Review: BETSY WOLFE: A PANTS OPTIONAL HOLIDAY Live Stream Featuring Jessica Vosk at Holmdel Theatre Company

For those missing live theater and looking for some holiday cheer, you are in luck. Broadway star Betsy Wolfe returned to Holmdel Theatre Company with a live stream concert called "Betsy Wolfe: A PANTS OPTIONAL HOLIDAY (And Other Things I Know In 2020)" after performing a holiday show there last year. Like every other event in 2020, this year's concert looked a little different. Instead of a full crowd occupying all 99 seats in the theater, only ten seats were filled with a socially-distant masked audience.

Holmdel Theatre Company's Duncan Smith Theater was decorated with candles and trees covered with snow, turning into its very own "Winter Wonderland." The concert included a mix of Broadway hits and holiday favorites. Betsy honored her theater-loving audience with the show stopping songs "What Baking Can Do" from Waitress, an incredible cover of "Waving Through A Window" from Dear Evan Hansen, and showcased her soaring signature high belt in "I Can Do Better Than That" from the Last Five Years.

It would not be a holiday show without incorporating notable songs. Betsy sang subtle renditions of "River" by Joni Mitchell, "That's What I Want for Christmas" by Nancy Wilson, and "The Christmas Song" by Michael Buble. She expressed her sympathy and understanding by explaining how difficult this year has been for everyone. It was nice to see her connect with the crowd in a meaningful way with the perfect combination of humor and sincerity. Although it has been a tough year, she created a "2020 Love In Quarantine Medley" to lighten the mood and shed light on these hard times.

Betsy brought in a special guest, Broadway star and former Elphaba in Wicked Jessica Vosk to sing a few duets with her from twelve feet away. One duet was a quarantine parody of the song "Together At Last," which poked fun at the craziness of this year. They sang a second song called "The Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, which was a phenomenal blend of their two voices. Betsy wrapped up the concert with a solo of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, a fan favorite.

Betsy Wolfe's holiday concert, "A Pants Optional Holiday" was a great way to make everyone get into the holiday spirit and forget about everything that is going on in the world. Her beautiful, delicate voice made both the audience present and the viewers at home feel like they were sitting by a fire, enjoying hot chocolate, and listening to relaxing music.

This concert was originally filmed November 22 and live streamed on BroadwayWorld.com in front of an intimate socially distanced crowd at Holmdel's Duncan Smith Theatre. If you missed it, you can purchase on demand tickets for $20 available through January 3 by visiting: https://events.broadwayworld.com/event/betsy-wolfe-a-pants-optional-holiday-on-demand/

To keep up with Betsy, you can follow her on Twitter @BetsyWolfe, Instagram at @bwolfepack, or visit her website at www.betsywolfe.com

Holmdel Theatre Company is located at 36 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel, NJ. For more information on other upcoming events, you can follow them on Twitter @RealHTC, Instagram @holmdeltheatrecompany, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/holmdeltheatrecompany.

Credits for "Betsy Wolfe: A Pants Optional Holiday" include: Musical direction by Meg Zervoulis, guitar accompaniment by Justin Goldner, Photography/Videography by Michael Kushner Photography, sound and lighting design by Holmdel Theatre Company's Technical Director Chris Szczerbienski, and sound editing by Alan Waters/Dimly Wit Productions. This event is produced by Holmdel Theatre Company Executive Director Colleen Cook. Additional information available at https://www.holmdeltheatrecompany.org/

Betsy Wolfe was most recently seen in the indie feature FIRST ONE IN with Georgia King and Kat Foster. She starred as Jenna Hunterson, the title role in the Tony nominated musical Waitress. Prior to that, Wolfe played Cordelia, one of the lovable "lesbians from next door," in the Broadway revival of Falsettos. She is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe's other Broadway credits include Ellen in Bullets Over Broadway directed by Susan Stroman and Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and 110 in the Shade followed by Everyday Rapture. She also appeared as Beth in the Encores! production of Merrily We Roll Along. She has been a guest artist for over 50 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras across the U.S. and internationally including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The New York Pops and the BBC Orchestra. Cast recordings include Falsettos, Bullets over Broadway, The Last Five Years, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, Stage Door Canteen, 35MM, and Merrily We Roll Along. Wolfe can be seen in the film adaptation of The Last Five Years.

Photo Credit: Michael Kushner

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