Review: DIXIE'S HAPPY HOUR at Cygnet Theatre

During this quarantine have you learned how to drink a craft cocktail in one hand while working on your new crafting hobby with the other hand? Does that crafting include bedazzling? Have you said," Bless your heart" to someone? If this sounds like you then should join the hostess with the mostess, Dixie Longate for this boozy, breezy, if at moments bittersweet, fun show in DIXIE'S HAPPY HOUR. This show is streaming until April 18th through Cygnet Theatre.

Dixie is a sassy southern belle who you may know from her touring show DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY. During this happy hour Dixie, the drag persona of actor and comedian Kris Andersson, welcomes us to her home, makes us drinks being sure to cover the four food groups "gin, rum, vodka and tequila," and tells lots of stories. Drinks and recipes are suggested and made if you want to drink along with the show.

With a gentle, warm, and welcoming Southern accent, that has delightful variations on the pronunciations of words "urnge juice" (orange juice), or "Flur-da" (Florida, which according to Dixie is not in the south no matter what they say). Southern Nostalgia is the starting point for this Happy Hour, both in how she tells stories from her childhood that shaped her life, and it's the name of her MeeMaw's favorite alcoholic purse drink.

Dixie's rants cover a multitude of topics; the importance of purse drink, bedazzling your purse gun to keep it classy, and is peppered with Dixie-ism's like "That's whole 'nother kettle of crawdads", or how to define the word "lonesome" using a story about a "hound dog named Slingshot."

Personally, I truly connected with her love of the 1970's Wonder Woman's 70's costume change being the best (absolutely correct), how the cape addition is dramatic and gorgeous (also correct), and to not even get her started on the invisible plane. Many of Dixie's stories circle back to her constant confusion about Donna Summers losing a cake out in the rain, and also why Donna didn't realize she didn't lose the recipe cause it's found on the back of the cake box.

An underlying thread of melancholy, and living through and making the best from hard times Dixie reminding the audience to never lose their sparkle and if you aren't feeling the sparkle now, that's what the Bedazzler is for.

DIXIE'S HAPPY HOUR is through April 18th at Cygnet Theatre. For tickets to access this show go to www.cygnettheatre.com or contact the Cygnet Box Office at 619-337-1525 or boxoffice@cygnettheatre.com.

Once you have purchased your ticket you will be sent an email with the link to access the show. These performances are NOT on-demand, your streaming show is only available to view at your selected performance showtime.

Photo Credit: DIXIE'S HAPPY HOUR - Kris Andersson and Cygnet Theatre

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