Leslie Kritzer Talks Paying Tribute to Her ‘Ballsy, Kleptomaniac’ High-School Self in Beautiful Disaster

Ever wonder what Leslie Kritzer was like in high school? Head downtown, where the Broadway alum is revisiting her teenage years as a self-described “Jersey girl whose life is basically a downward spiral of rebellion.” Incorporating an eclectic selection of songs from Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kritzer’s cabaret show Beautiful Disaster is rocking Joe’s Pub on May 13.

“I play about 12 different characters in Beautiful Disaster, from my parents to my principal,” Kritzer told Broadway.com of the solo show. “When I was a senior in high school, I was in danger of not graduating, and I was so upset I didn’t get the lead in the high school play—I wanted to be Maria in West Side Story. They wanted me to be Anita, and I was like, ‘No!’ I don’t know anyone else who turns that role down! Now I realize how ballsy I was in high school, and how much moxie I had.”

Kritzer, who is also currently starring in the new musical The Memory Show at off-Broadway’s Duke at 42nd Street, reveals her inner wild-child in Beautiful Disaster. “There’s a part where I go to a party, get stoned and start hallucinating,” the Elf and Legally Blonde vet said with a laugh. “God, I can’t believe all the crazy things I did. I was a bit of a kleptomaniac and I stole from people. I’m really putting it all out there for the world to see how dysfunctional I was.”

Co-written by Randy Blair (Fat Camp), the autobiographical show has been getting a positive response from family, friends and fans alike. “It’s a really fun evening,” Kritzer said. “Sometimes, you just have to laugh at life.”