It needed more skating

I went to one of Broadway's latest movies-turned-legit productions tonight--Xanadu: On Broadway. I went in knowing that it would be ridiculous and hoping that it would be utterly enjoyable nonetheless. To start with the positive, I really liked the two leads. Kerry Butler (Shelly in Bat Boy: The Musical and Penny in Hairspray) has great comic timing and embraces the silliness in her role without going over the top. James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever) isn't the world's greatest singer, but he was very charming and strong on his skates. Some of the directing and staging was very clever, and people who love the music from the movie will love much of it here, too. I also loved the fact that the finale includes a skating ringer who wears head-to-toe sparkles, skates rings around the cast, and is never seen in any other part of the show. The randomness is in keeping with the musical as a whole.

Unfortunately, not everything was quite so rosy. Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman provide the alleged comic relief. Despite the fact that most of the audience was howling at their broad, big, and over-the-top scenes (of which there were many), I would rather punch these two women in the face than sit through their bits again. Sadly, too, the show needed a great deal more actors on skates. Kerry Butler skates through most of the show, but James Carpinello only rolls around for a few songs. The rest of the cast laces up only for the underwhelming finale. There should have been not just one skating genius here but many, many extras skating laps around the stage amid disco lights and laser lights galore.

My qualified recommendation sums up like this: one of the people sitting next to me reeked of marijuana. I think a toke or two would probably make this whole affair a lot funnier.