Peg looked up the movie Zanadu on Wikipedia for background. From what we saw, the Tacoma Musical Playhouse production is much more fun . . . and sillier.
Imagine dancing and singing and acting on roller skates. Not the metal ones that latched onto your shoes when you were but a young kid, but the kind you pay to rent from the skating palace. All the actors were on skates. All were dancing and singing.
Jon Douglas Rake explained the hierarchy of the gods and goddesses as well as the targets of the humor. The resulting laughter involved in the presentations kept rolling forward!. When the first skater came on stage, the laughter began immediately and never ceased. Don always likes to hear the drum work of Iris McBride, but in this production, much of the music was drowned out by laughter.
The story of the star-crossed lovers was the same as any other production, but the setting was much different. Those gods and goddesses could move on their wheels. From actors Jesse Geray to Josh Wingerter and everyone sitting in their seats at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, laughter was king from the opening number of Xanadu to the final giggles and a standing ovation.
Normally, Peg and I wait for the photos of the actors on stage to come before we write the review. The only thing different in this production is that there were half a dozen audience members on stage, sitting down and staring out at the huge audience. We were looking at them and they were looking at us . . . and we were all wondering when the music and laughter was going to begin. The first words were uttered and . . . off we went.
Brittany Henderson and Kiki Werner were dancing riotously all over stage. Alex Koerger, Kyle Laird, Braeden Linkenback, Haunz Stroschein, and Josh Wingerter kept up the dancing and laughter for the male side. Emma Deloye, Erika Leblanc, Rebecca Maiten, Alison Rucker, and Whitney Shafer kept up the women’s outstanding dancing.
I don’t know how many changes from the original script were made for this production . . . just know they just happened. And it was all funny.
Get your tickets now at Tacoma Musical Playhouse box office at tmpboxoffice.org. You’ll love it!
Leave a Reply