Show guide
Xanadu
Xanadu is a giddy, roller-skate-fueled jukebox musical that turns a cult 1980s movie into a self-aware celebration of Greek myth, disco glitter, and pure theatrical camp.
- Broadway premiere
- 2007
- Music by
- Lynne & Farrar
- Genre
- Jukebox
- Setting
- 1980s
Xanadu: quick answers
What is Xanadu about?
- Xanadu follows Clio, a Greek muse who roller-skates down from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach disguised as an Australian roller skater named Kira, to inspire a struggling chalk artist, Sonny Malone, to open a roller disco, while her jealous sisters scheme against her.
When did Xanadu open on Broadway?
- Xanadu opened on Broadway on July 10, 2007, at the Helen Hayes Theatre and ran 513 performances, closing on September 28, 2008.
Is Xanadu a jukebox musical?
- Yes. It reuses the Jeff Lynne and John Farrar songs from the 1980 film's soundtrack and adds other hits, including the Electric Light Orchestra's Evil Woman and Strange Magic and Farrar's Have You Never Been Mellow.
Where and when is Xanadu set?
- Xanadu is set in 1980 in Los Angeles, from Venice Beach to the Fairfax district, with scenes on Mount Olympus.
Has Xanadu played in London's West End?
- Xanadu has not had a West End run; its London premiere was a 2015 production at Southwark Playhouse, which added Olivia Newton-John's Physical to the score.
Is there a Xanadu movie?
- The musical is a tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the 1980 film Xanadu, directed by Robert Greenwald and starring Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, and Gene Kelly in his final film role; the film flopped but became a cult favorite.
The story of Xanadu
Set in the 1980s, Xanadu follows Kira, a Greek muse who descends to earth on roller skates to inspire a struggling artist to open a roller disco, all while grappling with her own forbidden feelings for a mortal. The show leans fully into the neon-soaked, larger-than-life aesthetic of its era, treating its own absurd premise with a wink rather than total seriousness.
The plot borrows loosely from Greek mythology, filtering ancient gods and muses through the lens of glittery 1980s pop culture, resulting in a story that is as much about embracing joyful silliness as it is about following any particular character's arc.
The music and the makers
Xanadu is a jukebox musical built around songs by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, drawn from the soundtrack of the original film and its associated hits. The score is steeped in the sound of the era, featuring driving synth-pop and soft rock numbers that audiences already knew and loved before the show ever reached the stage.
Because it is a jukebox show, the songs were not written for the story in the traditional sense, and the stage adaptation leans into that gap with playful, self-aware humor, using the familiar hits as the backbone for a knowingly campy theatrical experience.
Xanadu on Broadway
Xanadu opened on Broadway in 2007, arriving with a cheeky, tongue-in-cheek tone that distinguished it from more earnest jukebox musicals of the period. Rather than trying to disguise the source film's reputation as a cult flop, the stage version embraced it, turning that history into part of the joke.
Its appeal comes from its unapologetic silliness, roller skates and all, offering audiences a lighthearted, high-energy escape built entirely around nostalgia for 1980s pop music. It stands as a reminder that Broadway has plenty of room for shows that simply want to have fun.
Xanadu: frequently asked questions
When did Xanadu open on Broadway?
It opened on Broadway in 2007.
Who wrote the songs in Xanadu?
The jukebox score draws on songs by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar from the original film.
What is Xanadu about?
It follows a Greek muse who comes to earth on roller skates in the 1980s to help open a roller disco, blending mythology with pop music camp.
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