Xanadu's Bitch: On The Road With the Hottest, Hunkiest & Gayest Show in America

Tuesday, 05 January 2010 12:29 | Written by Byron

QUEEN FOR A (COUPLE) OF DAY(S): I can't help it. It just happens. I have a habit of running into famous, or semi-famous, people. Local radio jocks dubbed my ability "stardar." And, boy oh boy, did it just go off full tilt.

It wasn't supposed to happen, at least I didn't think it would when Portland Opera extended an invitation to go on an adventure and see "Xanadu" in, of all places, Sacramento, Calif.

Yes, I was flown on very short notice south to see the touring production of this unlikely Broadway hit before it hits Portland (it opens next Tuesday night at the Keller Auditorium).

But, of course, it was the perfect place to see this Grecian roller disco of a show.

Sacramento is, after all, California's state capitol and current home to the movie actor/demi-god/governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. And although I didn't see the "governator" I did see a lot of hunky Xana-dudes and Xana-dudettes—especially on stage Sunday night.

For the show, the California Music Theater had been transformed from a playhouse into a Greek "theatron" complete with members of the audience on stage (that will happen in Portland, too).

Now, if you go to the show expecting to see a musical version of an 1980's movie of the same name, think again.

This is not your parents Xanadu.

Far from it. In fact, it's more of a send-up of the film as well as jukebox musicals, and in a weird way, classical Greek theater. It is also incredibly funny piece of fluff full of wonderful performances by the likes of Elizabeth Stanley as the beautifully bodacious muse "Clio/Kira" and Max Von Essen as the delightfully ditzy short-short-wearing chalkboard artist/roller disco co-owner "Sonny." Another stand out is cutie-patootie Annie Golden. This star of stage and screen (almost) steals the show as the smart-mouthed muse Calliope.

It's a sassy show. It's a schmaltzy show. And a short one too. The whole thing runs about an hour-and-a-half without an intermission.

Since I was done with my night of theater so early I raced back from the theater to my hotel room (by the way, it was AMAZING) to see the second half of Desperate Housewives (I needed to see who died). And instead of sticking around to watch Calista Flockhart go down on Brothers & Sisters I decided to go to a gay bar recommended by a pornstar couple that lives in Sacramento. As I headed out of the hotel to go to Badlands (aka Sadlands) I ran into not one, but three, of Xanadu's cast members in the lobby. I didn't expect to see them there, but there they were. It's the "stardar" thing. And I was without my camera (he says kicking himself). So I went to the gay bar. And they went to dinner.

I never thought I would see them again. Well, at least not until opening night in Portland. I was wrong.

The next morning and the night after I saw the show, the local daily, The Sacramento Bee, gave Xanadu a rave review here. I was reading it during my complimentary cheesy eggs and sausage breakfast in the hotel's breakfast nook when not one, but most of the cast of Xanadu, came into to get their oatmeal/coffee/muffin/o.j. before heading off to Napa/San Francisco/or where ever else their day off would take them. But this time I had my camera. So I took some pics of Elizabeth and Max (see photo above) as well as the incredibly sweet Kevin Duda (who plans to take the cast bungee jumping once they hit Oregon) and Jesse Nager.

And, as I checked out later that day, I had a chance to see Miss Annie one more time (she was in Miami Vice, Hair, and is soon to be seen on screen in I Love You, Phillip Morris with Jim Carrey). Yes, it was one of those trips. And, no I wasn't stalking them. Since I didn't get a pic of Annie I decided to include a video she did in the 1980's called "Hang Up the Phone." You'll find it right after my slideshow of my stay in Sacramento.

Yeah, I am Xanadu's bitch. And I love it.

For more information on dates and tickets go here: