Los Alto High’s student-run theater club, Blue Broadway, performed its debut performance of the musical “Xanadu” last Friday. The show marks their second production as a club, with their first production, “A VHS Christmas Carol,” last year.

In the show “Xanadu,” the leader of the nine Greek goddesses, Clio, comes alive from a mural in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. The musical follows her journey to inspire struggling artist Sonny Malone, in their hopes of finding Xanadu and creating the “apex of all the arts:” a roller disco.

Aside from the help of school PTSA funds, the direction and production of the show were student-led.

“Without faculty [leading the production], and knowing that all students did it was more rewarding for me,” student director and sophomore Frankie Bengtson said.

However, the cast was limited to rehearsing in Los Altos High’s student service building, a common after-school study spot. Junior Hannah Cohen, who starred as “Kira,” initially felt embarrassed to rehearse openly in front of other students and faced an instance where she was mocked by a group of high school boys.

“Eventually I became really close friends with the people in my cast and I didn’t really feel that embarrassment or shyness about rehearsing in the student center,” Cohen said. “ I’m proud of how talented everyone is. There’s no reason to be embarrassed about that.”

In the future, Blue Broadway would like to expand their cast and crew and increase the number of performances, Manson said. Moreover, Blue Broadway hopes to promote a beginner-friendly environment for everyone to access and enjoy theater.

“[Getting to play Kira] brought back my love for theater,” Cohen said.

After watching the show, Blue Broadway hopes the audience was able to connect the themes of “Xanadu” to their own lives, vice-president of the club, Sophie Yung, said.

“Being able to see the value in [art] can help the people around us and help us come together more as humanity,” Cohen said.