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The Ritz Reviews
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| 16 |
Horrible, is strong enough! Review by: martin, Oct 17, 2007 |
2 hours of my life, I'll never get back. Horrible!!! Broadway's lights got a little dimmer. Too bad the strike didn't last longer.
The jokes were old and tired. The actors mumbled and or shouted out their lines. The music was pure background noise. The stage set was interesting. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 17 |
Great Fun! Review by: Carol, Oct 15, 2007 |
| This show is a comic romp! There are no heavy messages, just pure fun. Kevin Chamberlain and Rosey Perez are top-notch actors. Go for a good belly laugh. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
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| 18 |
Why? Review by: , Oct 14, 2007 |
Why revive this play? It's not funny, and it's terribly dated. It seems as if the only reason for this play's existance is to serve as a vehicle for Rosie Perez (who is great).
The main problem is niether the acting nor any production aspects, but the play itself is just stupid. There is no plot, conflict, or tension for the first 45 minutes - only stupid jokes and dated one-liners. The given circumstances are interesting and promising,... read more, but nothing of interest ever materializes.
Go see Pygmalion. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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Family
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| 19 |
I'll see it again! Review by: Bill, Oct 13, 2007 |
Despite a few technical issues and some awkward blocking, The Ritz is an enjoyable evening. Rosie Perez is hilarious as Googie Gomez. My only criticisms involving Rosie are that sometimes the sound system was modulated so high that her speech was garbled, and she sings almost too well to fit the character's reputation as one who can't sing.
Brooks Ashmanskas nearly steals the show with his characterization of Chris. I think we all know,... read more, or have known, a Chris during our lifetimes. Brooks pulls it off wonderfully.
Seth Rudinsky's cameo appearance was as funny as anyone who knows his other work would expect. I was apprehensive about how he was going to be used in the show. His performance turned out to be a real highlight.
The show could have used a bit more choreography in it's blocking. At times, the hot guys serving as eye-candy on stage didn't seem to know what they were supposed to do, so they just stood there. They should have been given something to do, or they shouldn't have been on stage.
The Ritz shows its age. But Joe Mantello wisely set it as a period piece. Trying to bring it current would have required injecting too many issues that would have distracted from the overall farce.
All in all, The Ritz is great light entertainment. There are performances that are definitely worth seeing. They greatly outweigh the few negatives. I'll be back to see it at least once more during its run. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 20 |
rosie rocks! Review by: joedyrules, Oct 13, 2007 |
| HATER!!!! do i think it was amazing? duh- no but take it for what its worth . a blink in time stuff was dated but it made it funny. ROSIE RULES!!! its worth the ticket just for her !!!!! lighten up and have some fun people! |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Tourists, Adults
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| 21 |
RUN.....to see something, anything else. Review by: Veteran Roundabout subscriber, Oct 9, 2007 |
| ATROCIOUS! And that's being kind. Roundabout should think much harder about their choices of productions. Years ago, it was one out of two or three was a success. Now, its become one out of four or five. Pajama Game was the last great revival. The Ritz is a waste of time and money. |
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| 22 |
The Pitz Review by: VitamenB, Oct 9, 2007 |
| Couldn't understand a word Rosie Perez said. I barely managed a laugh throughout the entire show. By intermission I was ready for the whole thing to be over. Very disappointing. The best thing I could manage coming outta there was - "the costumes and set were nice." |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Business Associate
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Recommended for:
Tourists
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| 23 |
The PITZ......not the RITZ Review by: Simone Simone, Oct 9, 2007 |
The PITZ, not the RITZ, was shown on a light bulb lit sign in one of the few funny moments in what seemed to be comedy. I question "comedy" because no one was laughing, well those 45 and plus and lived in New York in the seventies were. The show I felt had many one liners and zingers that were poorly executed and dated so much so that many of the young gay twenty somethings stared back at one another in confusion. Not only were the 20 ... read more something year old audience members confused but so were the go go boys in the the show. They paraded and walked around the set, thinking of things to do, as not only sex gods but also live action stage props. I felt that my ticket purchase was going to feed the go go boys, who seemed more like exotic animals in a petting zoo.
The show had "some" great highlights. Rosie Perez and Brooks Ashmanskas's performances were what held up the show and without them I would have left the theater during intermission. Rosie I felt was fantastic and "relaxed" when she had a microphone in hand, but without it she was belting out many of her lines.
The role played by Kevin Chamberlin, though, was above all the worse roles I have seen in theater. I mean not to sound crude but this performance was just bad. His take on the character was not one that was scared but simply dry, dull. I left wondering the characters name I was so unamused by him.
Time and energy has to save this show. Most of the time, currently on the construction and production Broadway shows, has gone in to stage scenery and press. This is a great example of such wasted energy. There is great potential in this show to make a sure hit rather than a miss. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Adults
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| 24 |
dreadful Review by: ruthie, Oct 8, 2007 |
| dreadful. enough said. glad they had intermission so people had a chance to leave if they chose . many did. i personally, stayed till the bitter end. hoped it might improve but it was wasted hope. |
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| 25 |
Lousy direction, bad lead, some bad writing, but nice fun Review by: Richie, Oct 7, 2007 |
This just shows that there is a lot of "Emperor's New Clothes" on Broadway. Joe Mantello's direction is so muddled and lifeless that it brings into question whether he has been the lucky recipient of some good plays and casts in making his name. Really appalling direction. The pace is often that of a bad high school musical in which the participants haven't learned their roles. That this is the fault of the director is clear when the ... read more
Brooks Ashmanskas and the actor playing Claude Perkins are onstage--they commandeer the play and set the pace and volume level just right. This is a FARCE, Mantello! The other huge disappointment is Kevin Chamberlin, who affects ONE vocal inflection, a flat "Ohioan" accent and destroys most of his part's funny lines with his awful acting and pacing. Rosie Perez is very good, but not as great on Rita Moreno in the movie (also a bit incomprehensible at times). Her big number is funny, but overlong (Moreno's "I had a drin, a drin about joo bebee" is still unmatched). Lots of great-looking bodies to watch when the proceedings lag, and the visual replica of the hair and clothes of the era are really fantastic. The show takes infinitely too long to end--the end has always been the weak point of the play. And McNally's dreadful attempt to give the character of Gaetano some depth at the end is a mistake. There IS no redeeming social value in this play Mr. McN, just let it be a fun piece of fluff. As acted by the egregious Mr. Chamberlin, the ending seems to take an eternity, and is only redeemed by the fun dancing in the curtain calls. All told, intermittently quite funny, but a dreadful example of minorly talented Broadway pros being shown up for what they are (and I mean Mantello and Chamberlin only). |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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| 26 |
Everything's Coming Up Rosie Review by: Woodie, Oct 7, 2007 |
| THE RITZ was hysterical...and Rosie Perez gives one of the funniest performances I've ever seen on a Broadway stage. I loved this play. It was a great walk down memory lane with lots of eye candy, terrific period music and wonderfully staged comedic scenes. The audience was literally HOWLING with laughter throughout. My partner and I laughed from start to finish and wished it would have lasted more than its two hours. I'd recommend it ... read more to anyone. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Tourists, Adults
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| 27 |
Take a Trip To The Ritz Review by: rskblueyes, Oct 1, 2007 |
I very much enjoyed seeing this show. The cast was great especially Rosie Perez and Brooks Ashmankis. The first act finale had th whole audience howling.
Yes the piece is a bit dated and cliched, but ita all in good fun. I had seen the movie in 1976 and this production was just as good! |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| Acting: |
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| Production: |
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Tourists
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| 28 |
Haven't laughed this hard in a theater in years... Review by: TONY, Oct 1, 2007 |
| WHAT A HOOT! I saw the Original w/ Rita Moreno and loved the film This is great fun and a great cast. My hat is off to Rosie Perez-She is so funny! Her club act is worth the price of admission. Go for the laughs, go for fun of it, go for ROSIE & the Gang...Bring tissues, you will laugh so hard , you will cry... |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 29 |
Fun at 54! Review by: novo, Oct 1, 2007 |
| The RITZ at Studio 54 is hilarious. This is the funniest play on Broadway. My friends and I howled. Everyone around me was holding their sides from laughing so hard. This play must have been shocking in its day. Now it's a very sweet story told with great heart and laugh out loud humor. All of the performances are terrific but Rosie Perez and Brooks Ashmanskas are especially funny. This play is pure fun...no great social message, no ... read more deep thinking, but FUN FUN FUN. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The set, the lighting, the music and especially the nightclub scenes are truly wonderful. I had a blast. A genuinely terrific evening of theatre, blessedly free of the pretentiousness that is bogging down so much of today's theatrical offerings. I truly loved THE RITZ. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Large Group
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 30 |
Dated, Sitcom-ish Script Receives Glacially-Paced Production Review by: PlayBoy, Sep 28, 2007 |
| We tried to get Pygmalion, but when it was sold out, we got The Ritz. We were wanting to see it anyway, so we were excited... then the show started. Cast members do their best, but you almost get the feeling they know they're in a bomb. The play itself is contrived, poorly written and not funny. (I can't believe a gay man wrote this!) The direction is way too slow for a farce and seems to miss most of the very few potential funny moments. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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