Lots of laughs and silliness with ‘Xanadu’ at the Lake Dillon Theatre

The cast delivers on all fronts singing, dancing, roller-skating and bringing the laughs

The Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s production of Xanadu, directed by Producing Artistic Director Chris Alleman, is a refreshing take on the wacky, zany — if not downright bizarre — 1980 cult film of the same name featuring Olivia Newton-John.

The cast delivers on all fronts singing, dancing, roller-skating and bringing the laughs – so much so that a few of the actors were left breathless at times. Set in 1980 Venice Beach, the play is about a young and beautiful muse named Kira (Abigail Gardner) who descends from the heavens to help a young struggling artist named Sonny (Lance Jewett). As the daughter of Zeus, Kira is not allowed to fall in love with a mere mortal – but falls in love she does.

Even though roller-skating does not appear to be her forte, Gardner does a fabulous job in the lead role and has an amazing voice. The cackling sisters Melpomene (Brittany Jeffery) and Calliope (Alexa Hendrickson) owned the show with standout performances that had the nearly sold-out crowd cackling right along with them. Kevin Alan also deserves a shout-out for triple-duty role playing.

The movie may have been a flop at the box office, but the hit songs are woven into the soundtrack of my youth. Some of the more memorable musical numbers brought me right back to 1980 and my teenage bedroom — where I spent hours listening to “Evil Woman,” “Suddenly,” “Strange Magic,” “Xanadu,” “Have You Ever Been Mellow” – the list goes on. Today, the songs might be defined by a genre called “Yacht Rock” – a broad music style commonly associated with soft rock from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s.

The six-person cast moves about in pastel-colored Greek-inspired costumes amid a simple set, consisting of one wall and a left-over center block – supposedly left over from another play according to one of the actors who points it out in the middle of the play. The simplicity keeps the emphasis on the acting. Plus, it leaves room for all the silly props – disco balls, puppets, moving telephone booths and lots of awkward roller-skating.

If you’re looking for utter goofiness and to feel nostalgic over ’80s music, the play is well worth your time. Plus, what a beautiful nod to the recent passing of the woman who personifies Xanadu herself: Olivia Newton-John.