In the Spotlife: Meet Sheryl McCallum of ‘Xanadu’

Sheryl McCallum is appearing in the DCPA Theatre Company’s ‘Oklahoma’ through October 14. Photo by Adams VisCom

High rollers! Meet the cast and creative team that will bring Xanadu from Mount Olympus to the Garner Galleria Theatre

Denver Center Cabaret has announced the cast and creative team for the fun roller-skating musical Xanadu, to be presented by a five-actor ensemble in the Garner Galleria Theatre from November 3, 2018, through April 28, 2019. And as has long been a point of pride for many homegrown Galleria productions, Xanadu features an all-Colorado company of actors.

Meet Sheryl McCallum

  • Role: Melpomene
  • Hometown: Denver
  • What’s your website? None, shame on me!
  • What have you done for us lately? I just played Aunt Eller in the DCPA Theatre Company’s Oklahoma! Before that, I played Mother in the Aurora Fox’s Passing Strange and Delores in Off-Center’s The Wild Party.
  • Twitter-sized bio: Denver native, best Auntie, wanna find my beach, ZPhiB💙,
 creator and host of The Source Theatre’s monthly Monday!Monday!Monday! cabaret at Su Teatro. ❤Spain, 13.1 coming soon
  • If you were ever to find yourself on Mount Olympus and asked to describe the 1980s Earthling fad known as “roller disco,” how would you explain it? First, you meet at this place called a rink. Then you put on some shoes with wheels on them called skates. Then you put on your favorite song and, as best you can, glide around an oval and try not to fall on your behind! It’s great fun.
  • Best 1980s roller-skating song: “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll” by Vaughan Mason and Crew
  • Best hand-holding roller-skating song for when they slow it down and turn down the lights with just you and the person you want to be your Saturday Night Skate City sweetie circling the rink: “Same Old Love” by Anita Baker
  • Teenage roller-skating memory: When I learned how to do the “crossover” move.
  • Your present skill level on skates: Beginner
  • Fill in the blank with any word other than “mellow”: “Have you never been _____: Giddy? Have you never tried?”

To read a fun introductory, skating-themed profile of each cast member, click on a name from the list below:

Xanadu: Cast

Xanadu: Creative team

  • Director and Choreographer: Joel Ferrell
  • Musical Director: David Nehls
  • Assistant Director: Piper Lindsay Arpan
  • Scenic Design: Lisa Orzolek
  • Light Design: Charles MacLeod
  • Costume Design: Meghan Anderson Doyle
  • Sound Design: Craig Breitenbach

Xanadu: Ticket information

XanaduXanadu, based on the 1980 cult film starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, is a Tony Award-nominated musical that follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse named Kira who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California. She is on a quest to inspire struggling artist Sonny to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco. (Hey, it’s 1980.) But when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds. This is a musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, with an original score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar.

  • Written by: Douglas Carter Beane (book); Jeff Lynne and John Farrar (music and lyrics)
  • When: Performances November 3, 2018, through April 28, 2019
  • Where: Garner Galleria Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex
  • Information: Call 303-893-4100 or BUY ONLINE
  • Groups: Call 800-641-1222
  • Age recommendation: 12 and over

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter