Reviews of Theatre Performances
"The mother Martha (Kirsten van Ritzen) follows the tradition of those spectacularly damaged female characters in theatre ... the other Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe ... touches of Blanche in Streetcar, even Laura and Amanda from The Glass Menagerie ... Martha, a spectacular train-wreck of a human being, is the juiciest role. And Van Ritzen, a solid actor, did it justice... It's vigorous exciting theatre." THAT FACE - Times Colonist
" the mentally ill addict mother Martha (is) played both delicately and devilishly by Kirsten Van Ritzen ... The story is both devastating and explosive, yet incredibly tender and, at times, humorous. Van Ritzen called the chance to play diabolic Martha the 'role of a lifetime,' and I'm glad she took it. Her take on Martha. . .(gives) a rare inside look at a woman on the edge of insanity, who has so much love and so much hatred in her heart." THAT FACE - Monday Magazine
"That Face packs a ferocious emotional wallop as actors plumb the depths of a family in free fall... Kirsten Van Ritzen (the mother Martha) walks the knife edge between reality and fantasy, sympathetic and horrifying ... biting social commentary, and perfectly executed by Van Ritzen." THAT FACE - Janislacouvee.com
"Kirsten Van Ritzen is one gal who's got it all. She can sing, she can dance (really dance), she can act, she can write and, more important, she can make you laugh out loud - Think Carol Burnett with sex appeal - Give this woman a television show." TOTALLY RIDICULOUS -The Toronto Star
"Performers took turns singing the lead parts, which showcased the variety of terrific talent in the company's ranks. Veteran actor Kirsten Van Ritzen put her vocal and comedy chops to good use in her performance of ‘It's a Perfect Relationship’ from Bells Are Ringing. Wearing a teal and pink frock, she played a mousy telephone operator who muses in song about falling in love with a client she's never seen. " GOTTA GETTA GIMMICK - Times Colonist
"Van Ritzen makes a pretty fair torch singer, belting out big numbers with a voice that would have sent Ethel Merman considering a career change -an effervescent performance." MAD DOG MUSIC - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen dances and sings up a storm with polished energy and enthusiasm." LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - The Visitor
"Van Ritzen knows how to work a crowd -the singer show(s) off her comic prowess. Van Ritzen vamps with the best of them singing Kurt Weill as though Marlene Dietrich had come back to life." TORCH SONGS & TOILET PLUNGERS - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen showed herself to be a very entertaining singer/actor, genuinely having fun...her personality is honest and unaffected, and she worked
the audience well." TORCH SONGS & TOILET PLUNGERS - Edmonton Journal
"It is a wonderfully zany, exhilarating, colourful, old Broadway style musical...how could anyone forget the delightful, doddering pair of maternal elderly ladies Estelle and Eunice (Kirsten van Ritzen and Patti Allan)" ALLEYCATS THE MUSICAL - Review Vancouver
"Two particular performances that tended to grow on the audience emanated from Patti Allen (Eunice) and Kirsten Van Ritzen (Estelle). Their unique interpretations of these supporting players evoked slight glimmers of Elaine Stritch and Georgia Engel." ALLEYCATS THE MUSICAL - Vancouver Star
"Kirsten Van Ritzen (Lola) is superb for a second consecutive show - an outstanding performance." CELLBLOCK ROCK - Regina Leader Post
"Nobody does period like Kirsten Van Ritzen Expect lots of laughter." TOTALLY RIDICULOUS - NOW Magazine
"Kirsten Van Ritzen portrays Steffy perfectly." I OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES - Orillia Packet & Times
" - the supporting cast- including Kirsten Van Ritzen as Lydie - is wonderful." QUIET IN THE LAND- The Record
"There are two wild moments where the play breaks out to provide some solid belly-laughs. One is a show-stopping feminist hissy fit delivered with comic force by fire-breathing actress Alison Downey (Kirsten Van Ritzen.)" EXIT OTHELLO - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen is superb in this one-woman comedy - five stars out of five." A CLOSETFUL OF NAVY BLUES - Winnipeg Free Press
"charming honesty , good vocal training - Van Ritzen's compelling character study makes it work." A CLOSETFUL OF NAVY BLUES -Edmonton Journal
"Van Ritzen's Linda, touchy and troubled strikes some real comic sparks." THE DAUGHTERS OF JUDY LA MARSH -Edmonton Journal
READ REVIEWS OF COMEDY PERFORMANCES HERE
"The mother Martha (Kirsten van Ritzen) follows the tradition of those spectacularly damaged female characters in theatre ... the other Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe ... touches of Blanche in Streetcar, even Laura and Amanda from The Glass Menagerie ... Martha, a spectacular train-wreck of a human being, is the juiciest role. And Van Ritzen, a solid actor, did it justice... It's vigorous exciting theatre." THAT FACE - Times Colonist
" the mentally ill addict mother Martha (is) played both delicately and devilishly by Kirsten Van Ritzen ... The story is both devastating and explosive, yet incredibly tender and, at times, humorous. Van Ritzen called the chance to play diabolic Martha the 'role of a lifetime,' and I'm glad she took it. Her take on Martha. . .(gives) a rare inside look at a woman on the edge of insanity, who has so much love and so much hatred in her heart." THAT FACE - Monday Magazine
"That Face packs a ferocious emotional wallop as actors plumb the depths of a family in free fall... Kirsten Van Ritzen (the mother Martha) walks the knife edge between reality and fantasy, sympathetic and horrifying ... biting social commentary, and perfectly executed by Van Ritzen." THAT FACE - Janislacouvee.com
"Kirsten Van Ritzen is one gal who's got it all. She can sing, she can dance (really dance), she can act, she can write and, more important, she can make you laugh out loud - Think Carol Burnett with sex appeal - Give this woman a television show." TOTALLY RIDICULOUS -The Toronto Star
"Performers took turns singing the lead parts, which showcased the variety of terrific talent in the company's ranks. Veteran actor Kirsten Van Ritzen put her vocal and comedy chops to good use in her performance of ‘It's a Perfect Relationship’ from Bells Are Ringing. Wearing a teal and pink frock, she played a mousy telephone operator who muses in song about falling in love with a client she's never seen. " GOTTA GETTA GIMMICK - Times Colonist
"Van Ritzen makes a pretty fair torch singer, belting out big numbers with a voice that would have sent Ethel Merman considering a career change -an effervescent performance." MAD DOG MUSIC - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen dances and sings up a storm with polished energy and enthusiasm." LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - The Visitor
"Van Ritzen knows how to work a crowd -the singer show(s) off her comic prowess. Van Ritzen vamps with the best of them singing Kurt Weill as though Marlene Dietrich had come back to life." TORCH SONGS & TOILET PLUNGERS - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen showed herself to be a very entertaining singer/actor, genuinely having fun...her personality is honest and unaffected, and she worked
the audience well." TORCH SONGS & TOILET PLUNGERS - Edmonton Journal
"It is a wonderfully zany, exhilarating, colourful, old Broadway style musical...how could anyone forget the delightful, doddering pair of maternal elderly ladies Estelle and Eunice (Kirsten van Ritzen and Patti Allan)" ALLEYCATS THE MUSICAL - Review Vancouver
"Two particular performances that tended to grow on the audience emanated from Patti Allen (Eunice) and Kirsten Van Ritzen (Estelle). Their unique interpretations of these supporting players evoked slight glimmers of Elaine Stritch and Georgia Engel." ALLEYCATS THE MUSICAL - Vancouver Star
"Kirsten Van Ritzen (Lola) is superb for a second consecutive show - an outstanding performance." CELLBLOCK ROCK - Regina Leader Post
"Nobody does period like Kirsten Van Ritzen Expect lots of laughter." TOTALLY RIDICULOUS - NOW Magazine
"Kirsten Van Ritzen portrays Steffy perfectly." I OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES - Orillia Packet & Times
" - the supporting cast- including Kirsten Van Ritzen as Lydie - is wonderful." QUIET IN THE LAND- The Record
"There are two wild moments where the play breaks out to provide some solid belly-laughs. One is a show-stopping feminist hissy fit delivered with comic force by fire-breathing actress Alison Downey (Kirsten Van Ritzen.)" EXIT OTHELLO - Edmonton Sun
"Kirsten Van Ritzen is superb in this one-woman comedy - five stars out of five." A CLOSETFUL OF NAVY BLUES - Winnipeg Free Press
"charming honesty , good vocal training - Van Ritzen's compelling character study makes it work." A CLOSETFUL OF NAVY BLUES -Edmonton Journal
"Van Ritzen's Linda, touchy and troubled strikes some real comic sparks." THE DAUGHTERS OF JUDY LA MARSH -Edmonton Journal
READ REVIEWS OF COMEDY PERFORMANCES HERE