XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

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XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 1:23am

So i went to saw Xanadu tonight here in San Diego... i got to sit on stage! now my only exposure was the movie which my friend loved and made me watch... i watched it several years ago so the songs aren't really in my head... all i knew was that they rollerskated and the leads fall in love... the movie was eh... it was corny and cheesy but it had its moments of fun... the same goes for the musical... it was cheesy and fun and i enjoyed myself... the music was good (the opening reminded me of Mamma Mia for some reason... it sounds just like that song)...

Max Von Essen was the star of this show... i absolutely loved this guy... his singing is excellent and his portrayal of Sonny was loveable... you just couldn't hate the guy... he's like that best friend that everyone has that is dumb and smart at the same time and you love to hang out with...

Elizabeth Stanley as Kira was OK... I liked her in Cry Baby but here she was just here... i didn't see any star quality in this performance but she was ok... nothing terrible to say

the rest of the cast was excellent as well... i don't have my playbill and i'm tired so i won't keep going on and on... but they were excellent.... oh and during the evil sister song one of the ensemble members made her entrance but i guess her fan got stuck on the mic wire or something because the whole number she spent holding one fan up while dancing while the other hand kept from the mic pack falling off which is eventually did because as she danced the movement kept tugging on the wire making the pack fall out of her dress... i couldn't stop watching her because i wanted to see what she would do to keep the show going... she did a great job

ok that's it... by the way it was only their 2nd show... just had to throw that out there

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 3:44am

For this "tour," are they selling onstage tickets along with regular tickets, or are they setting them aside for lotto or rush? How much is La Jolla selling them for?

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 4:48am

Why the quotes? Its a tour like any other tour, they just haven't announced cities past Chicago yet... but it will tour beyond Chicago.

And there are on stage seats available. Not sure what they are in La Jolla but they're around 25.00 or something in Chicago.

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 8:28am

Sorry, I was up too early in the morning and was tired...no big deal. I probably put it because I thought it was a sit-down production at the moment, but knew they were going to tour in the future.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

Updated On: 11/13/08 at 08:28 AM

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 8:46am

Weird; this part seems perfect for Elizabeth. Has anybody else seen her yet?

A work of art is an invitation to love.

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 8:49am

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/13/08 at 9:10am

On-Stage Seating for XANADU

Please read before purchasing!

On-stage seating offers a rear-view of the performance, with the action of the show taking place right front of you. Plese note that some aspects of the action may be obstructed. You must arrive at the theatre early enough to be seated before the performance begins or you will forfeit your on-stage seat. There is NO LATE SEATING for on-stage ticket holders. If you arrive late, you will only be seated at the discretion of house management, if there are available seats. Once seated, you will not have the opportunity to leave your seat. The performance is 85 minutes long with no intermission. All personal items must be placed in the small designated space beneath your seat prior to the start of the performance in order to keep the on-stage seating area and pathways clear. For artisitic reasons, you will not receive the complimentary Playbill until the END of the performance. Because you are on-stage with the performers, absolutely NO electronic equipment, cell-phones, cameras, pagers, or PDAs will be allowed in your possession while you are seated. They must be turned off and stowed beneath your seat and you cannot access them until the performance is over and the house lights are on. No exceptions. Patrons must be at least 10 years old.

November 11 - December 31, 2008*
All On-Stage Seating: $25 (plus a $3 handling fee)

*There will be no performances on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 pm, Thursday, November 27 at 8:00 pm or Thursday, December 25 at 8:00 pm. The December 24 and December 31 performances will take place at 2:00 pm.

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 9:47pm

Hi. I found pics of Max as "Sonny Malone" in his Facebook page. I plan on seeing "Xanadu" in Chicago either March 16 or 17, 2009. from RC in Austin, Texas

"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 9:49pm

Here's the other pic....

#10

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 9:59pm

I've got my tickets for December 23rd! I'm so stoked for this! XANADU IS BACK!!!

#11

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 10:06pm

I would love to see the tour for Max Von Essen, Capathia Jenkins, Joanna Glushak, and Jason Michael Snow.
Can anyone elaborate on how things have been altered for the production in regards to trap door usage?
Regarding Elizabeth Stanley, to be blunt, I'd rather see a rock stage. She would be the dictionary example of a personality and star-quality free leading lady. Not to say her voice doesn't have great pitch and tone.. but really....

#12

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 10:53pm

Does anyone know if the Muses will utilize their powers of ad libbing? just wondering... RC in Austin, Texas.. P.S. I didn't know Facebook could be so much fun.

#13

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 11:07pm

broadwayguy2, Sharon Wilkins is playing Melpomene, not Capathia Jenkins.

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

#14

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/15/08 at 11:19pm

Oops. I knew that. This is why I shouldn't be listening to one big black lady while trying to type about another. Stops the show, AND my brain.

#15

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 12:50am

Jay, you're back? YAY!

"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable." -F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise

#16

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 12:54am

I don't care for Max's voice. How can anyone give a better vocal performance than Jackson! Blasphemy!

#17

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 1:28am

Seeing the pics of Stanley and Von Essen is so exciting!

Can't wait to hear more reviews of the tour!

Also wondering if cast is ad libbing, especially since it was such a big part of the Broadway show.

#18

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 1:46am

To answer the trap question...

The mural's now on the back wall and the muses come off the Brick wall (how I won't spoil), but the new opening in "I'm Alive" and the transition in "The Fall" is really well done and fun. :)

Also, the new set is a little bigger and enhanced.

Elizabeth an Max are lots of fun. They're not carbon copies of Kerry and Cheyenne, and I appreciate that they've made it their own! But, Max actually sounds (vocally) very much like Cheyenne in the show. He sings the score incredibly well!

The opening monologue's a bit longer and there's been a few minor line changes here and there....

And the "Short? And Happy?" line in Mt Olympus they did for San Diego is awesome. :)

The show translates well in transition from NY!

#19

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 2:09am

tourboi, how were Sharon Wilkins and Joanna Glushak?

#20

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 2:13am

I would say not as "Cartooney" as Mary and Jackie, but equally fabulous in their own right. Sharon sings the hell out of Evil Woman.

Overall I'd say if anyone went in wanting the cast to play it JUST like the Broadway cast may be dissapointed, but if you go in eager to see a new, fresh take on the show you'll have a blast! It's like rediscovering the show. :)

#21

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 8:44am

Thanks for the info Tourboi, but do the Muses ad-lib as they did on Broadway? Inquiring minds want to know. from RC in Austin, Texas..where it's 36 friggin' degrees. "not loving it."

#22

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 1:39pm

Would you send me the spoiler of the new entrance and fall via PM? Please

2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5 May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot

#23

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 3:54pm

One thing I don't understand about the show.
Why didn't the creators include at least one shirtless scene for the Male lead (who is always a Hunk), I mean the damn thing takes place at the friggin' Beach.

Updated On: 11/16/08 at 03:54 PM

#24

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 4:27pm

<< One thing I don't understand about the show.
Why didn't the creators include at least one shirtless scene for the Male lead (who is always a Hunk), I mean the damn thing takes place at the friggin' Beach.

>>

Maybe to help keep the focus on the material, and not on a "hunky" male?

#25

re: XANADU at La Jolla Playhouse 11/12/08

Posted: 11/16/08 at 4:51pm

Maybe to help keep the focus on the material, and not on a "hunky" male?

Yeah I remember seeing an early preview of All Shook Up, and when Cheyenne has his shirt, I swear you lost the plot!

tourboi, PM me the spoilers too, please?

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

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