Whoop it up at Xanadu!

[StageSage]

Posted: 7/30/08 at 11:26am

Was it worth seeing Xanadu again just because Whoopi made her debut last night? If you're a Whoopi fan or a Xanadu fan then the answer is a resounding yes. Douglas Carter Beane rewrote some lines for her and they were all spot-on. Obviously Whoopi's style is laid-back cool to Jackie Hoffman's brashness, but all Whoopi had to do was walk on stage and the crowd went wild. Her singing, timing, and delivery all met expectations. Her dancing, an expected weak spot, was passable, and at one point during a more complicated number she simple threw her hands up and walked across the stage. In the Mt. Olympus scene, she poked fun at herself again by reading from cue cards in her best-worst German accent, over accentuating her shuffling of the cards. Once again, no one seemed to care that she was in fact, reading from cue cards. I had high expectations for Andre Ward, who was in for Mary Testa, and he didn't disappoint. He did seem to be a little preoccupied with pointing Whoopi in the right direction from time to time, but all the muses made sure she was in the right spot. If you had never seen the show it probably wasn't that noticeable; to me it was just - literally - some extra hand-holding but all well within character. Andre might have just had a few butterflies, but just like he was able to stand in for Cheyenne Jackson as Sonny, he'll probably own this role by tonight's performance. With Andre on for Mary, this meant Marty Thomas stepped in to the roles normally played by Andre. Marty usually shakes his stuff as the featured skater, so I'm not sure why a costume change stole his boogie. Once comfortably back in his spandex unitard for the grand finale, he was his normal, nimble self. With Marty on for Andre that gave a new featured skater a chance to take the stage. I find it hard to believe in a city of eight million there isn't a guy who can skate better than the new featured skater. I can skate as well as he evidently can, and if the producers would give me a chance I'd be willing to show more ass. Overall, though, the crowd loved the show, and I think tween girls have finally discovered Cheyenne Jackson. After the audience had cleared out, the cast and crew gathered around for a champagne toast on stage. Whoopi thanked everyone for their help and support that enabled her to learn the show in just nine days. Douglas Carter Beane said a few words and everyone mugged for some photos, leaving the crowd waiting at the stage door. With a few more performances under her belt, I would predict Whoopi will be terrific and Andre divine. Once Mary is back - look out!