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Leslie Kritzer

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Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer
Born (1977-05-24) May 24, 1977 (age 47)
New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present
Spouse
Vadim Feichtner
​
(m. 2013)​

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

Life and career

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer[1] was born in Manhattan and raised in Livingston, New Jersey.[2] Her father is Jewish, and her mother is of Puerto Rican ancestry. Kritzer was raised Catholic.[3] She attended Livingston High School, graduating in 1995.[4] A 1999 graduate of the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music, she has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray as Shelly and in Legally Blonde as Serena. Off-Broadway she appeared 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.[5] She also was the understudy for Carla in In the Heights, a Broadway musical written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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.[6] She received a 2006 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for The Great American Trailer Park Musical,[7] followed by a 2007 Special Achievement MAC Award for her show Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches,[8] and a 2007 Clarence Derwent Award for her performance as Serena in Legally Blonde.[9]

Kritzer starred in A Catered Affair, portraying Janey Hurley, the character played by Debbie Reynolds in the 1956 feature film of the same name.[10] A Catered Affair ran on Broadway from March 2008 through July 27, 2008.[11] She starred in the Encores! staged concert presentation of On the Town in November 2008 as Hildy, the amorous and aggressive taxi driver.[12]

In the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival, she performed in Judas and Me as the angel Gabriel.[13] In March 2009 Kritzer played Monica in the Off-Broadway musical Rooms: A Rock Romance.[14] In December 2009, she performed in the musical Pop! at the Yale Repertory Theatre. The musical is based on the life of Andy Warhol. Kritzer portrayed Valerie, a character based on Valerie Solanas.[15]

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. Kritzer joined the principal cast of Something Rotten! on July 18, 2016, replacing Heidi Blickenstaff as Bea.[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 in Milburn, New Jersey, on September 28, 2017. The musical starred Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, Michael Mastro as Ed Norton, and Laura Bell Bundy as Trixie Norton and was directed by John Rando.[20] Kritzer had previously appeared in a workshop of the musical in 2014.[21]

Kritzer starred in the musical version of Beetlejuice as Delia Schlimmer and Miss Argentina, which premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., in October 2018 before transferring to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, beginning previews in March and opening in April. The production closed on March 10, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021 it was announced that Beetlejuice would reopen on Broadway, at the Marquis Theatre, in April 2022.[22] Kritzer is returning as Delia.[23][24]

Personal life

Kritzer married musical director Vadim Feichtner at New York City Center on February 22, 2013.[25] 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.[26]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2022 The First Lady Martha Graham [27]

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Dearest Enemy Performer Off-Broadway concert – Musicals Tonight!
2000 Godspell Performer Off-Broadway – York Theatre
2001 Bat Boy Swing, Meredith (understudy) Off-Broadway – Union Square Theatre
Funny Girl Fanny Brice Regional – Paper Mill Playhouse
2002 Babes in Arms Baby Rose Regional – Goodspeed Opera House
2003 Grease Rizzo Regional – Paper Mill Playhouse
2004 Hairspray Shelly Broadway – Neil Simon Theatre
2005 The Great American Trailer Park Musical Pickles Off-Broadway – Dodger Stages
2006 Vanities Kathy Regional – TheatreWorks
2007 Legally Blonde Serena Broadway – Palace Theatre
2008 A Catered Affair Janey Broadway – Walter Kerr Theatre
On the Town Hildy Off-Broadway – Encores!
2009 Rooms: A Rock Romance Monica Off-Broadway – New World Stages
Pop! Valerie Regional – Yale Repertory Theatre
2010 Sondheim on Sondheim Performer Broadway – Studio 54
2011 NEWSical the Musical Performer Off-Broadway – Theatre Row
2012 Closer Than Ever Performer Off-Broadway – York Theatre
2012–13 Elf Jovie Broadway – Al Hirschfeld Theatre
2013 The Memory Show Daughter Off-Broadway – Duke on 42nd Street
2014 Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story Jessie Off-Broadway – Pershing Square Signature Center
2015 Gigantic Sandy Off-Broadway – Vineyard Theatre
2016 The Robber Bridegroom Salome Off-Broadway – Roundabout Theatre Company
Something Rotten! Bea Broadway – St. James Theatre
2017 The Honeymooners Alice Regional – Paper Mill Playhouse
2018 Beetlejuice Delia/Miss Argentina Pre-Broadway Tryout – National Theatre
2019–20 Broadway – Winter Garden Theatre
2022– Delia Broadway – Marquis Theatre

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer". Playbill. Retrieved Oct 15, 2020.
  2. ^ Gans, Andrew (September 22, 2006). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with LuPone at Les Mouches's Leslie Kritzer Plus Rogers' Evita on Disc". Playbill. Retrieved March 25, 2022. Kritzer: I was born in Manhattan, and I was raised in Livingston, New Jersey.
  3. ^ Levitt, Hayley (May 3, 2013). "Still on 42nd Street, But More Than a Broadway Baby — Leslie Kritzer Speaks About Her Off-Broadway Role in The Memory Show". TheaterMania.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "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."
  5. ^ "Playbill Biography: Leslie Kritzer". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007.
  6. ^ Gans, Andrew (September 6, 2006). "Leslie Kritzer to Re-create Vintage Patti LuPone Concert". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "2007 Drama Desk Awards nominations". Archived from the original on Aug 16, 2007. Retrieved Oct 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 26, 2007). "MAC Awards to Be Presented May 1; Kritzer to Receive Special Award". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 9, 2007). "Blonde's Kritzer and Heights' Miranda Take 2007 Clarence Derwent Awards". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Leslie Kritzer to Join Harvey Fierstein and Faith Prince in A Catered Affair". Broadway.com. June 4, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (August 6, 2007). "A Catered Affair to Play the Kerr; Design Team Announced". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Gans, Andrew (November 19, 2008). "A Helluva Town: Encores! Launches New Season with On the Town". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Judas & Me". New York Musical Theatre Festival. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009.
  14. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (March 19, 2009). "Musical Lovebirds’ Struggles at Harmony". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Hetrick, Adam (September 14, 2009). "Kritzer Will Shoot Warhol in POP! Musical At Yale Rep". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Jones, Kenneth (March 19, 2010). "Sondheim on Sondheim, a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Stasio, Marilyn (December 7, 2015). "Off Broadway Review: 'Gigantic'". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Ben Brantley (March 13, 2016). "Review: 'The Robber Bridegroom' Is Heavy on the Twang". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  19. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 27, 2016). "Josh Grisetti, Leslie Kritzer and More Will Join Cast of Broadway's Something Rotten!". Playbill. Retrieved September 18, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ McPhee, Ryan (October 3, 2017). "Watch Footage of Leslie Kritzer, Laura Bell Bundy, and More in The Honeymooners". Playbill.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Gioia, Michael (September 22, 2014). "Michael McGrath, Hank Azaria, Leslie Kritzer and Megan Hilty Will Be 'The Honeymooners' in Industry Reading". Playbill.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ McPhee, Ryan (September 21, 2021). "Beetlejuice Finds a New Home; Viral Musical Will Reopen on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  23. ^ Cristi, A.A. (February 10, 2022). "BEETLEJUICE Adds Original Cast Members Kerry Butler, Leslie Kritzer, and More for Broadway Return". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  24. ^ "Cast". BEETLEJUICE The Musical. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  25. ^ Andrew Gans (February 21, 2013). "Leslie Kritzer and Vadim Feichtner to Be Married at City Center". Playbill. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  26. ^ Show People With Paul Wontorek: "Nobody Loves You" Star Leslie Kritzer on Liza, Fanny Brice & More. July 12, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  27. ^ Petski, Denise (March 10, 2021). "'The First Lady': Aya Cash, Jake Picking, Ben Cook Among 8 Cast In Showtime Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
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