Hey fANADUs--
Reminder : Jackie Hoffman on Conan O' Brien Tonight https://www.playbill.com/news/article/109985.html ***************************************
CNN Article on Mary Testa & Jackie Hoffman (from madbrian original thread)
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=944165&dt=0 'Xanadu' stars rock but don't roll Xanadu stars Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa won't skate in musical "Xanadu"
The duo feared they'd wind up in emergency room
Several cast members have already been hurt during skating numbers
Musical is based on Olivia Newton John film that was a dud
NEW YORK (AP)-- Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa are the only performers in "Xanadu" you can wish "break a leg" before performances -- and know that the good luck saying won't backfire.
That's because, unlike most of their cast mates in the rollicking musical, the duo have insisted they not wear roller skates.
It's sort of their Xana-don't.
"We probably would have lasted one show. And we would have been in the hospital," says Hoffman. "If we were on skates, you could see the terror. It would be apparent."
"It's better for everybody," Testa agrees.
"Xanadu," which pays mock homage to the much-maligned 1980 Olivia Newton-John film of the same name, has already had enough roller-skating mishaps without risking two of its biggest laugh getters.
Actor James Carpinello broke a foot during rehearsals, forcing him to temporarily hand over the male lead to Cheyenne Jackson. Injuries also plagued several other members of the cast including actress Kenita Miller and featured skater Marty Thomas.
"We've had our share of accidents and we don't need any more of those," says Testa, a veteran of "Chicago," "42nd Street" and "On the Town," among others. "Whenever they're on those skates, we tense."
That's not evident from the seats at the Helen Hayes Theatre, where "Xanadu" has turned into a buzz machine 27 years after the film virtually derailed several careers, including that of Aussie songbird Newton-John.
The stage version -- while keeping most of the film's songs such as "Magic" and "I'm Alive" by the Electric Light Orchestra -- strikes a cheeky tone as it tells the story of a Greek muse's visit to 1980 Los Angeles, where she dons leg warmers, adopts an atrocious Australian accent and falls in love with a mortal, inspiring him to open -- what else? -- a roller disco.
That's when Hoffman and Testa come in, playing jealous muses hoping to dampen the fun. They cackle and giggle, harass the audience, literally chew the scenery and belt out a memorable version of "Evil Woman."
Many critics have hailed them for injecting a frothy blend of caustic humor and nuttiness to Douglas Carter Beane's book. The New York Times called the duo "criminally funny" and The Associated Press labeled them "major giggle getters."
Hoffman was relieved, even though she's a veteran of "Hairspray" and her own one-woman shows, and whose film credits include "Garden State" and "Kissing Jessica Stein."
"I was terrified I would wake up the day after opening and hear on my answering machine, 'You have nine new messages.' Beep. 'I'm so sorry.' Beep. 'You're good. Don't listen to them.' Beep."'
Beane, the author of "The Little Dog Laughed," wrote the pair's "Xanadu" parts with them in mind. "To see them get to strut their stuff like this is really wonderful," he says. "These women have earned it. They certainly have earned the right to be holding a Broadway stage."
During an interview in a West Village cafe, the two actresses gulp caffeine -- piping hot skim cappuccino for Hoffman; green tea for Testa -- and compete to try to make the other laugh harder.
"Why are there a 100 flies around us?" Testa asks at one point, warily eying a squadron of the hovering insects.
"Did they see the show?" Hoffman cracks.
Hoffman and Testa hadn't worked together before they signed up for "Xanadu," but knew each other from the benefit circuit. And in one of those weird, only-in-New-York moments, Testa had substituted for Hoffman in Paul Rudnick's comedy "Regrets Only" while the latter underwent surgery.
"I knew I'd be kept on my toes," Hoffman says before turning to her cast mate. "I thought I would disappear in your magnificence."
That makes Testa laugh. "Oh yeah, she'll disappear."
Hoffman and Testa seem the most unrestrained among the cast, which includes Kerry Butler as the head muse and Tony Roberts in the only other non-skating role, one originally filled by Gene Kelly on screen.
"We were allowed more than anybody else in the cast to go more cartoony," says Hoffman. "I was struggling with that. You know, 'Could we go even further with this? Could we get even sillier?' But I think we found a nice balance of keeping it real, keeping with the intentions of the story, but also having this delicious license."
While both actresses knew most of the show's songs before jumping aboard, Testa saw the original film only while the musical was in workshops. Hoffman has avoided watching it and is loath to make comparisons.
"It's so entirely different. It so completely transcends the movie," says Hoffman. "It's so intelligent and so funny. We just took the skeleton of it -- the idiotic idea and the music, which is the best part. So it's like this weird birth defect: That it's based on this terrible movie."
Newton-John came to opening night and good-naturedly sat through the roasting of her film. She even brought presents for the cast. "She looks fab-u-lous," sings Hoffman. Adds Testa, "Most of the Aussies I know have a great sense of humor."
For Hoffman and Testa, helping their much younger cast mates learn songs with which they grew up was a little odd. "We were like, 'You don't know that song?"' recalls Testa. Hoffman nods: "It's bizarre to see people learning it, not knowing it."
She recalls as a high school student in New York being forced to listen to Jewish choral music each week until her exasperated teacher asked the class what they wanted to hear.
"We all launched into 'Have You Never Been Mellow?' I'll never forget it," she says, referring to Newton-John's 1975 hit, which is also included in the show.
With that, she turns to the waiter. "Where's the ladies' room?" she asks.
"There you go," teases Testa. "There's the caffeine. Ladies and gentlemen, the caffeine."
While Hoffman wanders off, Testa raves about her co-star.
"This is a treat," she says. "She's strong. Not that I feared that, but I thought, 'This is going to be interesting: Two very strong performers.' But I think because we respect each other so well, we really meld well."
Updated On: 8/9/07 at 04:05 PM
He posted bec. the fANADu thread is back & alive !!! 
- j* 
