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Blue Snow's Report of Xena LIVE!
I guess start at the beginning. I can't possibly do
this at all briefly- so put your feet up or something.
It's a very small, intimate theater. I don't even think it seats 50. The theater's located
on Broadway, on the northside of the city, in the middle of "Gay Town" and is a
famous landmark- built in the late 1800's, early 1900's. It was built to house Jane Adams'
center for helping feed, clothe and educated the needy. Believe it was also a boarding
house at one time. It's still an educational center, but the theater was added later
within the building so is very small. So tickets are at a premium and going like wildfire
even now. Unbelievably, it's the most successful stage production in Chicago at the
moment. And we've got Steppenwolf. Maybe it says something about our collective tastes-
but more likely it's all the Xenites from around the world who are showing up here. I
heard French and German the last time I went. It's big. But they still don't think they'll
tour. They're working on the 2nd ep and will probably just segue into that when ths one
plays out. Funny- they're not even being paid! I'm sure they'll demand it for the second
one.
Okay- it's set in the "Ravens Wood", which is a big fat Chicago inside joke.
Ravenswood is a moderate upscale neighborhood on the north side of the city. It has tens
of thousands of stately, old growth trees. Well, several years ago the Asian Longhorned
beetle escaped from a packing crate shipped from China and began procreating and devouring
the trees. The city had to chop down thousands of infested trees, to much citywide
chagrin.
Cut to the play. Xena and Gabrielle wander into the Ravens Wood and discover strange
goings on. Actually, back up. The play starts in the present day- future Gabrielle walks
into a nightclub where future Xena is singing. Their eyes lock-instant past lives
recognition. Future Xena slowly approaches future Gab, they clasp hands- music blares,
lights flash- cut to their past in the Ravens Wood. So, they discover strange goings on.
It's too quiet and dead looking. Suddenly they're attacked by huge winged beetles! They
manage to kill or drive them all off. They try and leave the Ravens Wood but are stopped
by the beetle Queen (the funniest drag queen you ever saw!) who spars with Xena, then
flees. Xena gives chase but loses the Queen- she vows to stay and defeat the Queen in
order to restore the Ravens Wood. The beetle Queen, surrounded by her winged beetle
minions,
vows revenge and casts a spell on Xena. In order to divert Xena's focus she splits her in
two! One Xena is the lover, the other is the fighter.
Neither Xena nor Gab, of course, knows what happened. They were asleep (on top of
each other!) when the spell took place. Gab wakes up with fighter Xena (played by
Alexandra Billings) Gab (Amy Metheny) can't understand Xena's sudden awful mood.
Everywhere they go Xena's picking fights with whomever they encounter. Gab, fearing Xena's
dark side has returned, slips away from her while she's brawling in a pub. She runs into
Joxer (Brad Harbaugh.yeah, can't get away from him even in a lesbian play) and tells him
about Xena's transformation. Up walks lover Xena (Elizabeth Laidlaw- the most perfect Xena
outside of LL and truly swoon worthy!), who begins running her hands up and down Gab's
body while trying to kiss her. Joxer
thinks Gab's an idiot and leaves. Xena proceedes to tell Gab how much she truly loves her,
about how she always has, and about how she wants to show her--- right now! Gab is more
than a little frightened now and runs away. Cut to Joxer running into fighter Xena and
getting his ass kicked (score one for the dykes- much hooting and hollering and cheering
ensued). Xena catches up to Gab just as the Amazons emerge from the wood. Their Queen has
returned!! Amazon's cheering. Xena's pissed- Muffy the amazon layer- their new regent, has
staked her claim (and lips) to Gab, saying that she belongs with the amazons and it's time
for her to leave Xena for good. Fighting ensues with Gab standing in the middle being
useless. Finally, Xena assures Muffy that her rightful place is on the WB and that she has
no future with Gab. The amazons leave.
The Queen beetle, seeing all of this, realizes that Xena may even be tougher in 2 bodies
and calls Callisto (Loretta Rezos- perfect insane, piercing Callisto scream) and Ares
(Aaron Christiansen- miscast) to help. Callisto goes to lover Xena. Ares to fighter Xena.
They all fight- even Gabrielle, who gets knocked out by Callisto, causing Lover
Xena to cry and lose the fight. Callsto leaves with the warning to Xena that if her heart
was in one piece, her body would be too. Xena doesn't understand- but is heartbroken over
Gab. Joxer shows up again and thinks Xena has hurt Gab. His ass is kicked again. Turns out
Gab is dead! Joxer and Xena bring her back with a potion- no one knows where it came from
(and we never find out! Joke on Xena back from the dead silliness). Gab awakens and is
grateful to Xena- they kiss long and passionately. Joxer giggles stupidly and leaves.
Up walks fighter Xena! They see each other for the first time! Much wariness. Gab is
beside herself. Ares arrives- he thinks it's funny. The Xena's join forces to defeat him.
Fighter Xena doesn't stay- she wants the Queens head. Lover Xena stays- she wants
Gab's....... Joxer returns as Xena goes off to find something to prove her love for Gab.
Gab and Joxer try to figure out what's going on as Xena brings larger and larger bouquets
of flowers. Gab keeps saying they're great, but to keep trying.
Xena keeps going off with determined (and funny) sighs. Finally returns with trees.
Fighter Xena comes back and says they need to join forces to defeat the Queen- she has
Callisto and Ares with her! They all warily agree. Much fighting- bodies, swords, chakrams
flying- the Xena's manage to melt the Queen (a la the wicked witch of the west). Callisto
and Ares run away. All is happiness! But, the 2 Xena's are still there! Aphrodite shows
up- tells Xena's to follow their hearts (pointing at Gab) and all will be well. They both
realize they need each other as one in order to be the
soul mate of Gab. Much booming and lights flashing- Xena's are reunited! In Lover Xena's
body! Gab says " this is more like it" and takes Xena off to bed.
The End.
SnuggleGrrl's Report of Xena LIVE! The Final Preformance
The Play
At the start of the first scene, the actors appeared a bit nervous, but soon fell into the
rhythm of the show, and took it to the limit! Many moments were pushed to the edge, jokes
played on one actor by another, and sometimes an all out suspension of the play to do a
lot of ad-libbing! I thoroughly enjoyed all of it! <g> For example, all the kisses
between Xena and Gabrielle were MUCH longer, and much racier! The actresses just played it
to the max! Muffy, the Amazon Layer, not only teased Gabrielle, she dove in to prove why
she was called "Muffy" <giggle> Needless to say, the audience went wild
with cheers and
whistling!
Xena and Gabrielle were all over each other every chance they got! And even the two Xena's
got to do a bit of rolling on the floor together! Near the end of it, Joxer came out
wearing a bra over his breastplate! Near the final scene, one of the actors came out with
some roses for Xena, and Elizabeth broke character by walking up to the audience and
stated something like: "you all should have these instead, for coming to the show so
many times" then removed each of the roses and tossed them to members of the
audience! Guess who got them????
Yup! Our dear ChiPup Melissa got tossed one of the roses from "her" Elizabeth!
(<g> Melissa is quite fond of Elizabeth, you know, and was a veeeeerrryyyy happy
pup!) Another rose was for our ChiPup Royla, and the third was for another woman I had
noticed at the show many times!
As the show ended, we all stood up and gave them a standing ovation! The actors took their
bows grinning form ear to ear! They stayed on the stage, and the two Xena's, Alex and
Elizabeth, proceeded to thank the various people involved with the show: the actors who
had played in past performances but were not currently in it, the stage crew and
technicians, and of course the director and playwrite! Amy got a special thanks as
producer of the show, without whom the play would not
have existed!
Elizabeth gave a big thank you to us fans who have come to the play many times, and
supported them by spreading the word and promoting the show! She specifically named the
Xena Palace folks, the Whoosh site and... YES! the ChiPups! We clapped and cheered as she
looked at us and thanked us! Wow! That was quite a rush for me, I can tell you! Made
the whole experience very special! <grinning form ear to ear!>
As the stage went dark and they all exited, we milled about for a while, hoping to see
them after the show, but they did not appear. Since we knew they had their special
friends there, we figured they would not come out, so Royla, Melissa, Tina and I decided
to continue the evening elsewhere!
