Heroes and Villains
Heroes and Villains
Starring Michael Foster
Musical Direction by Chris Leavy
February 17, 2016
Spotlight Cabaret Series
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park, FL</strong>
Some new faces are sneaking into the WPPH Spotlight Cabaret series, and tonight we meet Michael Foster for the first time in this lobby. Mr. Foster is a stunning basso with a resume that leans towards the operatic heavy. While he hopes for good guy roles let’s face facts: Emperor Ming was MUCH more interesting than dense old Flash Gordon. The show opens with some kicking show tunes: “Luck be a Lady” from “Guys and Dolls”, “Man of La Mancha” from… that Spanish Play of the same name, and a fabulous duet version of “Master of the House” from “Les Mis” with his friend Andrea Cami. The pair met during the early days of “The Holy Land Experience”; that’s one experience I have yet to put on my bucket list.
Mr. Foster is fundamentally an opera guy; he gives us a song or two from “Don Giovanni” and “Figaro”; these are done a cappella as his microphone developed an annoying buzz the sound tech couldn’t cure. After a short discussion about the politics of pursuing an advanced degree in opera he went for his strong suit: Disney Hero songs. We visit with “Pocahontas” in “Just around the River Bend”, interrogate “Beauty and the Beast” with “Me!” and take a swim with “The Little Mermaid” contemplating “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” While Mr. Foster once appeared in “The Sound of Music” he only got to play Frantz, the Butler with No Song. I thought: “What a shame!” The evening wrapped up with one more set of Broadway standards: “South Pacific” gave him “Some Enchanted Evening;” “Carousel” added “If I Loved You” and “The Pajama Game” dealt in “There Once Was A Man.” All were satisfying but not as much as his encore of the always impressive “Impossible Dream.” As they say: “Always leave ‘em begging for more.” Tonight was great “Greatest Hits” evening only marred by some wonky electronics.
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org
