Broadway Review Roundup: GHETTO KLOWN

GHETTO KLOWN, which opened tonight at the Lyceum Theatre (149 W. 45 Street), is the next chapter in John Leguizamo's hugely popular personal and professional story. It follows in the unabashed, uncensored, and uninhibited tradition of his Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix...a Love Story. In Leguizamo's trademark style, the piece explodes with energy, leading audiences on a fever-pitch adventure and heating up the stage with vivid accounts of where he's been and the colorful characters who have populated his life. Leguizamo takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career during the outrageous 80s avant-garde theatre scene, and on to the sets of major motion pictures and his roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Did the exciting story behind GHETTO KLOWN leave critics just as excited about the show? Find out now!

Charles Isherwood, The New York Times: While the mysterious sources of Mr. Leguizamo's boundless energy show no signs of imminent depletion, the writing in this, his fifth solo show over the course of two decades, is beginning to show traces of flab. The show's energy stalls when Mr. Leguizamo slides from sharply funny satirical highs to puddles of banal confession...the scabrous class clown begins to feel a little too much like a lecturer at the Learning Annex promoting his latest self-help book.

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press: Leguizamo's pain has always been our gain through five deeply personal shows, and his new one is no exception. "Ghetto Klown" is filled with hysterical stories..."I realized being on stage is my religion," Leguizamo says at the end. "Sharing my unhappiness on stage is my happiness." Let us hope he is unhappy for a long time to come.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter: There's no disputing that Leguizamo knows how to command a stage. His limber physicality and bad-boy charisma, his gift for mimicry and vocal inflection, his effortless ability to inhabit multiple characters, all make him a pro at this type of confessional memoir. He tells a punchy story...But the impression this time around is of a writer-performer going through the motions, falling back somewhat lazily on a format that has worked for him in the past, rather than stretching in new directions.

Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg: In "Ghetto Klown," more than in his previous solo Broadway shows ("Freak" and "Sexaholix...a Love Story"), he uses many masks ultimately to reveal a naked self...Director Fisher Stevens has clearly spent a lot of time helping Leguizamo shape what can sometimes be unshapely -- there's a lot of territory to cover, and perhaps 15 minutes too long is spent covering it. But when the inevitable father-son reconciliation comes, the actor takes us way beyond laughter.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: There's a lot of nostalgic content to this fast-moving and efficiently mounted (by Fisher Stevens) piece...less familiar is the tone of disappointment and regret that drags down the second act -- a second act that would be unnecessary if the show gets the trim it needs. Although the performer's fan base might be fascinated to get the gory details on his failed TV show (no mention is made of his short-lived Broadway appearance in "American Buffalo"), much of this material feels like an extension of formal therapy sessions.

Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer: [The show] seems a bit much in two acts, and contains some business I don't understand...He's endearing when he speaks about his career, self-depricating when he speaks about himself and especially his relationship with a father who both intimidated and infuriated him, and who has left and indelible mark on his psyche. When it comes to revealing his home life Leguizamo is more like an old pal than you may want - he may just be giving you a little too much information.

Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News: Leguizamo's new play throbs with big laughs and deep poignancy, as well as the infectious Latin beat and manic energy that's become his signature. But it becomes clear that there's a limit to how many times you can go to the same well.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post: Luckily, our host is such a relentlessly entertaining character that it's a real fun trip, seemingly fueled by gallons of Red Bull. Leguizamo enters by pulling hip-hop moves to the sound of James Brown's "Sex Machine," and comes very close to sustaining that frenetic pace for more than two hours, though the energy -- both his and ours -- flags toward the end.

Robert Feldberg, NorthJersey.com: The one-man shows have been, by far, the most distinctive aspects of Leguizamo's career. He hasn't lost his talent, but some fresh material might do wonders for his effectiveness.

Michael Sommers, NJ Newsroom:Devoted fans of John Leguizamo are likeliest to appreciate "Ghetto Klown," his latest solo piece, which opened Tuesday at the Lyceum Theater.

As for everybody else, well, witnessing Leguizamo as he talks on and on - and on - for nearly two and a half hours regarding his well-known Latin-Queens roots and his spotty film career and his messy private life turns out to be an increasingly tiresome example of an egocentric actor getting so wrapped up in his lovely self that he forgets to be entertaining.