A trip back to the 1980s begins on Friday, March 7 when the Reston Community Players open their production of Xanadu.
Xanadu is a send-up of the 1980 cult classic Olivia Newton-John film. The musical combines Greek mythology with 1980 Los Angeles and features songs by Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra. Oh, and there is lots of roller skating too.
Somehow, it works. The basic plot is Kira, a Greek muse, descends from the heavens to inspire struggling artist Sonny in his vision to build a roller disco in an abandoned nightclub. Kira defies the laws of Zeus and falls in love with Sonny while her jealous muse sisters try and wreak havoc.
RCP is coming off its debut of Les Miserables in January and February.
Leads in Xanadu:
Evie Korovesis as Kira — Her past RCP shows include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Lend Me a Tenor, I Love You Because, and Legally Blonde.
Russell Silber as artist Sonny Malone — Silver has appeared in various performances around the region, including A Chorus Line at The Arlington Players.
Richard Durkin as Zeus and as Danny — Past shows include the RCP’s The Drowsy Chaperone as Underling, the singing and dancing butler. With the Elden Street Players (ESP), Richard has performed in Medea; Hamlet; The Iceman Cometh; The Violet Hour; and Glengarry Glen Ross, and in 14 ESP Theatre for Young Audiences shows.
The Tony Award-nominated musical opened on Broadway in 2007 and ran for more than 500 performances. Reston audiences may be familiar with the show as South Lakes High School’s Theatre Arts department performed in last year.
“Honestly, this show is so much better than it deserves to be,” Silber told DC Metro Theatre Arts. “It’s a musical based on an almost forgotten box-office bomb that essentially blew up the movie career of Olivia Newton-John. I think audience members will initially be surprised by the number of classic songs they recognize from the score, but I’m just so taken with how much the book writer Douglas Carter Beane was able to mine from the original movie’s creaky skeleton to twist around and subvert into a show filled with so much humor and heart.”
Xandau performances are March 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 at 8 p.m. (matinees at 2 p.m. on March 16 and 23 at CentreStage at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. For tickets visit RCP’s box office site or call 703-476-4500, press press 3 for the 24-hour ticket ordering system.
Reston Community Players will present the Washington-area community theatre debut of the epic musical Les Miserables beginning Friday.
The cast features Michael Reid as Jean Valjean, Ward Ferguson as Javert , Jennifer Lambert as Fantine, Ella Schnoor as Little Cosette, Alana Sharp as Madame Thenardier, Maggie Slivka as Young Eponine, Chuck Dluhy as Thenardier, Ethan Van Slyke as Gavroche, Emma Lord as Eponine, Cara Bachman as Cosette, Scott Harrison as Enjolras, and Sean Bartnick as Marius. The ensemble includes Bridgette Pfannenbecker, Erin Campagnoni, Susanna Todd, Stephanie Pencek, Kate Keifer , Shauna L. Neil, Joshua Wilson, Michael Clendenin, Matt McFadden, Rick Kenney, Cameron Bond, Jeffery Miller, Eric Hughes, and Patrick Graham.
The show is directed by Andrew JM Regiec and produced by Rick Schneider. Musical Direction by Mark V. Deal
Performances will run at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage at 8 p.m. on Jan. 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 30, and 31, and Feb. 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9. There will be 2 p.m. matinees on Jan. 26 and Feb. 9. Tickets are $18-23. For tickets, call the box office at (703) 476-4500 x3, or purchase them online.
Read more about the production on Broadway World and D.C. Metro Theatre Arts.
