The CultureMap Interview

Xanadu star romps on roller skates, plays in "pageant closet" and channels Olivia Newton John

In a decade at Stages Repertory Theatre, Holland Vavra has portrayed a stripper, an agoraphobic housewife, a 1940s pinup girl, a Steel Magnolia and a Wonderette, among other roles. But nothing has compared to the attention she is getting for her current turn as the roller-skating star in Xanadu — a part made famous by Olivia Newton John in the '80s cult film.

"It's just a big party — and it's on roller skates."

The musical has become a big summer hit for Stages, which has extended performances through July 20. The production, a wild romp that improbably combines rollers skaters in legwarmers with muses in Greek togas and some of the decade's most iconic tunes, draws a cadre of excited Houston theatergoers who have already seen the production seven or eight times, mouthing the lyrics to such songs as "Suddenly" and "I'm Alive" along with the cast.

"They're our super fans," says the show's star, who everyone calls Holland (in a one-name tribute kind of like Cher). "It's fabulous."

CultureMap caught up with the 31-year-old actress to find out more.

CultureMap: You've done a lot of different roles at Stages. How does this compare to the ones you've done in the past?

Holland Vavra: Oh gosh, this is the first one I can say I am legitimately starring in. This is my 14th show at Stages and I've been very, very blessed by the people there. But this one is different. It's just a wonderful show to do. There's nothing sad or upsetting about it. It's just a big party — and it's on roller skates.

CM: Did you have to learn to roller skate for this role?

HV: Oh, no. I have been skating as long as I can remember actually. I am very comfortable on roller skates — it just so happens there is an entire musical on roller skates and thankfully I am able to do it.

CM: Has it improved your roller skating skills?

HV: It's made me more comfortable on them. My turning is really good now. I can turn really fast. It's a new element to be on roller skates in a small space.

CM: Why is Xanadu so beloved?

HV: The '80s was such a great time for people. I'm a child of the '80s. I was young (born in 1982), but I do remember this music. People can hear the first notes of a tune and remember where they were the first time they heard it.

"You find your niche, your theater family and you just stay with them."

CM: How hard is it to make a living as an actress in Houston?

HV: I have been really blessed with the people at Stages. I started working there when I was 21. I've gone on to TUTS and done other things here and there, but I always come back to Stages. I am union and it's difficult to work constantly in Houston as union. But I think we have a wonderful theater community in Houston. You find your niche, your theater family and you just stay with them.

CM: On Twitter, you once said, "I want to be Carol Burnett." Does that still stand?

HV: I do love her. And Madeline Kahn. The humor those women could produce was way beyond what was happening at the time. Oddly enough, in the show, towards the end of the second act, there are four of us on stage and we crack each other up so hard that we have to figure something to say on the spot. We jokingly say it's The Carol Burnett Show.

CM: Is Holland a family name?

HV: No, it's not. Both of my parents were in theater and just wanted me to have an interesting name, maybe crossing their fingers that their little girl would be an actress. I guess they got what they wanted.

CM: You were in the Miss Texas pageant. What do you feel about pageants now, looking back?

HV: There is a great deal of humor and satire in pageants, but the best part is the women are real, they are funny and talented and smart. I enjoyed my three years (in competition). It's fun to play dress-up every day. And I won the talent (portion) when I was there so I got a lot of my tuition paid.

I currently have what most of friends, particularly Mitchell Greco, the director, and Mark Ivy, who is also in the show, refer to it as my "pageant closet." It is fun to come play in the pageant closet when you come over.

Xanadu continues Wednesdays through Sundays at Stages, 3201 Allen Parkway, through July 20. Tickets are $19 - $65.

Holland Vavra, right, is on a roll in the Stages production of Xanadu, with co-star Cameron Bautsch.

Cameron Bautsch and Holland Vavra in Stages production of Xanadu June 2104

Photo by Bruce Bennett

Holland Vavra, right, is on a roll in the Stages production of Xanadu, with co-star Cameron Bautsch.

unspecified

Movie Review

Cookie Queens goes behind the scenes of Girl Scout Cookie season

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Girl Scouts in Cookie Queens.

Few people are strong enough to resist the lure of Girl Scout cookie season every year, with the cookies’ limited availability and unique flavors a strong incentive to indulge. But only the girls and their families who have sold the cookies know the joys and stresses of trying to get people to buy them, a process that is detailed in the new documentary, Cookie Queens.

The film by documentarian Alysa Nahmias uses the stories of four different girls to represent the nationwide ritual for the Girl Scouts. They include 12-year-old Olive in Charlotte, North Carolina, a longtime top seller; 8-year-old Shannon Elizabeth in El Paso, Texas, who wants to earn the reward of going to camp; 5-year-old Ara in San Diego, California, whose goal is modest compared to most other girls; and 9-year-old Nikki in Chino, California, who has to compete with her older sisters in the cookie-selling bonanza.

The girls represent a cross-section of both ages and backgrounds, with some girls coming from wealthy families and some girls dealing with more limited means. And how much money your family has makes a big difference, as not only does someone richer have more freedom with their time and supplies, but all scouts are required to reimburse the organization for every box they take in, regardless of whether they’re able to sell it or not.

That caveat makes the journeys of the four featured girls feel wildly different. It’s clear from the start that Olive and Nikki’s families don’t give a second thought to the personal economics of selling cookies, with each girl taking in thousands of boxes at the beginning of the six-week selling season. With both Olive and Nikki rightfully confident that they’ll have no problem offloading their supply, their stories turn to how selling is personally affecting them, with each trying to reconcile the fun of doing it with the pressure they feel from their family members.

Shannon Elizabeth’s story is more harrowing, as her parents feel a strong desire to help her accomplish her lofty goal, but worry that the cost might literally be too high for the family as a whole. More than once, the parents are shown fretting that they won’t have the money to pay back what they owe should they fall significantly short in their sales. Their selling approach, which includes walking through an empty swap meet and standing outside a chain restaurant at night, only adds to their stress.

The most fun story to watch is that of Ara, whose innocence is matched by her confidence. Her parents teach her how much money they’ll owe with her small goal of 55 boxes, but right away she takes on more responsibility than expected. She’s shown making sales pitches and tallying the total number of boxes she’s sold with little-to-no help from either her mom or dad. With her high voice, glasses, and a monitor on her arm to manage her diabetes, she becomes the cute and sympathetic part of the film.

There are times that the film starts to feel more than a little manipulative, however. While many of the moments documented come off as organic, some of them seem like Nahmias is actively guiding the participants in order to get a better story. This is especially evident with Shannon Elizabeth and her family, whose early struggles turn into a miraculous feel-good story by the end, a turnaround that seems implausible at best. Everything with them might have been aboveboard, but Nahmias and her team edit the family’s journey in a way that pushes a bit too hard for emotion.

Cookie Queens, which was produced by a company owned by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, helps to give insight into the business of selling Girl Scout cookies for those who’ve only been on the purchasing end of the transaction. The dedication of each girl toward selling their allotted supply proves fun and interesting, even if the filmmaker tries to gild the lily on occasion.

---

Cookie Queens is now playing in theaters,

movies girl scout cookie film