Stage Adaptation of Mega-Flop Movie Musical Xanadu Booked for B'way

A tongue-in-cheek stage adaptation of the mega-flop movie musical Xanadu that was once announced as an off-Broadway venture is heading directly to Broadway. Although an opening night has not yet been announced, the show promises to open at the Helen Hayes Theatre in early May, beating the cutoff for consideration for the 2007 Tony Awards.

Xanadu is written by Douglas Carter Beane The Little Dog Laughed based on the screenplay by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel. Christopher Ashley, who received a Tony nomination for staging the 2001 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, will direct. Tony winner Jane Krakowski Grand Hotel, Nine and All Shook Up lead Cheyenne Jackson who both starred in a summer workshop of the show alongside Ben Vereen look likely to appear as leading lovers Kira and Sonny although no casting has been confirmed.

When it opened, Xanadu was panned by film critics and helped put the freeze on movie musicals in Hollywood for more than twenty years. The London Evening News called the film "the most dreadful, tasteless movie of the decade. Indeed, of all time." It went on to gross just $10 million and earn six 1981 Razzie Award nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Actor Michael Beck, Worst Actress Newton-John, Worst Screenplay and Worst Original Song, taking home Worst Director for Robert Greenwald. Can't Stop the Music, the Village People movie, beat Xanadu for Worst Picture. In 2005, the Razzies again remembered Xanadu, nominating it in the category of Worst "Musical" of Our First 25 Years against Can't Stop the Music, Glitter, Rhinestone, Spice World and the eventual winner, From Justin to Kelly.

Created as a follow-up musical to Grease for leading lady Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu was released in 1980. In the fantastical film, the nine muses from ancient Greece come to life on a Venice Beach wall mural. While roller skating on the beach, one of the daughters, Kira Newton-John, meets and falls for a frustrated record album cover artist named Sonny Beck. Enter Danny McGuire movie musical legend Gene Kelly in his final character part, an aging song and dance man who Kira inspired back when he owned a supper club in New York in the 40s. Together, with the magical help of Kira, Sonny and Danny team up to build and open a roller disco nightclub called Xanadu.

Xanadu features the musical collaborations of of pop band E.L.O. or Electric Light Orchestra and Newton-John. Featured in the movie are the #1 hit "Magic," the top 10 title song and "Suddenly," which was a top 20 hit for Newton-John and Cliff Richard. The stage version of Xanadu is expected to feature songs from the movie as well as other hits of E.L.O., including "Evil Woman."