Children's Theatre for 40 year old Gay Men

On 44th Street did Douglas Carter Beane, Jeff Lynne, John Farrar, Christopher Ashley, and a whole bevy of producers a kick ass musical decree. Yes, Xanadu lived up to all the hype. Prior to the show, we had dinner at La Masseria, and it was fantastic. The service was very friendly, the food was excellent, and the décor was great. I highly recommend it and hope they are successful. Then we headed to 44th St, quickly ducking in to the Broadway New York store. They didn't have the new 42nd Street CD or any of the obscure others that I was looking for, and they were completely sold out of Grey Gardens merchandise (speaking of GG, the hotel borders the Walter Kerr, hopefully tonight or Tuesday we can run into Christine as she's leaving), but I picked up a book called At This Theatre, which is about all the Broadway Theatres and the shows they have hosted. It was updated in 2000, so it's already a little outdated, but it's still phenomenally interesting, and best of all, its got a picture of Carrie's Playbill cover in it. I also got a 2008 calendar with posters of old plays. Then, it was down the street to the Helen Hayes. The line stretched down the block and it appeared, at least to me on the main floor, that it was sold out. I'm not sure what the balcony looked like, but the main floor sure was packed, and since it's the smallest Bway theatre, it was a little uncomfortable. However, the gigantic mirror poised over the stage immediately got us in the mood for the show, and it only got better from there. As we all know, I am not a fan of the current trend of turning movies into musicals, but if you're going to, this is how you do it. The story had very little to do with the movie, but it kept Sonny Malone's monotone muted reactions, the roller skates, and Kira's Australian accent, but just about everything else, including Joel Silver's character and the Don Bluth animation were jettisoned. The show was a very lean 90 minutes, avoiding the movie's interminable feeling, and the camp factor was through the roof. In fact, while I wish I could take credit for the title of this post, it is actually the best received line out of the entire well received show, delivered with deadpan accuracy by Jackie Hoffman, the true str of the show. That's not to say the rest of the cast are slouches, they are all top notch. The producers really got a gift when Jane Krakowski dropped out, Kerry Butler is perfect, channeling Sarah Michelle Gellar more than Olivia Newton John. Cheyenne Jackson was drop dead gorgeous in his skimpy outfit and is more than welcome to meet me at Starbucks tomorrow as well, and had Sonny as played by what's his name in the movie down pat. My other favorite was the gorgeous Curtis Holbrook, who for all the hype about roller skating, brought the house down with his tap dancing in the 40's flashback scene. However, the true stars were Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa. They made the show. Now, it heps your enjoyment if you've seen the movie, but it's not essential. The first 30-45 minutes definitely derive their entertainment value from making fun of the movie but then by the time Cheyenne sings Strange Magic, it really becomes its own show. This is no Snakes on a Plane, this is real entertainment that deserves a long, prosperous life. I can't wait for the CD!