Review: HOUSE OF HEARTS at AKA Caberet

An Alice in Wonderland cabaret should feel delightfully chaotic while still maintaining a sense of purpose. While this production featured several visually striking moments and talented specialty performers, it struggled to weave its many elements into a satisfying whole.

The venue for this cabaret was at the Midnight Lounge, a hookah bar off of International Drive in Orlando.  It is adjacent to tourist attractions like Senor Frogs and Howl at the Moon and nestled behind a Denny’s. The venue itself had charm. While I did not sample the hookah or  beverage offerings beyond a bottle of water, the atmosphere proved inviting and comfortable. I was seated at a high top table but they also had couches and lounge chairs for seating.  The staff was also very welcoming.  My favorite part of the atmosphere were the fiber optic lights in the ceiling tiles that looked like stars.  They also lit up with the music.  Though not the type of venue I would typically frequent, I found the atmosphere surprisingly enjoyable

The setting seemed well suited to an immersive Wonderland-inspired evening, making the production's structural shortcomings all the more noticeable.

The cabaret featured a selection of pop songs loosely inspired by or thematically connected to Alice in Wonderland. Alongside the musical performances were a variety of specialty acts, including aerial and circus performances.

The production's strongest asset was its visual design. The costumes were imaginative, colorful, and perfectly suited to the whimsical world of Wonderland. Several specialty acts also stood out, particularly an impressive aerial performance and a circus artist whose juggling and stilted unicycle work brought energy and spectacle to the evening.

Unfortunately, the production struggled to maintain the cohesion needed to tie its many elements together. The Queen of Hearts served as emcee throughout the cabaret, but her material rarely connected with the audience, leaving transitions feeling awkward and preventing the narrative from developing a clear throughline. As a result, it was often difficult to discern whether there was an overarching story being told or simply a series of loosely connected acts.

The musical and dance elements were similarly uneven. At times, the dancers appeared out of sync, and some of the saxophone performance suffered from intonation issues. However, the musician found a much stronger footing later in the evening during her appearance as the Caterpillar, delivering one of the show's more memorable character moments.

While the evening offered flashes of creativity and featured several talented performers, the lack of a compelling host and a clearly defined narrative made it difficult for the production to fully capitalize on its strongest elements.

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