Reviews of Comedic Performances
"Soap veteran Kirsten Van Ritzen was the glue that held the show together. Van Ritzen can improvise a compelling scene with nothing but a broomstick."
MARCH OF DAMES - The Globe and Mail
"Host Kirsten Van Ritzen (Sin City) is the spitfire who leads the charge . . . the players were sharp and quick to execute their scenes. A lot of it was impressive."
FRINGE-PROVISE ME - CVV Magazine
"Kirsten Van Ritzen as the Serpentine Snake Lady was great. She is the group’s matriarch and perhaps the most mysterious of the bunch. Van Ritzen has clearly done some digging into her character’s past, and it shows. "
SIN CITY: CARNIES -The Marble Theatre Review
"It’s fast, funny and completely entrancing to watch actors at the top of their game, veterans of vaudeville and improv, as they hurl themselves willing into situations demanding complete trust in the abilities of their fellow performers. "
SIN CITY:CARNIES – janislacouvee.com
"Lucille's Ball Better Than TV - hostess Louise is played with great aplomb by Van Ritzen, who steers the show"
LUCILLE'S BALL - YesAnd Toronto
" - capacity crowd was in stitches. The cast are so slick its scary - The sultry Kirsten Van Ritzen establishes the tone."
SIN CITY: RADIOLAND - Toronto Star
"Kirsten Van Ritzen milks every swagger from her Barbara Stanwyck-like divorcee - all (are) experienced improvisers, and their timing is jaw-droppingly precise."
SIN CITY: RADIOLAND - NOW Magazine
"Petunia Kneebody (Kirsten Van Ritzen) sits on the submarine ride at the West Edmonton Mall and chats with Otto - a lime-green ottoman - people in the audience are laughing so hard that the theatre seems a heart-attack risk."
DIE-NASTY SOAPATHON -The Globe and Mail
" .. One last show ... and it was one I was anxious for, after seeing its star doing some hysterical stand-up at the Fringe club a few nites earlier... Every new adventure in abasement is presented with wit and charm, in a show that’s lovingly staged by an obviously wicked talented actress. The laughs are plentiful . . . The whole otherwise hilarious show is given a lovely, bittersweet aftertaste that reminds us this isn’t just a goof of a show…it’s life for a lot of actors. . . it’s wonderful to have it presented to us by such a great performer in such a killer play. . ."
ALL MY DAY JOBS - The Visitorium
“Kirsten Van Ritzen is good medicine…you can’t help but laugh out loud at her exaggerative movements and extraordinary comic repartee…She changes characters as easily as Liz Taylor changes jewelry. And it’s equally dazzling to watch…To say she is talented and funny is a solid truth….”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Beverly Hills Courier
“Siren sets the stage ablaze with her screamingly funny seduction. Van Ritzen has meticulously tailored this piece to show off her amazing talent…”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - No Ho L.A.
“..every current female comedienne pales next to her impeccable timing, exuberance, and uncanny ability to turn laughter into a spiritual experience…Kirsten’s extraordinary talents in improv, sketch, song, dance and physical comedy are beyond belief…”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Tolucan Times
"... a side-splitting 55-minute one-woman comedy show. Van Ritzen is a confident actress and clearly a veteran of the stage . . . she shows a real flair for creating a variety of colourful and quirky characters, from boozy divas to marine biologists. .. She teases and toys with her audience - setting up what appears
to be a conventional scene and then turning it on its head. That's what makes her stand out from the crowd. And get a few extra laughs. "
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Winnipeg Free Press
"... a solo sketch show that showcases her wealth of talent and the very broad scope of her performing skills. The veteran actor and comedienne
pulls out all the stops with eight different characters (nine if you include herself doing standup) in 55 minutes including many near-complete costume
changes, never missing a beat...a sultry French chanteuse with the exaggerated accent crooning “Is That All There Is?” is a stroke of understated brilliance...
Through her singing, dancing, wide-ranging comedic stylings and perfect sense of timing, Van Ritzen conjures up comparisons to such female comic icons as Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett - with a dash of Gilda Radner tossed in. This is one very witty lady and she’s not to be missed. "
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - The Phantom Fringer
Read THEATRE REVIEWS HERE
"Soap veteran Kirsten Van Ritzen was the glue that held the show together. Van Ritzen can improvise a compelling scene with nothing but a broomstick."
MARCH OF DAMES - The Globe and Mail
"Host Kirsten Van Ritzen (Sin City) is the spitfire who leads the charge . . . the players were sharp and quick to execute their scenes. A lot of it was impressive."
FRINGE-PROVISE ME - CVV Magazine
"Kirsten Van Ritzen as the Serpentine Snake Lady was great. She is the group’s matriarch and perhaps the most mysterious of the bunch. Van Ritzen has clearly done some digging into her character’s past, and it shows. "
SIN CITY: CARNIES -The Marble Theatre Review
"It’s fast, funny and completely entrancing to watch actors at the top of their game, veterans of vaudeville and improv, as they hurl themselves willing into situations demanding complete trust in the abilities of their fellow performers. "
SIN CITY:CARNIES – janislacouvee.com
"Lucille's Ball Better Than TV - hostess Louise is played with great aplomb by Van Ritzen, who steers the show"
LUCILLE'S BALL - YesAnd Toronto
" - capacity crowd was in stitches. The cast are so slick its scary - The sultry Kirsten Van Ritzen establishes the tone."
SIN CITY: RADIOLAND - Toronto Star
"Kirsten Van Ritzen milks every swagger from her Barbara Stanwyck-like divorcee - all (are) experienced improvisers, and their timing is jaw-droppingly precise."
SIN CITY: RADIOLAND - NOW Magazine
"Petunia Kneebody (Kirsten Van Ritzen) sits on the submarine ride at the West Edmonton Mall and chats with Otto - a lime-green ottoman - people in the audience are laughing so hard that the theatre seems a heart-attack risk."
DIE-NASTY SOAPATHON -The Globe and Mail
" .. One last show ... and it was one I was anxious for, after seeing its star doing some hysterical stand-up at the Fringe club a few nites earlier... Every new adventure in abasement is presented with wit and charm, in a show that’s lovingly staged by an obviously wicked talented actress. The laughs are plentiful . . . The whole otherwise hilarious show is given a lovely, bittersweet aftertaste that reminds us this isn’t just a goof of a show…it’s life for a lot of actors. . . it’s wonderful to have it presented to us by such a great performer in such a killer play. . ."
ALL MY DAY JOBS - The Visitorium
“Kirsten Van Ritzen is good medicine…you can’t help but laugh out loud at her exaggerative movements and extraordinary comic repartee…She changes characters as easily as Liz Taylor changes jewelry. And it’s equally dazzling to watch…To say she is talented and funny is a solid truth….”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Beverly Hills Courier
“Siren sets the stage ablaze with her screamingly funny seduction. Van Ritzen has meticulously tailored this piece to show off her amazing talent…”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - No Ho L.A.
“..every current female comedienne pales next to her impeccable timing, exuberance, and uncanny ability to turn laughter into a spiritual experience…Kirsten’s extraordinary talents in improv, sketch, song, dance and physical comedy are beyond belief…”
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Tolucan Times
"... a side-splitting 55-minute one-woman comedy show. Van Ritzen is a confident actress and clearly a veteran of the stage . . . she shows a real flair for creating a variety of colourful and quirky characters, from boozy divas to marine biologists. .. She teases and toys with her audience - setting up what appears
to be a conventional scene and then turning it on its head. That's what makes her stand out from the crowd. And get a few extra laughs. "
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - Winnipeg Free Press
"... a solo sketch show that showcases her wealth of talent and the very broad scope of her performing skills. The veteran actor and comedienne
pulls out all the stops with eight different characters (nine if you include herself doing standup) in 55 minutes including many near-complete costume
changes, never missing a beat...a sultry French chanteuse with the exaggerated accent crooning “Is That All There Is?” is a stroke of understated brilliance...
Through her singing, dancing, wide-ranging comedic stylings and perfect sense of timing, Van Ritzen conjures up comparisons to such female comic icons as Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett - with a dash of Gilda Radner tossed in. This is one very witty lady and she’s not to be missed. "
THE KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN SHOW - The Phantom Fringer
Read THEATRE REVIEWS HERE