Audiences in 1980 simply weren’t ready for an Olivia Newton-John movie that quoted a 19th-century Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, cast two-left-footed Livvy as the ancient goddess of dance, and featured a musical number in which the leading lovers transformed into animated fish. But Xanadu had its followers—and its revenge, when it morphed into the amusing, Tony-nominated 2007 Broadway musical (now on tour). The film’s soundtrack, by longtime Newton-John composer John Farrar and ELO’s Jeff Lynne, was always a sensation. Pop smashes such as “Magic”—plus Olivia’s earlier Farrar-penned hit “Have You Never Been Mellow” and a couple of old ELO standards like “Evil Woman”—now fill the score. The affectionate spoof of a book is by master satirist Douglas Carter Beane (As Bees in Honey Drown, The Little Dog Laughed), who has much fun goosing the notion that a Greek muse would descend to Earth carrying an Australian accent, legwarmers, and the sworn duty to inspire the opening of a roller disco. “A place where nobody dared to go,” according to its title tune, is now indeed “the love that we came to know.” The only thing fans will miss is the cartoon fish. STEVE WIECKING

Jan. 19-21, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 22-23, 8 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 23, 2 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 24, 1 & 6:30 p.m., 2010