Playhouse Family Holiday
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park FL
by Carl F. Gauze
This is my last show for 2021, and it’s a doozie. Everybody who’s anybody at Winter Park Playhouse gets onstage except for the box office manger and the light guy. Someone has to collect tickets and pour drinks. There’s a celebratory note in the air, even though these Cabarets are normally done in the lobby, this show was on the main stage and came in at SRO. There was even a meet and greet at the end. We havn’t done that in ages.
Some material was silly (Todd Aland Long sings the “Drunk Days of Christmas”), some were a bit maudlin (One perfect moment) and of course, a traditional Broadway version of “Jingle Bells.” Roy Alan tap danced a bit, one man band Ned Wilkinson played random instruments, all at once and pianist Chris Leavy said more words than I ever heard him say on stage. And Tay Anderson came on in green A-line dress and a red wig, singing and playing the part of the Human Christmas Tree. In this shop, even the decoration s are equity. Things are almost back to normal, and this show was a big relief to all of us.
Winterparkplayhouse.com