Review: Gloriously cheesy ‘Xanadu’ hits the spot in San Jose

“Xanadu” has everything one could want in a musical. There’s a mural that comes to life, a guy with cut off jeans and a John Travolta-like headband, Greek gods, horses on sticks, lots of merry, post-pandemic breathing in of each other’s unmasked faces, roller skating, and a centaur.

By definition, all these elements together would seem to spell out disaster. Yet, informed by a kitschy score of ‘80s hits, solid direction by Scott Guggenheim and Shannon Guggenheim’s flailing choreography that is horribly wonderful, the San Jose Playhouse production of “Xanadu” is a charmer full of joy, informed by plenty of delightful performances, with simplicity through convolution.

Sonny (Jason Kimmel) is an artist without inspiration. His sidewalk mural of Zeus’s daughters, the Greek Muses, is trash, but catches the attention of peppery youngest Muse Clio (Annie Hunt). Clio has a burning desire to help provide Sonny inspiration, which isn’t coming from California’s stunning landscape, so she convinces her six sisters to join her in Venice Beach.

Zeus signs off on the travel, but with a specific rule — they must always disguise themselves from mortals. And what better disguise than leg warmers, roller skates and an Australian accent built from Mount Olympus? Despite this grand plan, jealousy sets firmly into sisters Melpomene (B Noel Thomas) and Calliope (Brian Conway) due to the promise of something called Xanadu to Clio. In revenge, they set out to trick Clio into falling in love with the mortal Sonny, a goddess no-no.

There is one other piece to the love triangle — the cutthroat businessman Danny (Jim Ambler) working out of his swanky, downtown Los Angeles office. Danny owns a theater that would be perfect for a roller disco, but with no money, Sonny and Clio hope for a donation. That’s a hard pass, until Danny gets a glimpse of the exquisite Clio, who coincidentally looks like his former lover Kitty. Despite the attempts at doing business jointly, more hurdles are left to climb, not made easy by the cat and mouse game played between Clio and her sisters.

The production’s storyline, thankfully, plays simpler than it reads, thanks to some solid and buoyant performances. As Clio, Hunt is a charmer with a keen sense of comic timing and a warm voice that plays well with the poppy ‘80s sound. A number like “Magic,” with its enchanting melodies and the right amount of nostalgia, is superb. That nostalgia is heightened due to the recent passing of Olivia Newton-John, the center of many Generation X crushes, her music and other ‘80s hits getting a nice dusting off here.

Every bit Hunt’s equal is Kimmel, playing the show’s style pleasingly. There is nothing naturalistic about a plot so out there, and making the moments work is all about big, broad discoveries with just the right amount of poutiness. His vocal range carries a lavish smoothness, and in moments where harmonies with Hunt are essential, they move through space together with aplomb.

Other characters contribute mightily to the piece’s overall unity. The playful jealousy depicted by Thomas and Conway is joyful. The Muses collectively and individually are at their strongest and funniest when engaging the choral numbers with tight, pithy harmonies. And Conway proves himself a nimble performer with his vocals and even a delightful soft shoe pas de deux with Hunt.

Assisting the show greatly is the locale, which exits San Jose Playhouse usual renovated movie theatre, landing a few floors upstairs on the parking garage roof. In the South Bay, where sweltering days transition to majestic nights, an outdoor space lends itself lusciously to pod seating and maximum comfort. A cheesy and cornball show such as “Xanadu” is a fantastic fit for this setting.

There are bouts of clunk, however, mostly in the technical realm. An awkward attempt at moving a stubborn set piece was covered nicely by the actor, and microphones that kept popping at the most inopportune times created too many unfortunate distractions. Most frustratingly, the open air space was hit by vandals prompting a delay in the opening night. To get the production off the ground, in itself, was quite the victory.

A show like “Xanadu” is easy to scoff at because it’s not exactly considered high art. The creatives certainly know this, and have planted the production’s tongue firmly in its cheek. Despite some setbacks, the location, nostalgia and lighthearted radiance of the cast equates to a serendipitous form of xanadu on the top floor of a parking lot.

David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics Association and served as a juror for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Twitter: @davidjchavez.

‘XANADU’

Book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, presented by San Jose Playhouse

Through: Sept. 11

Where: 3Below Theaters, 288 S. Second St., San Jose

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Health & safety: Proof of vaccination and booster (if eligible) required

Tickets: $35-$55; sanjoseplayhouse.org