INTERVIEW: Broadway star Leslie Kritzer shines as Alice in ‘Honeymooners’ musical
The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, has been traveling back in time these past few weeks with the new musicalized version of TV’s The Honeymooners. The comedy stars the Broadway talents of Leslie Kritzer as Alice Kramden, Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, Michael Mastro as Ed Norton and Laura Bell Bundy as Trixie Norton.
The new musical, which plays through Oct. 29, is directed by John Rando and features music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Peter Mills and a book by Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss.
Kritzer is an accomplished stage actress who has appeared on Broadway in Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, Legally Blonde, Elf and Hairspray. This is in addition to her many other roles off-Broadway and regionally.
Recently, she spoke with Hollywood Soapbox about her new role in this classic adaptation. Here’s what she had to say:
On what attracted her to the show and this role of Alice Kramden …
“I’ve been a Honeymooners fan for a long time. I grew up watching reruns of it with my parents, and I grew up in New Jersey. So we would watch it probably on channel 11 or 9. I’m forgetting which one. So I always knew that it was hilarious, and after college even, I used to watch episodes of it. And it’s always been hilarious. It never isn’t funny.”
On how she received the role …
“A friend of mine had said to me, ‘By the way, I hear they’re looking for an Alice Kramden for this musical.’ Now my agent or my manager at the time had no idea, and so I called them. And I said, ‘Listen, I hear they’re doing this. They’re looking for an Alice. Can I get an audition?’ And they got me an audition, and I auditioned. And that was it, so what initially attracted me is because the character of Alice is so strong and totally ahead of her time, I think, and hilarious. It’s just the kind of woman I wanted to play. I think that’s really what it was, and I was really interested in playing that sort of character, which I feel is really close to me.”
On honoring Audrey Meadows’ original portrayal and creating a new character …
“So I have watched a number of episodes, and then I walk away from it. I’ll walk away. It is set in a certain time period, so the way people talked and even the tone of their voice is different. It’s still my voice, but it has that affectation a little bit to it that she had and a lot of actresses had at that time because it was just different. So, yes, the deadpan zingers are classic setup jokes. … Yet we are a mix of ourselves, so I do things that are not necessarily faithfully what Alice would do all the time. But we kind of pick and choose and find a happy medium between what we bring and who they were. I think it works, but, yes, we really do try to be true to style.”
On the songs written for the show …
“They’re great, and they’re very much in the style of the period. I sing two big numbers, and the one in the second act is a big band swing number. And they’re just fabulous. The music and the lyrics are just so great, so, yeah, it’s very much in the style of the period. It’s not a modern piece.”
On working with John Rando …
“This is actually the third show I’ve done with him. I did Urinetown the national tour, and I also did On the Town with him. … So, yeah, we have worked together several times. I’ve been working on this show with him for four years, so, yeah, it’s definitely a family. Mike McGrath, this is our third show together. Laura Bell, this is our second show together, and Michael Mastro was my first mentor when I moved to New York. So it’s really a family truly.”
On acting on stage with good friends …
“It’s so fun. The work is in making sure story-wise and character-wise we are honoring not only the television show but the characters themselves, the time period and the real people, and also making sure the story is fun and interesting and all connecting the dots. So that’s the work of it. Everything else is just super fun.
“I mean, we get some great material. We get to play with each other. We already know each other. Everyone is just so game to make it great. It’s a blast.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Honeymooners the musical plays through Sunday, Oct. 29 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets. Click here for Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with Laura Bell Bundy.
