performance or straying away from it?
10. What was your favorite design element of the show (set, costumes, light, sound, etc.)? How did it contribute to the overall story of the play?
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LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES
1. Xanadu takes its name from an 18th century poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which in turn was inspired by Marco Polo’s travels to the city of Shangdu
in the 13th century. Do some research into the history of the word “Xanadu” and its permutations in popular culture (films, music, stage plays, etc). Create
a visual map or flow chart of the connections you find, beginning with Shangdu (1260 -1294) and culminating with the stage musical Xanadu (2007).
2. Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” describes a “stately pleasure-dome” in the city of Xanadu, a word that has since become synonymous with paradise. What
would your paradise look like? What sounds would you hear? What other sensations would it inspire? Write an epic poem in the style of Coleridge
depicting your own utopia.
3. Xanadu updates Greek gods and goddesses by placing them in the 1980’s. How would these Greek gods and goddesses look today? Choose one of the
Greek gods or goddesses from Xanadu (see detailed list in the Play Guide) and do some research into their mythology before modernizing them. How
would their ancient personality work in today’s society? How would they look? Dress? What would their job be? What would they do for fun? Create a
character bio describing their modern life and a visual depiction (collage or original artwork) of their area(s) of influence and how they would appear today.
THEATRE ARTS ACTIVITIES
1. Inspired Improv (Remember the number one rule of improv: say yes! And the number two rule of improv: be specific!)
For this improv, ask everyone in the class to get three small slips of paper. On those slips of paper have them write down: a place (the mall, a forest,
a deserted playground, Mars, etc.); a relationship (siblings, best friends, coworkers, etc.); and an objective (to get the diamonds, to tell her I love her, to
steal the last cookie, etc.). Place those slips of paper into three separate hats.
Then divide the group into pairs or groups of three and ask them to pick one piece of paper out of each hat. Groups will improvise a scene described by
those three pieces of paper and perform them for the class.
2. The Next Movie Musical
In small groups or as a whole class, decide on a movie that would make an interesting stage musical. Choose a few iconic scenes from that movie to create
hit songs for; have groups write lyrics and choreograph dance numbers for these scenes to piece together a short sneak-peek of this upcoming new musical.
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