Bells Are Ringing Fan Reviews

I just got home after seeing Bob in Bells are Ringing. Anyone who has a chance to see this show should go. It's a very light hearted show, with great songs. Bob is wonderful. He looked great and his voice sounds wonderful. The ensemble had many familiar faces from last years Pajama Game.

BELLS ARE RINGING was wonderful!! Victoria Clark has a VOICE to die for and is an excellent comedienne. just right. and Bob, I just loved hearing him sing such wonderful songs - 'Long before I knew you' - is my favorite.

Bob was delightfully decadent, soulfully tortured 'You've got to do it' (write that play) and haplessly hung over 'Better than a dream ' . and then , in love, 'Long before I knew you' , and marvelously romantic 'Just in time'. And funny!!!! Especially in scenes with Victoria / Mom.

He and Victoria really worked well together, you could tell they had a lot of fun with this, and we did too. but again, I was thrilled to hear Bob sing, and such great songs. When Mr. C has the material, he has a lovely voice, powerful and soaring. (as we all know) I wanted to hit rewind a few dozen times! (Funny Girl was, for him, an acting tour de force and his 'presence' (strength of character), on and off stage, was the glue that held the show together, but Bob did not have enough to sing!)

"Bells are Ringing" in Pittsburgh was just as it should have been done in NYC (saw that and wasn't impressed.) The show was GREAT!!! Bob was WONDERFUL, was well worth the 10 + hours it took us to drive out there - (imaginary road work, real construction cones, but that's another review, if I can find out who to write to.) :)

Gail N

Saw the CLO production of "Bells Are Ringing" in Pittsburgh. I saw four performances and wish I had been able to see all eight!!!

It was a first rate production from the beginning note to the last. Each actor was a delight in their role - with a number of standout performances.

Jeff Howell, as a dentist who longs to be a composer, was absolutely hilarious - effectively using an airhose as an accompaniment to his lyrics.

And, Ray DeMattis played a charming con artist, alternating an Austrian accent with the voice of a Brooklyn bookie. Both of these actors performed in "Pajama Game" last year and it was fun to see them once again.

Daniel Krell, as a Marlon Brando wannabe, was very funny and believable as a struggling actor in the fifties.

Victoria Clark, as Ella Peterson, the operator at Susanswerphone who is part confidante, Dear Abby, and Good Samaritan all-in-one, was fantastic. She is a powerful singer, a gifted comedienne, and did one helluva job when her crinoline developed a mind of it's own!! The audience fell in love with her immediately.

Bob, as Jeff Moss - the playwright who plays instead of writing - was phenomenal. I was aware of two beautiful standards from the show - "The Party's Over" and "Just in Time", and I loved them both. Ella and Jeff got to have some fun with "Just in Time" with her singing and him lip-synching. But, I must confess, I adored "Long Before I Knew You". Interpreting that song, Bob displayed Jeff's longing and vulnerability. It was so beautiful and truthful that it made my heart ache. Bob was also very charming in two ensemble pieces, declaring his independence in one, and his love in another. And, after seeing "Bells", the term 'target practice' will never quite mean the same to me again!

Once again, I was bowled over by Bob's performance. Just when you think you've seen it all, he pulls another rabbit out of his hat, and your jaw drops to your knees. I've come to know that the only thing we can expect from a Robert Cuccioli performance is unparalleled excellence and he superbly delivers every time. He is an exceptional actor without equal!