Heaven on Wheels

(HIGHWAY TO SWELL - Tony Edition part 2)

It's Tony Eve and I'm very excited for the awards tomorrow night.

One of the shows I'm rooting for is the underdog for Best New Musical.....  the musical masterpiece...  XANADU!

(seriously)

Adapted from one of the worst movies ever made, this wonderful piece of entertainment lovingly pokes fun at the movie and yet has a sweet heart of it's own.

"Xanadu" features the vibrant music of Electric Light Orchestra (some from the movie... others hits added) as well as the Olivia Newton John hit "Have You Ever Been Mellow?"  If that doesn't grab you, it also has a hilarious book, a plethora of disco balls, a knockout cast, and rollerskating!!  This show is 90 minutes of heaven on wheels.

The cast truly is perfect!  Kerry Butler (Batboy, Little Shop of Horrors, and the original Penny in Hairspray) absolutely shines as Kira.  With a nod to Olivia Newton John she gives a delightful starring turn.  Cheyenne Jackson (All Shook Up) as Sonny Malone is golden.   The two have wonderful chemistry, amazing voices, and light up the stage.

Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman are brilliant as Kira's evil sisters and Tony Roberts and the Muses are wonderful as well.  Fabulous cast all around.

We had the pleasure of seeing the show this past spring and were grinning from ear to ear the entire time.

Here's the official commercial...

Here's a clip from The View last fall.

Leading up to the Tony's they have been campaigning via viral videos.  The videos contain "Cubby Bernstein" as their Tony Campaign manager and are hilarious.  Here is one of the more recent ones (minus Cubby) featuring Nathan Lane asking the question on everyone's mind. "Is Xanadu too gay for a Tony?" 

Check out the others as well.

www.cubbybernstein.com

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In Xanadu related news... (it's not everyday you get to say that!)...  the fabulous star Kerry Butler just released her first solo album entitled "Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust."  

It is a charming collection of Disney classics and Disney-esque tunes.  She gives us wonderful new arrangements of beloved favorites.  Also there is a song written for an abandoned prequel to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?",  "Call Me a Princess" cut early from Aladdin,  and the song "Disneyland" from the musical "Smile."

I have loved Ms. Butler since first hearing her on the recording of "Batboy."  This cd is a beautiful collection reminding us of "wonder of Disney."  She writes in her linear notes, "To believe in good, even when you see evil in the world, is something I struggle with.  That's what I love about... so much of the Disney catalog.   It recognizes that it's hard to have faith, it's hard sometimes to 'believe,' and all you can do is make a choice to try."

She gives a wonderful personal touch to all the songs including "It's a Small World" which was very special to her since she and her husband adopted their daughter "Segi" from Africa in 2006.

She writes "We had just returned from an amazing, emotional, wonderful, and exhausting trip to Africa, and my husband and I were listening to music and playing with our new baby...  When 'It's a Small World' started to play, she had an immediate and visceral reaction to it... something drew her in immediately.  I like to think it was because, even though she was an infant, she got the message of the song and realized after her long journey that it indeed was a small world after all."

Check out her cd and enjoy the Tony's.  I'm also loving "A Catered Affair" and the brilliant revival of "Sunday in the Park."  (more on them later)