Leslie's NYC Trip--Day One

I was lucky enough to have another quick trip to NYC this week when I tagged along with my husband who was on a business trip. Although Ann was consumed with jealousy, I plunged ahead and saw four more plays! Most theatres are dark on Mondays, so I chose an Off-Broadway play that just opened called Rooms: A Rock Romance at New World Theatre. Although the plot of this two character play is pretty predictable, the excellent score (that ranges from cararet songs to punk rock to a crazy, wildly inappropriate bat mitzvah number) and the performances from the two talented actor/singers, Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, made for an entertaining evening.

The set-up is your basic "boy meets girl" scenario--Monica, who refers to herself as a "Scottish Jewish Princess" and a lyricist in search of a composer, meets a poor Catholic boy, Ian, who lives in his bedroom with his guitar and his booze. Before long, they've won a trip to London which leads to a recording contract as punk duo Lillian Filth and Perry Comatose. You can fill in the blanks after that, but the songs, the performances, and the kick-ass rock band on stage transform what could have felt tired and cliche into an original take on the inevitable love story of two opposites who attract. Leslie Kritzer is perfectly cast--she commands the stage with her great comic timing and her wonderful voice--and Doug Kreeger is just as good. I would recommend it highly ($25 tickets are available on broadwaybox.com!).