LILLIAN BAXTER RETURNS TO KEY WEST

JUNE 25-28 2025

Spend A Fabulous Evening with Lillian Baxter June 25-28 at the Fringe Theater, located in the Key West Armory at 600 White Street. This musical memoir of the greatest star you’ve never heard of is the creation of John Vessels and Jay Schwandt. Musical theater meets cabaret when these two guys perform their fabulous one-woman show! 

“Our Key West audience fell in love with Lillian in 2016,” says Fringe Managing Artistic Director Rebecca Tomlinson. “I think it was a combination of her knock-out voice and upbeat approach to life’s foibles. So, we keeping asking John and Jay back, and Lillian’s story keeps expanding.”  

But wait, just who is Lillian Baxter? 

Lillian is a fictional character created by actor and writer John Vessels. “She was almost huge in the 1950s. Her voice took her places that her looks, perhaps, could not,” John jokes. She was raised in Little Rock Arkansas, but her heart belonged to the limelight, so she headed to Hollywood. Unfortunately, her performing career was always eclipsed by her generous heart and her penchant for marrying the wrong gay man. Hers is a story of wonder, resilience, and hope.

“Lillian isn’t a drag act,” John clarifies, “beyond the obvious fact that I’m wearing a frock or two. Lillian is a fully realized human being living life in a TV comedy format.” Her heart is full, her stories are fun, and the music is just divine. In fact, her musical memoir is filled with songs you will know and love (assuming you’re of a certain age, that is). 

“Lillian never gives up,” adds Jay Schwandt, the show’s pianist and musical arranger. “She always picks herself up and carries on with a song in her heart.” If you could only have one friend, you’d want that friend to be Lillian Baxter.

John and Jay both came to theater by way of music.  John’s degree is in opera, and Jay’s degrees are in music composition. When not writing and performing, John teaches voice and acting in Louisville, and Jay teaches music at University of Louisville.

So come spend A Fabulous Evening with Lillian Baxter and see why the critics rave, “John Vessels has a masterful level of vocal control which he pairs with a pitch perfect portrayal of Lillian as a super star that never was. And Jay Schwandt shines with his impressive piano skills and arrangements.”  

Everything will be coming up rainbows in this all-welcome celebration of the night life, the love Life, and the occasional stay at the YMCA. Let’s do the hustle!

A Fabulous Evening with Lillian Baxter is sponsored by the Key West Business Guild. It runs June 25-28 at 7pm at the Fringe Theater in the Key West Armory which is located at 600 White Street. Doors open nightly at 6:30pm for this 75 minute show. Get your tickets online at www.fringetheater.org or call the KeysTix Box Office at 305-295-7676. Seating is limited so advanced purchase is encouraged.

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