Celebrate art at West Valley’s XANADU

WEST VALLEY CITY —Confession, I have never seen the movie Xanadu. So why am I here at West Valley Arts to see the stage production of Xanadu, directed by Brooklynn Kohler? Being a child of the 80’s, it is a bit shocking that I somehow missed this important part of pop culture, though the movie was panned by critics back in the day. However, the stage production, with a book by Douglas Carter Bean, and music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, was received quite favorably when it opened on Broadway in 2007. I saw it in 2011 at Weber State University, and enjoyed it without being incredibly impressed at that time. I have never been disappointed by a show at West Valley Arts, so I wanted to know what it would be like to see something that has not been a huge favorite of mine. Would I still have the same opinion of this theatre company? Can they still do no wrong?

The story of Xanadu follows Sonny Malone, played by Zac Freeman, who is an artist feeling less than inspired by his work. Greek muses come along to try and help him find inspiration. One of the muses, Clio, who appears in the human form as Kira, played by Ariana Bagley, wants to help him on his quest but becomes cursed to fall in love with a mortal. What follows is an evening of pure camp and over-the-top cheesy fun.

The set of this production, designed by Morgan Golightly, was pure nostalgia. The show is set in the 1980s, and the bright colors chosen by Golightly show the fashion and  neon you would expect when you are watching this type of jukebox musical. This was coupled with costume design, masterfully done by Alicia Kondrick. The costumes of the Greek muses were lovely, but the 80s costumes brought painful memories of awful fashion from my elementary and junior high days, so I know that the designer hit the mark. I also truly loved the wig and makeup design by Savanna Finley. Some of the designs matched the over-the-top vibe in color, hair jewels, and fantastic updos. These designs gave the whole show the look of the 80s, a winning combination with the set, transforming the whole theatre to a blast from the past.

As for the cast, there was not a weak link. Bagley as Kira was charming, with her humor trying to fake her challenge playing a human and an Australian, and her amazing skills on roller skates. She also had a strong balance of beautiful vocals and charming persona. Speaking of roller skates, the ability of Bagley and the whole cast to dance on skates was a testament to the talent of the cast and the skills of the choreographer Bryan Andrews. The ending number with the entire cast on skates was absolute perfection.

Freeman as Sonny was a good balance of awkward, dumb jock and artist that wants to create. His duets with Bagley were musically fantastic, and his ability to show humor and joy was intoxicating. The characters of Melope by McKenna Kay Jensen and Calliope played by Janessa Zech were highlights of the show. When they sang the song “Evil Woman” I was delighted by their comedic timing with each other and with their vocals. They were so fun to watch each time they got on stage, and I loved seeing especially how Jensen plotted to bring Kira down.

One of the most interesting things about this production was that the story is pure camp and cheesiness, yet the direction that Kohler has done has helped make the show an actual joy to watch. I found myself smiling throughout the entire production. I really enjoyed reading Kohler’s director’s note, that discussed that while this show is just for fun, it is also a reminder that our purpose is to create. One of the reasons I love to attend community theatre is that I can see how the actors and production community will choose to create the show. I love seeing in the world that is becoming more and more digital that we are still finding ways to create art together. The fun that the actors were having on stage singing songs from my teenage years and celebrating art. Being able to see the full art project on display is one of the greatest joys of live performance.