Who knew?

I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I saw the movie musical XANADU in the movie theatre in 1980.

I was a huge Gene Kelly fan and a huge Olivia Newton-John fan! I had all the sheet music for her hits -- "Have You Never Been Mellow", "Please Mr. Please" -- and I even did a gym floor routine to Gene Kelly's "Broadway Melody" number from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

I remember practicing in the basement with the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT record playing on my portable record player (thank goodness there wasn't YouTube back then!).

Maybe I was expecting too much but alas, the movie just didn't do it for me. I liked the songs well enough, but somehow it just didn't...well it just didn't...

However I am willing to put that all aside and greet the new stage version of said film with great enthusiasm and hope. After all, Kerry Butler is starring in it!

And hey, maybe if I went back and saw the film again I would react differently (hint, hint).

According to this article from Broadwayworld.com:

Producers Robert Ahrens, Tara Smith and Brian Swibel have announced that Kerry Butler will star as Kira in the new production of the musical XANADU. The production will be the first musical of the new Broadway season opening on Tuesday, June 26th with previews starting on May 23rd.

XANADU will be presented at the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th Street.

Douglas Carter Beene has written the book with all of the music coming from the film version including the hit songs “Magic”, “Xanadu”, “Party All Over the World” and “I’m Alive” all top 20 Billboard hits. Score was written by John Farrar and Jeff Lynne. Lynne wrote and produced all of the Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O). Farrar was also responsible for most of the hits that were performed by Olivia Newton-John in the 1980’s. Christopher Ashley will direct.

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