Leslie Kritzer

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (born May 24, 1977) is an American singer and musical theatre actress.[1]

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer
Born (1977-05-24) May 24, 1977
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present
Spouse(s)Vadim Feichtner (2013–present)

Life and career

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer[2] was born in Manhattan and raised in Livingston, New Jersey.[3] Her father is Jewish and her mother is of Puerto Rican ancestry. Kritzer was raised Catholic.[4] She attended Livingston High School, graduating in 1995.[5] A 1999 graduate of the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music, she has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray and was the character Serena in Legally Blonde The Musical. Off-Broadway she was seen in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Bat Boy and Godspell, and her regional credits include Vanities (Kathy), Babes in Arms (Baby Rose), and both Grease (Rizzo) and Funny Girl (Fanny) at Paper Mill Playhouse.[6]

Kritzer starred in Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, a recreation of Patti LuPone's famed nightclub act. The show premiered at Joe's Pub and was conceived and directed by Ben Rimalower.[7] She received a 2006 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for The Great American Trailer Park Musical,[8] followed by a 2007 Special Achievement MAC Award for her show Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches,[9] and a 2007 Clarence Derwent Award for her performance as Serena in Legally Blonde.[10]

Kritzer starred in A Catered Affair, portraying Janey Hurley, the character played by Debbie Reynolds in the 1956 feature film of the same name.[11] A Catered Affair ran on Broadway from March 2008 through July 27, 2008.[12] She starred in the Encores! staged concert presentation of On the Town in November 2008, as Hildy, the amorous and aggressive taxi driver.[13]

In the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), she performed in Judas and Me in the role of the angel Gabriel.[14] In March 2009 Kritzer played Monica in the Off-Broadway musical Rooms: A Rock Romance.[15] In December 2009, she performed in the musical Pop! at the Yale Reportory Theatre. The musical is based on the life of Andy Warhol. Kritzer portrayed the role of "Valerie", a character based on Valerie Solanas.

In March 2010, she, along with Tom Wopat, Vanessa L. Williams, and Barbara Cook, starred in a new musical revue, Sondheim on Sondheim. The Roundabout Theatre Company limited engagement production opened on Broadway at Studio 54 on March 19, 2010 in previews and closed June 13, 2010. It was directed by James Lapine who conceived this revue of music by Stephen Sondheim.[16]

In the 2015-16 season, Kritzer starred in two Off-Broadway productions. She starred in the Vineyard Theatre's production of Gigantic, which opened on December 3, 2015.[17] Kritzker then starred as Salome in the 2016 Roundabout Theatre Company production of The Robber Bridegroom, which opened March 13, 2016.[18] For her performance, she was nominated twice for the 2016 Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. She won the award for her performance in The Robber Bridegroom. She joined the principal cast of Something Rotten! on July 18, 2016.[19]

She appeared in the new musical The Honeymooners as Alice Kramden. The musical is based on the television show The Honeymooners and premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, New Jersey on September 28, 2017. The musical stars Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, Michael Mastro as Ed Norton and Laura Bell Bundy as Trixie Norton and is directed by John Rando.[20] Kritzer appeared in a workshop of the musical in 2014.[21]

Kritzer starred in the musical version of Beetlejuice as Delia Deetz and Miss Argentina, which originally premiered in Washington D.C. before making a Broadway transfer in February with a March opening.

Personal life

Kritzer married musical director Vadim Feichtner at New York City Center on February 22, 2013.[22] The couple met at NYU, and began dating after the final performance of the Encores! production of On the Town in 2008, in which Kritzer starred. The two have worked together on multiple productions since.[23]

See also

References

  1. https://www.playbill.com/person/leslie-kritzer-vault-0000089583
  2. https://www.playbill.com/person/leslie-kritzer-vault-0000089583
  3. Gans, Andrew. "DIVA TALK: Chatting with LuPone at Les Mouches's Leslie Kritzer Plus Rogers' Evita on Disc" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill, September 22, 2006; accessed February 24, 2011. "Kritzer: I was born in Manhattan, and I was raised in Livingston, New Jersey."
  4. "Still on 42nd Street, But More Than a Broadway Baby — Leslie Kritzer Speaks About Her Off-Broadway Role in The Memory Show", theatermania.com, May 3, 2013.
  5. "Livingston High School TV Studio Fundraising Telethon to be Held", TAP into Livingston, June 7, 2014. Accessed August 5, 2019. "Tony-nominated actress and Livingston alum (’95) Leslie Kritzer (Hairspray, Legally Blonde, A Catered Affair) will serve as a host."
  6. Celebrity Buzz: Who's Who Archived 2007-07-10 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill
  7. Gans, Andrew. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-06-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Playbill, September 6, 2006.
  8. 2007 Drama Desk Awards nominations Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Gans, Andrew."MAC Awards to Be Presented May 1; Kritzer to Receive Special Award", Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback MachinePlaybill, March 26, 2007
  10. Gans, Andrew."Blonde's Kritzer and Heights' Miranda Take 2007 Clarence Derwent Awards", Archived 2007-07-12 at the Wayback MachinePlaybill, May 9, 2007
  11. "Leslie Kritzer to Join Harvey Fierstein and Faith Prince in A Catered Affair", Broadway.com, June 4, 2007.
  12. Gans, Andrew. " 'A Catered Affair' to Play the Kerr; Design Team Announced" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill, August 6, 2007.
  13. Gans, Andrew."A Helluva Town: Encores! Launches New Season with On the Town" Archived 7 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, November 19, 2008.
  14. Judas & Me Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Genzlinger, Neil."Musical Lovebirds’ Struggles at Harmony"The New York Times, March 19, 2009
  16. Jones, Kenneth."Sondheim on Sondheim, a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway" Archived 1 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine.playbill.com, March 19, 2010.
  17. Marilyn Stasio (December 7, 2015). "Off Broadway Review: 'Gigantic'". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  18. Ben Brantley (March 13, 2016). "Review: 'The Robber Bridegroom' Is Heavy on the Twang". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  19. Andrew Gans (May 27, 2016). "Josh Grisetti, Leslie Kritzer and More Will Join Cast of Broadway's Something Rotten!". Playbill.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  20. McPhee, Ryan. "Watch Footage of Leslie Kritzer, Laura Bell Bundy, and More in 'The Honeymooners' " Playbill, October 3, 2017
  21. Gioia, Michael. "Michael McGrath, Hank Azaria, Leslie Kritzer and Megan Hilty Will Be "The Honeymooners" in Industry Reading" Playbill, September 22, 2014
  22. Andrew Gans (February 21, 2013). "Leslie Kritzer and Vadim Feichtner to Be Married at City Center". Playbill. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  23. Show People With Paul Wontorek: "Nobody Loves You" Star Leslie Kritzer on Liza, Fanny Brice & More. July 12, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
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