Tales from a Hopeful Romantic
Starring Tay Anderson
Spotlight Cabaret Series • Winter Park Playhouse • Winter Park, Florida
Musical Direction by Chris Levy
I’m not sure how many times Tay Anderson has performed this sort of intimate lobby show, but she’s very good at it. Tonight not only has a theme, it has a story arc. Ms. Anderson lives a life not uncommon in the cabaret world, and it rightly springs from a love of music. This evening she’s in the spotlight, looking out over throbbing Orange Avenue. Her theme concerns her love of music and the uneven love life that seems to pop up all over the entertainment world. I’m not sure what her romantic life looks like, but the focus is on “Why can’t I meet a good guy, and why are men so… awful?”
I’m a guy, and I have no idea. But the music is grand, with numbers from “The Stars and the Moon” to “I Will Be Loved Tonight” and finally “He Fills My Heart.“ Stories of “always the bride never the bridesmaid” all lead up to her big finish with “The Heart Goes On.”
Ms. Anderson’s voice is a precious and well-known commodity in the Orlando theater world. — she’s starred in countless performances both around town and the world. There was an appreciative audience, the house was comfortably full, and the bar remained open. This monthly cabaret has become a Winter Park standard, and whatever show you get to see, it will be crisp, professional, and musically outstanding. It’s a nice evening out, and you might even meet some old friends. I do just about every night I attend, but that’s what you get for being a regular. ◼
