I was a little too young to experience Xanadu during its theatrical run, but some of my earliest music memories are tied to Olivia Newton-John. Her album Physical became the first piece of music I truly loved that was not aimed at children. At the time I was blissfully unaware of what the lyrics to the title track actually meant. I completely bought into the workout theme of the video and thought it was simply about exercise.

By the time Xanadu began appearing on television, I was already a fan of Olivia. For some reason the movie just resonated with me at a young age. I had no idea who Gene Kelly was or the legacy he carried. To me he was simply the older gentleman in the story. My focus was entirely on Sonny Malone and Kira and the idea of a struggling artist being inspired by a mysterious muse.

As I grew older my connection to the film only deepened. I moved from Canada to Southern California and kept revisiting the movie. My collection slowly evolved from VHS to LaserDisc, then DVD, Blu Ray, and eventually a 4K release. It even became the first film I purchased in my digital movie library.

I also fell in love with the stage adaptation. When the musical version premiered outside New York at the La Jolla Playhouse, I saw it several times during its run. It was a joyful reminder that this quirky film still had the power to inspire people decades later.

In the year 2000 I had the opportunity to meet Olivia in person after winning a drawing for a meet and greet at one of her concerts. I spent a long time deciding what I should bring for her to sign. Ultimately I chose a vinyl copy of Physical because that album was the beginning of my admiration for her music. She signed it with a black marker and we took a photo together. While I loved it, the dark marker was difficult to see against the album cover. In hindsight I wished I had brought my Xanadu LaserDisc sleeve instead. It had a beautiful illustration of Olivia that would have made a perfect background for the signature.

Years later I became a Disneyland Annual Passholder and began using the parks as a place to develop my photography skills. Around that time the entrance to Disney California Adventure was redesigned to resemble the distinctive facade of the Pan Pacific Auditorium. That building played a memorable role in Xanadu. The original structure had been lost to a fire, but seeing its design echoed in the park created a special connection for fans of the film. Every time I walked through those gates I half expected a flash mob to break out dancing to the title song.

Over the years I saw Olivia perform several more times but never had another chance to meet her in person. Then something unexpected happened during the pandemic. A friend of mine who promotes concerts and happens to know Olivia sent me a message asking if I had anything I wanted signed. He was gathering items to send to her for charity auctions.

I immediately knew what I wanted to send. This was my chance to finally have my Xanadu LaserDisc sleeve signed. I included a note thanking her and even enclosed a print of the photo we had taken together years earlier.

Eventually the package returned in the mail. When I opened the box and saw her signature across the cover it looked even better than I imagined. Sadly we lost Olivia in 2022, but that autograph became an incredibly meaningful piece of my personal history with her work.

And yet something about the piece never felt finished.

For years the signed sleeve remained carefully stored in the same mailing box my friend had used. I never framed it or hung it on the wall. I could never quite explain why.

Then two days ago everything came together.

I saw a post on Facebook announcing that Michael Beck, who played Sonny Malone in Xanadu, would be speaking that very day at the Ramona Library. Ramona is a small town just northeast of San Diego and practically in my backyard.

I immediately called a friend who also loves the film. Within a couple hours we were on our way.

Michael was there primarily to talk about his career in audiobook narration. He described the process of recording stories and developing voices for characters. Much of his work has been narrating novels by John Grisham. In fact he joked that after recording more than thirty of Grisham’s books he still has never met the author in person.

That comment resonated with me. Michael Beck had been part of my life for decades through Xanadu, yet this was the first time I had ever seen him in person.

After the talk several people gathered around him with additional questions. When it was my turn I asked if he might be willing to sign my LaserDisc sleeve. As I removed it from the box he noticed Olivia’s signature and paused for a moment, clearly touched by the memory.

He carefully confirmed the spelling of my name so he would not make a mistake. Then he added his signature next to hers.

The library had strict rules about photography during and after the event, so I was not able to take a picture with him. But when he handed the sleeve back he looked me in the eye and gave me a warm handshake that said everything.

In that moment I realized why the piece had never felt complete.

Now it was.

The Sonny Malone character had always felt like a reflection of the developing artist inside me. My medium may be photography rather than painting, but the idea of inspiration and creative courage still resonates deeply. Kira’s role as a muse and Sonny’s journey as an artist shaped how I saw the film and perhaps even how I saw myself.

To think that this LaserDisc sleeve has now been held by both Olivia Newton-John and Michael Beck feels surreal. My younger self would probably describe that moment as the very definition of Xanadu.

If you have ever had a chance to meet someone whose work inspired you, I would love to hear your story. Come join us in the Fairy Tale Photo Academy Theme Park Photography community on Skool and share the encounters that have shaped your journey. Those moments often stay with us for a lifetime and sometimes they help us discover our own version of Xanadu.