Xanadu
November 11 - December 31, 2008
Mandell Weiss Theatre

Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Music & Lyrics by John Farrar & Jeff Lynne
Directed by Christopher Ashley

Venice Beach, 1980...Xanadu follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Cleo, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to California on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest creation of all time — the first ROLLER DISCO...hey, it's 1980.

This hilarious, roller-skating musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and includes, "Magic," "All Over the World," "Suddenly," "I'm Alive," "Evil Woman," "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Xanadu."

Don't miss the magical tale that Variety calls "a guilt-free pleasure."  It's a moving, electrifying tale of endless fun that will keep you in stitches, while the original, legendary chart- topping tunes will lift you out of your seat. 

Christopher Ashley
Since graduating cum laude from Yale University in 1986, Mr. Ashley has directed over 60 productions, including Broadway musical productions Xanadu, All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show, which earned him a 2001 Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. Among his numerous credits and accolades are a 2002 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction of a Resident Musical for Sweeney Todd  at the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration and an Obie Award for his direction of Paul Rudnick's play Jeffrey. In October 2007 Mr. Ashley made a new home for himself in San Diego as he took the reins as Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse.

La Jolla Playhouse wishes to thank our generous sponsor for their support: