My Thoughts on ROOMS

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 2:56pm

This one is going to hit big.

All of the buzz from out of town is completely justified. With an incredible score, two dynamic leads, and a refreshingly simple production design, everything is absolutely perfect across the board.

Leslie Kritzer finally has the role to solidify her status as New York's "it" girl on the verge of full fledged stardom. When she tears into "Scottish Jewish Princess," a comedic tour de force where her character outs a family friend at her Bat Mitzvah, you can't help but marvel at her genius. This is a talent the magnitude of which hasn't been seen in years. I sincerely hope this show gives her the due she has rightfully earned

Doug Kreeger is equally as terrific as her counterpart, a musical genius whose personal demons threaten to derail his talent (and personal life.) Where has Kreeger been all these years? He has a hell of a voice.

For a first preview, I was stunned to see how flawless the show is in terms of working material (although I guess that has a lot to do with how extensively it was worked on in two recent regional productions.) Every single bit is 'on,' and it flies by at about 90 minutes with no intermission.

The chemistry Kritzer and Kreeger already have established is particularly impressive, considering Natascia Diaz had been Kreeger's Monica for most of the developmental phase.

Don't be surprised if talk of a fall transfer begins to mount through previews. If they could enjoy a solid summer run and find a small Broadway house like The Helen Hayes or The Booth, this could have legs.

Updated On: 2/28/09 at 02:56 PM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 3:06pm

Glad to see you enjoyed it so much! Can't wait to see it.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 3:08pm

So happy to hear this!

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 3:59pm

I was on the fence about ROOMS. It looks like I may have to see it after all!

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 7:24pm

Are the 8 dollar tickets for that day or can you buy them for advance?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 7:38pm

Didn't THE STORY OF MY LIFE have great buzz, too?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 2:55am

I think it's in the perfect venue as is. New World Stages is very hip, chic and very intimate - I think it suits its crowd perfectly.

I was at the show tonight - Saturday night - and I thought it was so great! Krizter was on fire. Her vocals, of course, were flawless and her acting chops were great. Kreeger didn't reel me in in the beginning, but eventfully I was fully into his character and his character's struggles.

The direction and design is flawless. I really loved the simple set and the use of two chairs, and the movement with the door is beautifully staged and executed.

The music is great and has bits of "Bright Lights" in there. The lyrics are quite good, and the story is pretty moving. It slows down a bit in the second half with maybe one too many ballads, but I don't see any other way to express the character's emotions at that point in the story.

I really hope Ghostlight picks this up. It seems like the perfect type of show for them to record - and damnit I wish they'd release Krizter singing Lupone! She has such a beautiful, powerful voice, and a such a great stage presence and hilarious comedic timing. I can def. see her getting praise for this. And Kreeger gives her a solid performance to play off of.

I'm def. going to go see this again - and for $10, you can't beat it!

(By the way, it look pretty much sold-out tonight. The front section on either side of the stage wasn't sold too well, but the view is horrible, so that's probably why)

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 2:58am

Didn't THE STORY OF MY LIFE have great buzz, too?

ANd SOML should have been Off Broadway.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 3:01am

It really should. It would have faired better off-Broadway, especially with cheaper ticket prices and different marketing schemes like $8 tickets. Although, Broadway does open more doors, so I can see why the producers would opt that way.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 5:47am

I saw Rooms at Metrostage in DC and again yesterday afternoon. The show is in great shape. I think Kritzer brings more humanity to the role that was not so much the case with her predecessor and the vocals are better (though I very much enjoyed Diaz). The score is one of the major reasons this show works.

That said, this is not a Broadway show. They should not move. I hope they have a successful run and get a recording.

[Sauja]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 12:41pm

I caught this last night and quite liked it. I grabbed $10 seats a bit before the show and was lucky enough to get front row center--a word of warning that the $10 seats on the sides looked like they would be pretty terrible.

In any case, seating aside, I thought both cast members were wonderful, and it was a lovely, fun, charming 90-minutes of theater. There are some clunky lines, and the storytelling is a bit predictable, but Kritzer and Kreeger sell it. I'd certainly go back to see it again.

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 1:16pm

I thing it would be too small for Broadway. I think it could run for years off broadway. I saw it in DC and it was AMAZING. I am coming back to see it in May along with Rock of Ages and Next to Normal again.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 1:26pm

I agree that the show is perfectly suited for Off-Broadway, particularly the venue they're in at New World Stages.

My only point in bringing up a Broadway house is that I think the reception will be strong enough that the producers are going to look toward a transfer.

We'll see.

Updated On: 3/1/09 at 01:26 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 3:20pm

I don't know. I mean, I don't see it getting across the board raves for the show, but I can see the cast member, and the score, maybe, getting raves. The story is a little so-so for me. There were parts that dragged, and parts that seemed like a cheesy (I won't spoil it, but the major plot point was a little cheesy in its delivery), but I liked it nonetheless. I want to see it again just to hear Kritzer's big solo and her Jewish girl song.

Was the Liza impression done in DC? The role seems so suited for her it's hard to imagine anyone else doing the role.

My only pet peeve with the show is the fact that the two side sections of the front section of the orchestra are totally horrible seats. It seems like the director/designer should have thought that through.

[EveHarrington]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 3:30pm

Saw this on Saturday night. Leslie Kritzer is a genius and a total rockstar, as always. Doug Kreeger was great too, though I agree that it took me about 1/3 of the show to warm to his character, though I guess that's probably intentional.

As far as the show itself...I felt very mixed. The score was VERY reminiscent of "Bright Lights, Big City" (you could actually sing some of BLBC over parts of it...the chords were identical), and some of the plot choices were cliched and predictable. I guess that was the problem for me. The story was very cliche and not particularly new or innovative, but was in the hands of two genius, and incredibly capable actors. The music was beautiful but I'd heard it before, and the lyrics ranged from being great and beautifully simplistic to just awkward.

It was a very mixed bag for me, but the things that are good about ROOMS are really great, and it's definitely worth seeing. I can't imagine it on a Broadway stage though.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 3:43pm

I really like the "motif" of Rooms running through the piece. I mean it's not profound or anything, but it's just kind of interesting how our lives take place in a series of rooms.

And I really liked the "I take tentative steps" melody that came back at the end and meant something totally different. I thought that was kind of genius.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 7:29pm

Yes, the Liza part was in the show in DC. Diaz did a respectable job with the role of Monica.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:25pm

I'm glad Rooms is finally getting an off-Broadway run, but it's an off-Broadway show. Transferring would be...well, dumb. Not every show belongs on Broadway.

some of the plot choices were cliched and predictable. I guess that was the problem for me. The story was very cliche and not particularly new or innovative

It's true, and I say that as someone who loves the show. While it's nice that it's so compact and streamlined, some of it ends up seeming abrupt and overly cliché. The story overall is a well-told cliché, anyway.

I think I like Rooms more being familiar with previous versions than I would seeing it for the first time in its current form (assuming that it's more or less the same as in DC). But it's a super sweet, good-natured little musical with a great score, and I'm so happy people are getting to see it. Updated On: 3/1/09 at 09:25 PM

[musicalman2]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:29pm

I don't necessarily think that a transfer is dumb. It would definitely have to be in one of the smallest theaters though. Maybe Helen Hayes?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:56pm

and New World Stages disappoints once again...sad weekend of theater for me: Impressionism, God of Carnage, and Rooms...oh well.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:56pm

WithoutATrace- What didn't you like about ROOMS? Please share.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 10:07pm

OK, so here I go. The hype on this board really had me going into the show with such high expectations; I was so looking forward to what I was certain was going to be an amazing show. I didn't get what I had hoped for...

It just isn't that good. It's very typical & predictable. Both of the actors did a great job with the material, but the story, the lyrics....bleh!!!

I did enjoy some of the music and melodies, but the lyrics were SO cliche and cheeeeeeesy.

Don't get me wrong though, I've seen much, much, much worse shows. I'd put this somewhere in the middle....it wasn't as amazing as LuPone Gypsy, which I saw 20 times without getting sick of it, and at the same time, it wasn't as horrifying as Glory Days, where I kept cringing the entire time and hating them for not having an intermission so I could leave without being so obvious. Or Sessions, which I saw for free, was MISERABLE, and DID leave at intermission. If Rooms did have an intermission, I would have stayed for the second act.

I think the show will have a decent run, both of the performers are giving their all. I don't think this will be the show to throw Leslie into a bigger, more mainstream spotlight.

I know this may have been a little all over the place, but I don't regret spending that $8.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 10:22pm

I echo RyToast's sentiments about this show. Some of the music was good (Leslie had a couple of great numbers that showcased her amazing voice), but the book was awful and the lyrics were so trite. Given all the hype about this show, I went in with high expectations, and it was a total let down. It was truly a night of pain for me with the wonderful Leslie Kritzer being the only highlight. Sad. Very sad.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 10:25pm

I got back from Rooms tonight too, and I have to side with those who didn't like it that much. I mean the performances were good, and I always love to hear Kritzer sing. She really is wonderful comedic actress. Unfortunately this isn't the best vehicle for her to show it off.

The plot is one big cliche after another, and the lyrics are pretty bad. All the songs sounded the same to me as well, except for Leslie's Bat Mitzvah song and her other big song in the first half. You couldn't really walk out singing a melody, not because they were unmelodic, but because it was so hard to distinguish the melodies from one another.

Another HUGE problem I had was the Scottish accent. To be honest Leslie's accent was not that great. It would come and go, especially when she was singing. Doug's accent was good, but it just exposed Leslie's weakness. I really think they should get rid of them and let them perform in natural voice. Bad accents are distracting, and it really took me out the moment.

Like Rytoast, I've definitely seen A Whole Lot Worse (I did last night at Impressionism!), but I've also seen a lot better.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 10:39pm

I'm planning on seeing 6-7 shows in March... I'm planning on seeing Happiness, In The Heights, Next to Normal, and West Side Story. Should I see ROOMS? I don't want to waste space on a lack-luster show.