Xanadu..on Broadway?

We all know and love Xanadu, the 1981 hit musical film that starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. At least, I do. Anyway, I knew it had been adapted for stage but.. on Broadway?? I didn't know it played Broadway. I read a review in the LA Times a while back of a stage adaptation here in Los Angeles but.. Broadway?? Yeah, I can't believe that either..

Not until I picked up the Xanadu on Broadway Orignal Cast Recording today! Yeah!! Mind you, I didn't purchase it -- I picked it up. Yes, there is a difference. No money exchanged hands for this little gem.

I was down in Westwood this evening meeting up with a writer friend of mine; we attended the DVD release party for a docu called KING OF KONG - A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS. It's about the high score holders (I say holders because it keeps switching back and forth between a couple of guys) of Donkey Kong, the 80's hit game (there's a theme here, folks!) that sparked the Mario Brothers revolution. It just happens to be my all-time favorite arcade game, by the way. So, on the way home from this soiree I popped it into the CD player and BAM! It was back to my elementary school days where my crush on Olivia was hardcore.

Not really.

See, one cannot fuck with the beauty that is Xanadu. These people BUTCHERED the songs and then added a few ELO songs to boot, not to mention the one Olivia song (Have You Never Been Mellow? I've always wanted to cover this song by the way) they completely bastardized. If ONJ were alive today.. wait.. she is alive today.. Well, if she were dead, she'd be turning in her grave! I can't imagine what she's doing now!

Yeah, the movie was bad but this is total cheese. I mean, totally canned cheddar! If I had paid for this, I'd be rather upset. Wait, I am rather upset. These are songs of my youth. If they were food items, they'd be tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (the good kind of cheese), comfort foods to tide you over after a bad fall or a horrible break up (even kids break up, you know).

Xanadu on Broadway. What's next? The Smurfs in Vegas? Oh the horror. Wait, isn't that the Blue Man Group?