Ding dong, the cuckoo clock has run out for Governor Blagojevich. Yesterday the Illinois senate unanimously voted to impeach the unpopular Governor on corruption charges, in their best Donald Trump impersonation- you’re fired.
Meanwhile HBO aired the awkward documentary, The Trails of Ted Haggard, which focused on the fallen homo-hungry evangelist. The short documentary sheds a light on the complex wall of lies that fundamentalist Christians construct when declaring war on same-sex love. Will Ted Haggard rehabilitate his career as a religious leader, or will you buy life insurance from him?
Chicago bear movie night community organizer and viral YouTube star Jaimie Williamson joins us to weigh in on their fates.
President Obama describes the 18 billion Wall Street executive bonuses as shameful.
A New York State High school student gets caught cross dressing to cheat on a Regents exam.
Xanadu the Broadway Musical roller skates into Chicago, much to the delight of fans of the campy 1980 film.
The film was an unofficial remake of the 1947 film “Down to Earth” starring Rita Hayworth. (That’s why they used all that WWII stuff!) Xanadu, the film, attempted to capitalize on Olivia Newton John’s success in “Grease” but it didn’t pan out and she was blamed for the box office bomb. The other leads didn’t fair very well either- a very old Gene Kelly, in his last film performed an awkward three way dance number on roller skates and Michael Beck garnered a Razzie award for “Worst Actor.”
The film took place in the 1980s, but actually was shot in 1979. It was a never-to-be realized vision of what the 1980s could be- a decade of creativity, decadence and sexual liberation. Sadly, conservative Reaganomics, AIDS and the Cold War got in the way of that dream.
Check out these screenshots from the “Dancin” sequence in the film:
Featuring a over-the-top score by ELO and an appearance by The Tubes, the film was an oddball combo of musical styles and tacky sets. In one memorable scene, the Tubes dressed up as a punk/new wave band merges and moans with a 1940’s big band. The result was hilariously catastrophic. Click here to see the video.
Is that Darcel Wyne and Deborah Jenssen, two of the famous Solid Gold dancers? Yes it is!
By contrast, Xanadu the Musical is a candy coated take on the darker film, poking a lot of fun not only at Olivia Newtown John, the 1970s and disco, but also at the conventions of musical theater itself.
It carries the self-deprecating tone popularized by shows like “The Producers” and “Urinetown” and continued in “Spamalot!”
The Broadway version of Xanadu closed in October, but you can catch it in all its glory at the Water Tower Drury Lane Theatre. It’s star Elizabeth Stanley easily dominates the show and surpasses Kerry Butler who originated the role on Broadway. If she pursues a career in pop music, Elizabeth Stanley easily could be the next Olivia Newton John.
With all the bad news, it’s nice to be able to escape to “a place where all your hopes survive, they call it Xanadu” and with tickets starting at $25, you can’t afford to miss this wonderfully hilarious show.
Thank Zeus for Xanadu!
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Xanadu on Broadway (Original Broadway Cast Recording 2007): iTunes | Amazon
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3 Comments
Comments
Hey guys….haven’t had a chance to listen to the show yet, but I’m going to see Xanadau next Friday…and I’m sitting in those $25 seats – which just happen to be ON THE STAGE! I’m looking forward to being extra campy too!
Hey guys, Glad you liked the show. Jack, Mark, and I had a great time last week. I think it works in the Drury Lane Watertower’s space better than in NY. The cast was very fun too. Elizabeth Stanley, I believe, starred in Crybaby in NY, not Hairspray. It’s a fun show…Makes me think of how you bring back Can’t Stop the Music, and all those campy 70’s disco musicals. Could be dangerous, hmm. Talk to later…Phil
Ted Haggard is my hero…
Thank Zeus for Feast of Fools. Thank you guys for putting out such great programs five days a week!! I’ll be sure to check out Xanadu, it sounds like mad fun!!!
I really don’t care much for football either, but we are pretty excited that the Cardinals actually made it to the Superbowl. They have been an awful team ever since they came here in the late 80s and it is pretty exciting!! Although I probably won’t watch the game, I’ll go find the commercials on youtube somewhere. I wonder if GoDaddy.com is going to have another commercial this year? They are based locally up in Scottsdale, AZ and are a huge employer here in the Valley.
Great show guys, sounds like I need to make a trip to see Xanadu! I think the Regents tests are something out of NY. My family is from there and it sounds familiar.
I totally agree with the opinion on the economy. A lot of it is based on the mood of the nation, and currently the mood isn’t that great. But some money is still being exchanged and the world is still going around…..just a bit slower. Things are going to pick up as new technologies are invested in and brought out to the consumer……specifically in clean energy and efficient devices and vehicles. 2009 will be still perhaps be a bit shaky, but the economy should stabilize and then start to recover late in the year.
have a great weekend guys!
–Joe
I’ll listen to the Feast of Fools forever…or just for a day. I always forget the difference.
So the regents exams are not the SATs. I took the regents in high school and they are just a statewide standardized test to make sure students are know enough to pass a particular class. they are extremely easy…kinda like Tracy!
Jaimie, The robot from the 1980’s that used the newest technology at the time the 8-track was called 2XL. I had one as a kid and thought it was amazing just like this kid and his Paper Scissors Barrack YouTube videos.
Here’s 2XL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJIdz3V8xGQ&feature=related
Thanks Cliff! That’s right!
I’d play with him for hours, and stare into his strobe eyes.
I must say though, you look way too young to have played with him. I forgot how gay his voice was. Maybe that’s why I’m attracted to gay, nerd-like boys today?
The clip brought back memories.
Thanks for another great show guys! I saw “Xanadu” on Broadway, and couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed in the music. But when Fausto explained how complicated ELO’s music was to sing without vocoders, it made a lot of sense.
But Fausto, Fausto, the movie came out in 1980, not 1979. I kept yelling this to you on the subway, didn’t you hear me?
Finally have agreed with Fausto about being a little more up-beat / positive to move the nation forward. Haven’t caught up on all podcast since this one yet so I hope that you are critical of the doom and gloom Obama keeps saying every day….. this just from today 2-9-09… if Congress does not quickly pass an economic stimulus package, the nation will slip into a crisis so deep that “we may be unable to reverse” it. Enjoy the podcast but tune out the politics…… also i believe Obama is bi-racial and not black…