COVINGTON, KY- Nothing says summer theatre like roller skates, leg warmers, disco music, magical Greek muses and Oliva Newton-John.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center (The Carnegie) proudly begins its 2012-13 Theatre Series with the funny and feel-good roller skating Broadway musical XANADU. Based (often satirically) on the 1980 Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly film of the same title, XANADU features pop hits including “Evil Woman,” “I’m Alive” and “Magic.” The production receives its local professional premiere in The Carnegie’s Otto M. Budig Theatre weekends August 11 – 26, 2012, under the direction of lauded former Cincinnatian Alan Patrick Kenny. Tickets are $19 – $26 and are available online at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tu – Fr, noon – 5 p.m.).
XANADU is presented by Mark & Rosemary Schlachter.
XANADU is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
The Mythical Story of XANADU
Beautiful Greek muse Kira has journeyed from Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in a quest to inspire struggling chalk artist Sonny to create the most resplendent work of art the world has ever known… the roller disco! But can Sonny capture the imagination of a jaded landlord to save his disco from the wrecking ball, and will Kira’s jealous muse sisters destroy Sonny and Kira’s forbidden love?
XANADU is an “all skate” of ‘80s pop rock pandemonium, featuring musical hits including “Magic,” “All Over The World,” “I’m Alive,” “Suddenly” and “Evil Woman.”
Celebrated Director Returns to Cincinnati for XANADU
Returning to The Carnegie to helm XANADU is Sycamore High School grad and recent UCLA masters alumnus Alan Patrick Kenny, best known locally for his artistic leadership of the bygone theatre company New Stage Collective. Kenny’s most recent credit at The Carnegie was an award-winning 2009 staging of another movie musical, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, which, like XANADU, paired him with Carnegie Managing Director of Theatre, high school classmate and New Stage Collective (NSC) co-founder Joshua Steele. Recipient of the Acclaim Awards Rising Star scholarship and myriad other local arts honors, Kenny is thrilled to return to his former home before taking a faculty position at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point this fall.
“XANADU is the quintessentially perfect summer show: fabulous and addictive tunes, a hysterical script that celebrates the original film’s ridiculousness and an OIympian company rollerskating their tails off and working those leg warmers,” raves Kenny. “I’m thrilled to be back at The Carnegie working again in the Cincinnati theatre scene – I’ve missed this community terribly, and am glad to be returning with a show that is positively gleeful with joy and heart, and not afraid to laugh at itself a little.”
The Talent of XANADU
The venue and community aren’t the only elements of XANADU familiar to Kenny, whose team and cast includes a number of old friends. Nationally-demanded performer Margaret-Ellen Jeffreys* returns to Cincinnati and makes her Carnegie debut in the lead role of Kira, the Greek muse who seeks to inspire Sonny to create a roller disco. In addition to NSC productions of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Petra) and DEAD CITY (various) under Kenny’s direction, Jeffreys has been seen in many Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park productions, including THE FANTASTICKS (Luisa) and THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL! (June). XANADU also reunites Kenny with production music director Brian D. Hoffman, a recent CCM doctoral alumnus who has collaborated with Kenny on DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS as well as CAROLINE, OR CHANGE at NSC; and with Broadway veteran choreographers Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard, who last worked with Kenny on his NSC production of THE FULL MONTY.
XANADU will also represent Carnegie debuts for a number of gifted local professional actors. Best known locally for her award-winning work at The Covedale Center and Showboat Majestic, Eileen Earnest is comedic sidekick to XANADU villainess Melpomene, played by prolific Cincinnati Shakespeare Company member and go-to comedienne Miranda McGee. Popular Covedale and community theatre leading man Rick Kramer takes on the Gene Kelly role of money-hungry landlord Danny Maguire, the foil to clueless chalk artist Sonny, played by CCM Musical Theatre standout Blaine Krauss.
NKU Musical Theatre student and Oxygen network’s “The Glee Project” performer McKynleigh Abraham leads an ensemble which includes CCM musical theatre student Aubrey Ireland and local actress Megan Ainsley Callahan, along with Carnegie veteran actors Blair Bowman (OLIVER), Brian Wylie (CAROUSEL and PIPPIN) and Andrew Maloney (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR).
A full cast and production team list can be found at the end of this release.
*Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
XANADU, from Cult Classic to Broadway Blockbuster
Released in 1980 as a vehicle for “Grease” star Olivia Newton-John, “Xanadu” was as berated by critics as it was beloved by cultish fans of its disco-themed montages and enduring soundtrack, with chart-toppers by Electric Light Orchestra and Newton-John herself. Film director Robert Greenwald was recipient of the infamous RAZZIE Award for “Worst Director” in 1981, a dishonor surpassed only by the film’s 2005 RAZZIE Award for the organization’s “Worst ‘Musical’ of Our First 25 Years.”
Opening on Broadway in 2007 and playing for 512 performances, the stage musical iteration of “Xanadu” wholeheartedly embraced the film’s campiness while knowingly poking fun at itself on its way to Tony Award nominations for “Best Musical,” “Best Book of a Musical,” “Best Actress in a Musical” (Kerry Butler as Clio) and “Best Choreography.”
The Carnegie’s staging is the region’s first professional production of XANADU.
Ticketing
Tickets to The Carnegie’s production of XANADU are $19 – $26 and may be purchased online at http://www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tue – Fri, noon – 5 p.m.).
XANADU will feature eight performances:
- Saturday, August 11, 7:30pm
- Sunday, August 12, 3:00pm
- Friday, August 17, 7:30pm*
- Saturday, August 18, 7:30pm
- Sunday, August 19, 3:00pm
- Friday, August 24, 7:30pm†
- Saturday, August 25, 7:30pm
- Sunday, August 26, 7:30pm
*Performance includes closed captioning and American Sign Language interpretation
†Performance includes closed captioning only
Single Ticket Pricing
- $26 Adults
- $23 Carnegie and Enjoy The Arts Members
- $21 Groups of 8 or More
- $19 Students
Subscription Packages
The 2012-13 Theatre Series has two subscription packages available:
Full Subscription: Patrons attend all four 2012-13 Theatre Series offerings, selecting one performance of their choice for each. Full Subscriptions are $82; $76 for Carnegie Members.
Pick Three Subscription: Patrons attend three 2012-13 Theatre Series offerings of their choice, selecting one performance of their choice for each. Pick Three Subscriptions are $69.
A complete list of The Carnegie’s 2012-13 Theatre Series offerings is as follows:
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center presents
XANADU
Presented by Mark & Rosemary Schlachter
Book by Music & Lyrics by Douglas Carter Beane Jeff Lynne & John Farrar
Based on the Universal Pictures Film
Screenplay by Richard Danus & Marc Rubel
Originally produced on Broadway by Robert Ahrens, Dan Vikckey, Tara Smith/B. Swibel, Sara Murchson, Dale Smith & Cari Smulyan
Directed by Alan Patrick Kenny
Musical Direction by Brian D. Hoffman
Weekends August 11 – 26, 2012
Friday & Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm; Special 7:30pm performance Sunday, Aug. 26
The Carnegie and The Human Race Theatre Company present the World Premiere of
UNDER A RED MOON
By Michael Slade
Directed by Margarett Perry
Weekends November 2 – 18, 2012
Friday & Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm; Special 7:30pm performance Thursday, Nov. 15
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center presents
CAMELOT, In Concert
Presented by David C. Herriman
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Original Production Directed and Staged by Moss Hart
Based on “The Once and Future King” by T.H. White
Presented In Concert with Musicians from the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Musical Direction by Mischa Santora
January 24 – February 3, 2013
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm; Special 3:00pm performance Saturday, Feb. 2
The Carnegie and CCM Musical Theatre present
PARADE
Book by Music & Lyrics by ALFRED UHRY JASON ROBERT BROWN
Co-Conceived and Directed on Broadway by HAROLD PRINCE
Directed by Ed Cohen and Dee Anne Bryll
Music Direction by Steve Goers
Weekends April 5 – 21, 2013
Friday & Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm
About The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center
THE CARNEGIE THEATRE SERIES produces professional, innovative stagings of an eclectic range of popular and rarely-performed works. Striving to unite the greater Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati theatre community through partnerships and collaborations, the series engages and nurtures both emerging and established talent, including working professionals, committed part-time theatre artists, university performing arts students and younger students. Carnegie Theatre Series productions bring together these forces to provide quality theatre for Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area.
THE CARNEGIE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Over the course of the past ten years The Carnegie has “morphed” from a grassroots gallery with an education component into an all-inclusive arts organization offering professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists and a comprehensive arts education program.
The Carnegie is home to The Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 465-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and-coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre and Concert Series. The Carnegie is the largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.
Complete XANADU Cast and Production Team List
Cast
- Kira / Clio – Margaret-Ellen Jeffreys*
- Sonny Malone – Blaine Krauss
- Danny Maguire – Rick Kramer
- Melpomene – Miranda McGee
- Calliope – Eileen Earnest
- Erato (Ensemble) – McKynleigh Abraham
- Euterpe (Ensemble) – Aubrey Ireland
- Terpsicore (Ensemble) – Brian Wylie
- Thalia (Ensemble) – Blair Bowman
- Featured Singer / Swing – Megan Ainsley Callahan
- Featured Singer / Swing – Andrew Maloney
- Featured Singer 8/17, 18 – Emily Martin
*Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Production Team
- Director – Alan Patrick Kenny
- Assistant Director – Phillip Webster
- Music Director – Brian D. Hoffman
- Choreographers – Missy Lay Zimmer & Andrew Hubbard
- Asst. Choreographer – Katie Farry
- Technical Director – Richard J. Sillen, Jr.
- Scenic Designer – Ryan Howell
- Lighting Designer – Tim Schmall
- Costumer – Deb G. Girdler
- Sound Designer – Hunter Spoede
- Stage Manager – Ellen Beltramo
- Asst. Stage Manager – Jessie Sherman
- Production Manager – Bleu Pellman
- Producer – Joshua Steele
Bio for XANADU Director Alan Patrick Kenny
Alan Patrick Kenny is thrilled to return to Cincinnati this summer and to collaborate again with Joshua Steele and The Carnegie. XANADU is serving as Alan’s thesis production pursuant to a Masters in Fine Arts in Theatre Directing from the prestigious program at UCLA. In August, he relocates to Wisconsin to begin a new appointment as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the BFA Musical Theatre program at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point.
At age 20, while attending NYU, Alan and The Carnegie’s Joshua Steele co-founded a no-budget summer theatre company in downtown Cincinnati called New Stage Collective. The company exploded with growth, and as the Producing Artistic Director, Alan transformed the company from an itinerant summer troupe to a professional non-profit organization with a permanent, rehabbed performance space and a $250,000 operating budget. During his tenure, he led New Stage through 7 seasons, 32 productions, 22 regional premieres, 21 production awards, and 53 award nominations. Favorite productions include JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA, THE GOAT, BUG, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, CAROLINE OR CHANGE, SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, EQUUS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (The Carnegie), BENT and THE HISTORY BOYS.
Alan also has a professional career as a musical theatre pianist, music director and conductor. He conducted the North American Tour of SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE, played piano for a year aboard Holland America Line ships and has music directed over 15 professional regional productions, including UCLA Professor Jeremy Mann’s 2011 production of THE MUSIC MAN at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
While at UCLA, Alan immersed himself in the worlds of classical theatre, Shakespeare, opera and new play development. Alan assisted TONY Award winner Robert Falls on the acclaimed world premiere of Beth Henley’s THE JACKSONIAN at the Geffen Playhouse, and also assisted Professor Michael McLain on his HAMLET. At UCLA, he directed the Pulitzer Prize contender MIDDLETOWN by Will Eno, and also staged Monteverdi’s IL COMBATTIMENTO DI TANCREDI E CLORINDA for Opera UCLA. Additionally, he continued to work professionally while at UCLA at the esteemed Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, both as a music director on ADDING MACHINE: THE MUSICAL and in his LA professional directorial debut on a hit production of Joe Orton’s farce WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, which received a twice-extended run.
Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Alan did his undergraduate work at New York University, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance – Music Theatre in 2004.
