“Late With Lance” is Will & Grace‘s Jack McFarland doing Just Jack with 30 Rock‘s Kenneth spun in there for good measure… on speed.
Peter Michael Marino is Lance, a bright-eyed, optimistic cruise ship director who wants nothing more than to host his own variety talk show. He even has his first set of guests all lined up – Liza Minnelli, Hugh Jackman and Miami Sound Machine, but will they show?
Lance bounces around the stage overflowing with the excitement of his first talk show hosting gig. He sings out random lines from hit Broadway musicals then pauses to let you know which musical it came from.
Lance was suppose to have a co-host, to go along with famous guest lineup, but he hasn’t shown up either so Lance turns the stage into an audience participation show.
He first scans the audience looking for a co-host, then a Liza replacement and a Hugh Jackman fill in.
Between spots of interviewing the audience members with the questions he had for the celebrities he entertains with musical numbers and dramatic reenactments.
Late With Lance has the potential to be over the top, and in spots it is, but Marino makes a joyous spectacle out of the entire thing and what makes it enjoyable for the audience is he lets you in on the joke. His character is ironic and self aware. He opens up his heart, talking about his 2 dads and his dead mother, just enough to let you know that their just might be some deep wounds under that bright smiling face.
The highlight of the show are his musical numbers. His ode to one-name celebrities and the Speed of Sound of Music are fantastic and the musical roast on solo Fringe shows kills.
There may not be any full frontal nudity but the heart in this show is all the big, exposed muscle you will need.
Late With Lance is playing at the Bronze Venue at the Orlando Museum of Art.
