Honky Tonk Laundry

The Winter Park Playhouse • Winter Park, Florida

Directed by Roy Alan

Featuring Heather Alexander and Tay Anderson

Musical direction by Chris Levy

by Carl F. Gauze

I always find it droll when the WPPH ensemble steps out of their Winter Park elegance and slides over into the real world of small town Florida. Call it slumming, but it does draw laughs and plants butts in seats.

Hard pressed Lana Mae Hopkins (Alexander) runs the Wishy-Washy launderette. Drop off you undies and your personal drama and she’ll clean out the stains and maybe straighten out you love life, or what ever they call hooking up these days in small towns. When the door opens, lost little Katie (Anderson ) arrives, ditched by her lover and with out a dime to her name. Lana Mae hires her, with some trepidation, and the fun begins, Ironing isn’t Katie’s strong point, and I sympathize, but the girls bond and commiserate that all the men they meet are actually worse then no man at all. And that’s all an excuse for a big country music show. It’s time to break out the guitars and lament life’s vicissitudes.

Off in the corner we have the full WPPH band lead by Chris Levy and Ned Wilkinson. There are a few more musicians lurking behind he scrim, this gives the girls a backing track as they sing their county music level mystery. The laundromat is a good choice for the shoe, you don’t really have to explain why anyone arrives or leaves. Both woman look tired and beat down by life. We are all beat down by life but Tay and Heather are professional, and can look way worse that you or I feel on cue. We hear two dozen hits including “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial,” “Cowboy Casanova” and “You’re Looking at Country” and many other tune, many of which you know. This company always delivers solid entertainment value, and you shouldn’t miss this slightly off of center production.

www.winterparkplayhouse.org