Xanadu - Day 1 of My Incredible Journey through the World of Theater

Approaching the venue for the kick-off event of my year at the theater, groups of friends gathered outside the doors. Some were waiting for friends, some trying to give away the tickets of friends who weren't going to show up.

The Marquee

There were the expected gay men in outlandish 80's costumes and make-up getting into the spirit of opening night of this outlandish Broadway production. Groups of attractive women in their late 30's and early 40's, having grown up with the serio-camp of the original Olivia Newton-John film, laughed and chatted with their friends, sharing those memories.

Ticket #1

And, in the middle of it all, I stumbled through, alone and on a mission. I had never seen the movie, and had no idea what to expect. Reviews from its' initial run on Broadway and Costa Mesa, California, were glowing. "Funny" and "80's farce" were descriptions I was aware of. The flyer announcing the new season of the Rat City Rollergirls (the local Roller Derby team) that I found while searching for a program was the best indicator this was going to be a fun evening.

Walking to my seat near the front, middle of the auditorium, I noticed 15 - 20 people being shown to seats behind brick facades on stage. Apparently, this was going to be a production that included audience participation. It was.

Designing a Roller Disco!

I'm hardly an expert on talent, but what I saw over the 90 minutes of the show were a group of good actors with big, Broadway-style voices belting out ELO tunes. The style of acting was over-the-top, but that's to be expected. In fact, the tone of the show required that. All in all, very enjoyable.

Elizabeth Stanley as Kira

Now, the reason for this whole experience goes back to understanding the differences of how theater and film can impact on me. More specifically, why a "stagy" theatrical performance can entrance me, but seeing the same thing on film makes me want to slit my wrists.

Last night told me little about that, but it did remind me of what is so good about theater. The stage can wrap you up in its environment. The live sounds, unfiltered through the prism of digital mastering, are far more organic. The lighting is not something splayed across a 60" 2D HD screen. No matter how good my home theater is, or the IMAX is, for that matter, that organic quality really separates the experiences from each other.

Kira and the Muses

But, I knew that before last night. So, I'm not sure how much further along I am in my quest for answers.