NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Don't Walk Away!" Backstage Glances at Drury Lane's Xanadu With Chris CritelliChris Critelli, who stars as handsome Sonny in the Drury Lane Theatre's current production of Xanadu, offers an exclusive backstage look at the disco-era musical playing the Illinois venue through Oct. 28.
By
Matthew Blank
October 25, 2012
If you'd like to keep up with Chris, follow him in Twitter at @FlyinOrion.
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Don't Walk Away!" Backstage Glances at Drury Lane's Xanadu With Chris Critelli
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Don't Walk Away!" Backstage Glances at Drury Lane's Xanadu With Chris Critelli
Chris Critelli, who stars as handsome Sonny in the Drury Lane Theatre's current production of Xanadu, offers an exclusive backstage look at the disco-era musical playing the Illinois venue through Oct. 28. Read the Playbill.com story.
24 PHOTOS
Hi, Playbill! Welcome to our behind the scenes glimpse of life here at Xanadu. (I had to write that sign backwards so it would work in the mirror. Be impressed.)
Chris Critelli
Let’s take a look around!
Chris Critelli
One of our pre-show rituals in the guys’ dressing room is checking out hilarious Internet videos. Here's pit singer, understudy and YouTube cowboy Jake Klinkhammer servin' up some lolz for Gene Weygandt (Danny/Zeus) & Sean Blake.
Chris Critelli
My holy trinity: sweat bands, Throat Coat and a trusty bandana.
Our dry erase board is usually home to drawings too appalling to talk about in public. Here’s something a little tamer. It’s Mitt Romney and his binder full of women!
Chris Critelli
Sean Blake & Gary Carlson (Thalia/Cyclops) showing us that real men wear checkered jumpsuits.
Chris Critelli
Here in the ladies’ dressing room, Stephanie Binetti (Euterpe/Thetis) puts on one of her many wigs from our show.
Chris Critelli
And Christine Sherrill (Melpomene/Medusa) & Nancy Voigts (Calliope/Aphrodite) help her get into costume.
Chris Critelli
Here I am photo-bombing Nancy Voigts while she tweets, or instagrams, or…something.
Chris Critelli
Before every show we have a skate call or what I like to call a make-sure-you-don’t-die call. We roll around for a bit and perform our big finale. Here are Gene Weygandt & Jake Klinkhammer getting fresh.
Chris Critelli
And look who else is at skate call! It’s my lovely co-star, the beautiful & hysterical Gina Milo (Clio/Kira)! Here she is giving us some signature XANA-hands.
Chris Critelli
And here she is getting into character.
Chris Critelli
With her non-stop costume/footwear changes, getting her leg-warmers to look just right is actually a huge (and daily) challenge. Sometimes she needs a little help.
Chris Critelli
Hey look, it’s a serial killer’s basement! Just kidding. It’s one of many wig stations for our show. Hairdos are a huge part of Xanadu.
Chris Critelli
And when my castmates aren’t looking, I steal their wigs.
Chris Critelli
Gene Weygandt getting into the zone before the show begins.
Chris Critelli
And here’s a candid shot from the wings of Gene’s Zeus lounging on his Olympian throne. I took this right before my entrance. (Don’t tell my stage manager)
Chris Critelli
Here Gary Carlson transforms into his scene-stealing Cyclops.
Chris Critelli
And Sean Blake gives us his brand of Centaur attitude. You don’t have to be a biped to be sexy.
Chris Critelli
Meet our incredible pit-singers Robin Childress & Jake Klinkhammer! Here they are luxuriating in their custom-built backstage sound booth complete with mini disco ball.
Chris Critelli
Every now and then, we change the setting of the play from 1980s Venice Beach to modern day Brooklyn for a special hipster rendition of Xanadu. This is me getting into character. Whatever.
Chris Critelli
And here we are, after a long week’s work, winding down in my apartment where I host my weekly "Sunday Fundays." Snacks, booze, board games & ghost stories. What’s not to love!
Chris Critelli
Well, thanks for taking a peak into our backstage lives! Now, get outta here - we’ve got short shorts & glittery jumpsuits to put on!
The company is led by Gina Milo as Clio/Kira and Critelli as Sonny. Also featured are Stephanie Binetti as Euterpe, multi-Jeff Award nominee Sean Blake as Terpsicore, Gary Carlson as Thalia, Robin Childress, Jake Klinkhammer, Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader as Erato, multi-Jeff Award nominee Christine Sherrill as Melponeme, multi-Jeff Award winner Nancy Voigts as Calliope and Gene Weygandt as Danny.
The production is directed and choreographed by Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell, who was named Best Director by Chicago Magazine in 2010.
The Best Musical Tony Award nominee has book by Douglas Carter Beane (Sister Act, Lysistrata Jones), with music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar.
Xanadu is based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. The musical "follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time: a roller disco. When Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds."
The Drury Lane Theatre is located at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. For more information and tickets, call (630) 530-0111 or visit DruryLaneOakBrook.com.
