Olivia about Grease, Xanadu love and yoga - Muziek Parade

Translation from Dutch:

By Marc Spits

Over the past few months, I've done absolutely everything I could to get an exclusive interview with OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN. I tried dozens of times by phone to arrange an interview. I contacted everyone who might be able to help me meet OLIVIA. But all my attempts were unsuccessful.

Of course, I could have gone to the various press conferences and stood up to ask a few questions. But I wasn't interested. I absolutely had to speak with OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN in person.

Her press agent, Julian Barber, kept telling me that Miss Newton-John was too tired, or Miss Newton-John is at her ranch and doesn't want to speak to anyone, or Miss Newton-John is on vacation, and other such excuses.

Until I ran into Lee Kramer at the synagogue in Manhattan, New York. I recognized him immediately, approached him, and told him straight out that I wanted to speak to OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN as soon as possible. I explained that I'd already been passed around and that I was done.

Livvy's blushing ex-boyfriend listened to me, pulled out his calendar, and said, Next Wednesday at 2:30 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Suite 1202.

Lee Kramer noted the appointment, said a brief hello, and was gone. I couldn't believe it... until the following Wednesday, when — a little nervously — I sank ankle-deep into the carpets of the expensive hotel.

A spontaneous kiss! For Holland, right? OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN bursts out laughing, as if I'd told a colossal joke, while all I did was hand her my card and one Baccara rose. A bit awkwardly, I kiss her hand, but OLIVIA spontaneously gives me a smack on the cheek. I'm completely bewildered.

Somebody has opened the door for me and quickly retreated. Now we're alone. OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN is dressed very casually. A sweater with a shirt underneath, a full skirt. All in sweet colors. Her hair is beautiful blond. Her eyes innocent. And then that broad, radiant smile — Holland, right? The ice is immediately broken. I slide next to her on the Biedermeier sofa, confirm that I live in America and work for European magazines like MUZIEK PARADE.

Music Parade, she exclaims, I received a beautiful statue from them.

I didn't know that, but I confirm it eagerly. Yes, yes, made especially for you, I mumble.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN is more than friendly, very warm and interested. A normal, spontaneous girl, really. I tell her that it was so difficult to talk to her. I tell her about my unexpected encounter with LEE KRAMER in the synagogue and she just keeps laughing.

I don't know anything about that, she says. It's crazy busy, of course, and you've seen for yourself that I'm doing a lot of press conferences and appearing on TV quite often to promote the film. My film company and the press want me to get as much publicity as possible in the shortest possible time. But I'm sorry it's taken so long. What are we going to talk about?

I instantly forget all the troubles leading up to this conversation, feel completely at home with her, and ask if she wants a drink. What a fool I am, don't you think? I have to offer you something, because this hotel is my home this week. What do you want? A gin and tonic sounds good!

Yoga and meditation!

I'll start. After Grease, everyone thought you'd fade into obscurity. You didn't hear much from me any more. says OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN.

A success like Grease happens maybe once every 10 years. Whatever happens afterward is, of course, less spectacular. But I personally didn't believe in fading into oblivion. I took a break because I was truly at the end of my rope. With Grease I traveled the world. I had to visit dozens of countries. I toured. It was exhausting. When the Grease craze died down a bit, I went to my farm. I wanted to relax. Or rather: I wanted to come to terms with myself. I wanted to put all the pieces of the OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN puzzle back together and make my plans for the future.

OLIVIA says that she did well. She didn't let herself be fooled by attractive contracts for films, records, shows, etc. She took care of her animals, enjoyed horseback riding and meditated twice a day for half an hour.

I did yoga. I really enjoyed it. I think those breathing techniques are really good. You find your balance. But I also delved into the teachings of the Maharishi Yogi, the man who also converted the Beatles back in the day. That was a revelation for me. I learned to put things into perspective, not to think too highly of myself, to take my work and successes with a grain of salt, and to make time for myself and my friends.

Blazing rows.

Do you have a lot of friends? I look straight at OLIVIA, she tries to put that radiant smile back on her face, but she doesn't.

Real friends, Marc, I don't have many. Friends who support you through thick and thin, who you can cry with. Should I be completely honest? I might have one. She thinks, Yes, I'm sure of it: I do have one.

And right on cue, I ask: Is that LEE KRAMER? And then, relaxing, falling back into the plush Biedermeier, laughing: No, no, oh, no, definitely no. LEE is a very...He's my best friend. He's also my manager, you know, but our personal relationship is over. We shared the good and the bad for over six years. We lived together, but weren't married. In the end, it just didn't work out any more. Don't ask me why; it's far too complicated to explain. Fortunately, Lee and I remained very good friends, and perhaps even more importantly, Lee remained my manager. I'm glad about that.

It's well known in show business that Olivia and Lee had heated arguments, which were quickly resolved during hastily arranged vacations in Hawaii or the Bahamas.

Lee and I are very impulsive, Olivia admits, quickly enthusiastic, quickly ignited by things. We've had arguments where plates flew across the room. And a moment later we were lying in each other's arms and laughing we looked at the mess we had made.

You're quite inflammable when it comes to love! Or don't you think so? OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: I believe so. When I love a man, I'll go through thick and thin. Then he's my man. I want and will do everything for him. I'll go all the way. But I expect the same from him. He has to find me the ultimate. I love that. I've been in love so many times. That can last a month, six months or longer. I have sleepless nights when I'm in love... I toss and turn... I laugh to myself... I feel like I'm in heaven. But I also can't sleep when it's over. Then I see a big, deep pit before me... endlessly black

I often dream that I'm falling from a great height... I wake up sweating, it's just awful. In such a case, I know what I have to do: I have to get to work straight away, hard as nails, without any brakes.

Intelligent social animal!

That's OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN. In her private life, but also in her career, she only wants the utmost, the best, the top.

I ask her: In other words, you're in love again, you look so radiant? I wouldn't tell you, she laughs heartily, if I were in love now. In such a case, I'm very selfish, I just want to enjoy myself. Being in love is so beautiful, so personal, it's nobody's business. People think I'm in love with MICHAEL BECK, my co-star in XANADU. That's definitely not the case. In those thick contracts from the film company, it says that we have to be more than friendly to the outside world. That's good for publicity, you know? And that's what we have to do. I do admire MICHAEL, as a person and an actor. But I harbor no feelings of love for him. I'll admit it quite frankly: I'm alone. There's no one I'm in a relationship with, as I've tried to explain to you. I'm so radiant, or act so radiant, because I'm a very content woman.

I haven't been offered any more roles, I don't have to worry to my grave. Even if my business advisors run off with a few million, it doesn't hurt me. But a novice actress doesn't have that luxury, she's already lost in advance.

Here MUZIEK PARADE breaks off the conversation between OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN and MARC SPITS. This is part one of The Interview. Next month the second and final part.

XANADU - Write a film review and win an LP

It is clear that MUZIEK PARADE pays so much attention to OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN for her sparkling performance in XANADU.

Film editor Gabriel Witteveen extensively covered this movie of OLIVIA last month. The film has since premiered and is now showing in various cities.

Go see the movies and write to MP your opinion. Document that very briefly, at most 10 lines and write where you saw the movie. This time you can use an envelope... Why? MP wants photos of you along with your report.

What do you have to do? Write a short report, add a short photo of yourself, clearly state your name, address, place of residence, boy/girl and age. Put your report and photo in an envelope, Address: MUSIC PARADE REPORT OLIVIA-XANADU P.O. Box 173, 2300 AD LEIDEN.

Submissions are possible until November 10.

All submitted entries will be awarded an LP, the soundtrack to the film XANADU (with OLIVIA, ELO, etc.). A magnificent CBS LP. A penniless MP, make sure dozens, no, hundreds, of responses are published. The first reports with photos will be printed in the next MP. Good luck!

XANADU premiered in these cities on October 16th:

EINDHOVEN: Metropole UTRECHT: Scala GRONINGEN: Cinema Puluce HAARLEM: Luxor TILBURG: Harmonic BREDA: Luxor LEEUWARDEN: Tivoli | NIJMEGEN: Centrum 1 DEN BOSCH: Euro 1 HILVERSUM: Rex AMERSFOOKT: Cinema 1 ENSCHEDE: Alhambra 1 LEIDEN: Lido 1 AMSTERDAM: Cinema International Bellevue Cinerama Rujito THE HAGUE: Asta Studio 2000 ROTTERDAM: Cinerama 1 Metro 1