Spot Light Cabaret: Heather Alexander & Laura Hodos
Spot Light Cabaret: Heather Alexander & Laura Hodos
Musical Direction By Chris Leavy
Additional material by Roy Alan and Todd Alan Long
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park FL</strong>
Noting says “Holiday Spirit” like a slutty musical number by Heather Alexander, and you heard that from her, not me. The Spotlight Cabaret series at Winter Park Playhouse just keeps growing and this was a sold out extra show was added at the last minute for slackers like me who didn’t buy tickets early enough. Whatever they’re doing, their doing it right. The Alexander / Hodos pairing always pleases the crowd, and the first half of the show stuck with the traditionally sappy stuff – Ms. Hodos sang “ A Perfect Plan Goes Wrong” and “They All Come Home For Christmas” and Heather stalked the AAPR crowd, sitting on laps and polishing comb over’s while belting “Rich, Famous And Powerful” and “Santa Baby.” And they ended the first act with the Andrews Sister’s flavored “Drinking Our Way Through The Holidays.”
All that is fine and dandy, but the real reason for attending this shindig is the second act. Flo and Ebb (Alexander and Hodos) appear in polyester pants suits and fashion accessories for Tuesday Morning. They plug their infamous “Cheese Logger”, complain about the competing cabaret up the street at the Red Fox Lounge, and sing a Time-Life CD compilation about holiday food. Their joke works best if you’ve actually spent time in Oshkosh – Heather is from the much more cosmopolitan Racine, and I spent a few formative years in beer city. Naturally, your mileage may vary if you don’t find the Midwest intrinsically silly. As the gals wound down, Mr. Long and Alan come out to sing them off and fill in while they transition back to their sexy party dresses. All fun, all fueled by cheap red wine and top shelf liquor, and worth the trouble to find parking. After all, those who arrived late had to actually cross Orange Avenue to get to the theatre. It’s not a horse drawn sleigh, but it’s as close as you’ll get down here.
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org</em>