SOLICITED REVIEWS
These reviews were written by people on the internet who accepted
my invitation to the first ten people with writing skills to receive a pair
of comp tickets in exchange for a review (aprox 500 words). I promised to
publish then just as written: good, bad or indifferent. So far they have
all been good.
newsgroups: alt.fan.howard-stern
From: ir001017@pop3.interramp.com
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 96 19:24:40 PST
Subject: Tour Review -Kevin Baldwin
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Review of the Reality Tour
In return for two comp tickets, I was asked by Kenny Kramer to
review his new Reality Tour in NYC. I am a
very big fan of the show, but cannot consider myself a fanatic
of the show. That said, the Reality Tour is
probably unlike any other ëtourí youíve experienced before.
Kenny and his frantic associate Bobby Allen
Brooks conspire to deliver nearly three hours of Seinfeld
facts in standup.
The Tour begins in an Off Off Broadway Theater and at first
appears corny, to those who arrive early, with
piano and vocal accompaniment offered by Bobby Allen Brooks.
The duo lay the ground work for the roots of
the Seinfeld show with a landscape of comedic careers in New
York. Their slightly off-beat style combines
with important facts which neatly brings the audience to
how/why the show got itís start. Their delivery is
a delight to observe because youíve never got a clue whatís
coming next.
The Reality Tour itself was done in a modern van/bus equipped
with television monitor to enhance their
ëstandupí routine going on in the aisle by Kenny and Bobby.
Both have obviously done a great deal of work
and arm twisting to bring the finished product to market; they
bring the stories weíve all seen to life.
The pair have an engaging seemingly ad-lib banter that is well
organized and thoroughly entertaining.
Seinfeld enthusiast will enjoy the challenge of trying to
answer queries from Kenny Kramer during the bus
tour. All Seinfeld fans will enjoy checking out: Tomís
Restaurant, the fruit stand where Kramer was barred
for squeezing the fruit, the movie theater where George called
out for Jerry/Elaine/Kramer, the bakery which
produce the yet unfinished donut, the Soup Guy, the site of
the hospital where Jr. Mint wound up in an
unfortunate patientís abdominal cavity.
The Reality Tour winds up back at Manhattan Plaza where the
audience is treated to pizza/soda and a
blooper/Wrap tape of the show. To the Seinfeld enthusiast, it
should be noted that both Kenny Kramer and
Bobby Allen Brooks are always nearby and ready to take
questions about the show.
Although Iím not a native New Yorker I very much enjoyed the
well thought out organization and changing
tempo of the Reality tour. Itís not for people who donít know
the show, but it is for real.
-------------------------------------------
Sender: Kevin@.interramp.com
"Our City Can Kick Your City's Ass!"
-Mayor Giuliani -NYC
-------------------------------------
Back To Kramer's Home Page
From:
HFDF47C@prodigy.com (Jennifer Dellapina)
Subject: I also took Kramer's tour
Date: 9 Apr 1996 21:50:23 GMT
Organization: Prodigy Services Company 1-800-PRODIGY
Message-ID: <4kem2v$1ui8@usenetw1.news.prodigy.com>
Since I was a toddler, I wanted to be a showbiz superstar. When I grew
up, I realized "movie star" was probably never going to be the
occupation
I listed on my tax forms. But I never shook that desire to be an
industry insider, to rub elbows with the glitterati, to "get"
all the in-
jokes.
Well, these days I work a normal, dull job but I feel like a real showbiz
insider, thanks to Kenny Kramer. Oh, okay, I exaggerate a little bit --
I only feel like a *Seinfeld* insider. But that's a great start! :)
I took the Seinfeld tour last weekend -- the weather was perfect and it
seemed everyone in town was out. As we cruised through the streets of
NYC in a modern tour van (with a highly skilled driver I might add),
emblazoned with a "Real Kramer" banner, passers-by pointed, waved
and
laughed -- *with* us, not *at* us, I'm sure!
I live in NYC but I learned some things about the city that I hadn't
known. (The "real" Kramer is an actual tour guide licensed by
the city
of New York so he threw in tidbits that were non-Seinfeld related, but
still interesting.) I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had
been a tourist.
And that's saying a lot, since I had a fantastic time. If you are a true
Seinfeld junkie (and we all are, right?), you will get a lot out of the
tour. There are references to obscure Seinfeld jokes and characters, as
well as the ones everyone knows (e.g., the Junior Mint). Kramer and his
sidekick, Bobby A. Brooks (well, it's Allen or Alan or Allan but I'm not
sure how to spell it so for now it's 'A') know just about all there is to
know about Seinfeld minutiae and they keep the audience involved. In
fact, if you snooze, you lose... the Jujyfruits that are offered as a
prize for answering Sein-trivia correctly.
I felt like a real know-it-all after the van tour, I feel like "I know
something you
don't know...!"
If you love Seinfeld and you're visiting NYC, I recommend rubbing elbows
with Kenny Kramer!
Back To Kramer's Home Page
ALL
mime-version: 1.0
x-url: news:alt.fan.howard-stern
x-mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (Macintosh; I; 68K)
Date: Tue, 02 Apr 1996 23:10:16 -0500
From: Richard Panasiewicz <richpan@microserve.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: kenny kramer <kramer@bway.net>
Subject: article
Hey Kenny!
Well, here's the article, I hope this dosn't sound too
strange but, I'm
still relatively new to the net so... I'm not sure HOW to post
it there...
I'll write the article here in this post, I'll keep a copy
so I can quote
from it or you could post it or whatever, just let me know.
(Sorry...)
Anyway, here it is!
=====
My name is Rich Panasiewicz and I hail from Pennsylvania.
Now, I've lived in New York City and I've visited since a million times
so, to get this out of the way, I do not consider myself a "yahoo"
from the
midwest... (PA is hardly the midwest!) Anyway, having said that, let me
get to
the point: Kenny Kramer, the REAL person the character "Kramer"
from
the "Seinfeld" show is based on runs the "Kramer Reality
Tour" of New York
City. Via the Internet, I found out about the tour and Kenny Kramer's offer
of 10 free tickets to whoever was willing to take the tour and write an
honest 'essay' about what they thought! Well, "What the hell!"
I thought
and, I responded.
On Saturday, March 30 I had the fortune of being able to
take the tour and, honestly, I had a good time! Now, I am what I would
consider a 'casual' fan of the 'Seinfeld' show meaning, it's on, I watch
it, enjoy
it and know it pretty well so, to a BIG fan of the show, of course I would
highly reccommend the tour but, even to one as myself, it was fun!
The tour itself is pretty casual and that IS one of the things I enjoyed
most about it... Very little pretension about what the tour IS, you're there
to have
fun, see the sights and, learn a little trivia about the show. First on
the tour you
meet Kramer himself, shoot the breeze alittle as he tells you a little about
himself and how he fits in the whole thing. Next, it's off to see the sights!
From Monk's uptown to the sightof the old Improv midtown and how they all
fit in, we pretty much saw itall. (Of course, Monk's isn't Monk's but Tom's
Restaurant! Just incase
it comes up...) While traveling from site to site around town, we played
trivia to pass the time in traffic... (There were even prizes; what more
could you ask?) As everything else in NYC, everyplace had a story and usually,
though not always, it tied into the show.
The tour lasted a few hours and when it was done, Kramer
treated the tour group to some veggie pizza and desert. (a Snicker's bar
with a knife and fork, of course!) All in all I had fun, to anyone who would
want to take the tour, go ahead! It's fun! What else is there to say? If
you
want to ask me anything personally, just E-Mail me at richpan@microserve.net
and I'll answer anything you might have to say.
Thanks!
Rich
Back To Kramer's Home Page
X-Sender:
pp001735@bc.cybernex.net
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 14:01:47 -0400
To: kramer@bway.net (kenny kramer)
From: JamesH <pp001735@cybernex.net>
Subject: Review of Kramer Reality Tour
My wife and I just took the "Kramer Challenge". This is where
in exchange
for getting a pair of free tickets to the Kramer Reality Tour, I agreed
to
write this review. Kenny Kramer upheld his end of the bargain and this is
mine.
I had seen the media hype about the Kramer Reality Tour and I have to say
it
seemed real hokey(corny) and expensive - $37.50! I figured that Seinfeld
sources on the Internet gave me enough behind-the-scenes information that
I
would ever need. Anyhow, I saw the Challenge posted on "alt.tv.seinfeld"
and applied for it. Surprisingly, I was chosen and went on the April 13th
4pm tour.
We arrived at the John Houseman theater early and had to wait in a dingy
little room. I was surprised to see the room fill up with people taking
the
tour - I didn,t think it would be this popular. When we had a full house,
we were led into another dingy little room/theater where we were introduced
to Bobby Allen Brooks - Kramer,s best friend and tour partner. He played
some tunes on a piano (yawn) and gave some introductory tidbits. At this
point I was getting worried that this was going to suck real bad.
Then Kramer made his appearance. Things got better from there. He
supplemented Bobby,s tidbits and explained his relationship with Larry
David. One thing I found annoying is that Bobby laughed a little too loud
at Kramer jokes that he has probably heard a million times before. It seemed
like he was trying to provide a laugh track. Anyhow, we watched a video
of
Larry David in action and then it was off to the bus.
We hit all the Seinfeld sites such as Monk,s (Tom,s) Restaurant, and Soup
Nazi place. Now these sites are interesting to Seinfeld fans, but the real
entertainment is in Kramer,s and Bobby,s stories along the way. These
stories show how real-life events (usually experienced first-hand by the
real Kramer) show up on the Seinfeld show. These stories were rather
intriguing and made you think of the show in a new way. Also, we got some
free stuff and won prizes for answering Seinfeld trivia. We were also lucky
enough to see ER,s George Clooney on the street and meet a guy who
parachuted into a NY Mets World Series game a few years back. Needless to
say - a fun trip.
One important thing - Contrary to the reputation of "Kramer",
this tour was
handled professionally. Kenny and Bobby were excellent tour guides
-informative, friendly, and approachable. Kramer is a licensed New York
tour operator, so not only do you learn about Seinfeld, but you get the
skinny (inside information) on New York City also.
>From the bus tour, we were led to the Café St. Francis where
we were fed
Kramer,s famous pizza and dessert. A good hint is to buy soup at the Soup
Nazi,s if he is open and you are hungry - I didn,t see many people who liked
the pizza. We then watched a Seinfeld blooper tape and then left.
Bottom line: I think the Kramer Reality Tour is very entertaining.
Although it is a little pricey, you do hear some interesting stories and
have a good time throughout. My wife and I are glad that we went.
I will gladly answer any inquiries about the tour. I can be reached at
pp001735@bc.cybernex.net.
Thanks Kenny & Bobby for a great time!
James Hannon
Back To Kramer's Home Page
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 19:31:51 -0700
From: deltasig@ix.netcom.com (Seth Moskowitz )
Subject: Tour Review
Frequently I listen to Howard Stern in the Morning and one particular
morning a few weeks ago, The real Kramer was on with Howard. If you are
a Seinfeld fan then you may or may not know that Howard likes Seinfeld
a lot and Seinfeld himself was on Howard's show quite often until Howard
started ragging on him about his young girlfriend. Well back to the subject,
Kramer was on and Howard gave him a hard time about how he is
capitalizing on Seinfeld etc. etc. Kramer pretty much took it, like a lot
of Howard's guests and that was the end of it. I think it was two days later
when
Kramer called in to Howard's show and basically told him that what he
did was bullshit and that the tour is viable and Howard made it sound like
he was begging for time on the show when all along Howard's people were
calling him. Well I know you are asking what this has to do with the
Reality Tour right? OK I will tell you! I was on the internet and saw a
post from The Real Kramer with the title Howard Stern is an Asshole. Of
course I read it and it was Kramer giving his side and he said he had so
much faith in
his tour that he would give free pairs of tickets to the first ten(I think)
people who would be willing to write a review of his tour. By now you
have probably figured out I was one of those people so as promised here
it is.
The Reality Tour begins in a small studio at the John Houseman Theater
on 42nd Street. This is an off off Broadway theater so don't expect to
be sitting in the balcony, you will be in a small basement studio. In
walks Bobby Allen Brooks who introduces himself as the co-host of the tour.
Bobby is personable and very relaxed and as he says, his main
qualification is he is one of Kramer's best friends(nepotism is every
where in show biz). Bobby provides some background on Kramer and the New
York comedy scene and after a short monologue introduces the man himself,
The Real Kramer!
Form hear on out the Kramer Reality Tour seems to be more of a History
of Larry David and his career. Larry David, as any Seinfeld fan knows
is the co creator of the hit NBC show. Kramer tells of how he met Larry
and Jerry and how he and Larry became best friends. He explains the framework
of their relationship and throughout the tour just about every person that
is referenced from their days living in Manhattan Plaza(which
Kramer still lives in). After seeing a video tape of Larry doing some stand
up the tour changes venue from this little studio to a little tour bus.
Once on the bus, the tour really begins. Before even moving you are
greeted from the Mayor himself via video tape. There is no political
agenda on this tour however we are urged to come from far and wide and
vote for Guliani because the next mayor may not have been on Seinfeld himself
and may not be so gracious as to perform this little intro. The next half
hour or so is spent within a 5-10 block radius of the theater. We were
shown such sites as where the original Improv was and sites relevant to
various episodes of Seinfeld and how the story lines originated.
From this area we headed uptown to the most famous Seinfeld landmark
Monk's, which is actually Tom's Restaurant owned by a guy named
Pete(only in New York, go figure). Throughout the entire ride Kramer
and Bobby perform a sort of routine/tour. They explain various Seinfeld
stories, and how they developed and they even ask show trivia. If you plan
on going on the tour, brush up, there are prizes for right answers. Don't
worry
though because even if just a casual fan of the show(or non fan) no one
walk away empty handed.
This particular day there was an upper west side street fair which
detoured us a little but we made it none the less. Once we arrived at
Tom's everyone took pictures of the building, of themselves in front of
it, of Kramer in front of it and with themselves and Kramer in front of
it. Of
course no one walked in but, I have been there before and can tell you
it looks nothing like the set on TV and honestly, I didn't find the
food to be the greatest!
Now the tour continues back to Midtown. Next stop, The Soup Nazi, now I
personally wouldn't refer to people as Nazi's but, hey, I don't write
for the show and someone has a nice hefty bank account for calling some
poor guy a Nazi. Again people got out and took pictures, some bought soup,
some didn't. After leaving the soup man we head for or final stop,
Manhattan Plaza. Manhattan Plaza is the home of Kramer and the original
home of Larry David. We didn't get to go into Kramer's apartment but we
did go to the Cafe inside his building where we were all received some show
related treats and saw another video. The tour ended with a little speech
from
Kramer telling us the places we missed because you can't see everything,
saying he enjoyed the tour and hoping we did, and thanking us for being
there.
Through out this entire tour it was encouraged that we ask questions
and inform our co-hosts of anything we thought should be added. I never
introduced myself to Kramer as the guy who was writing the review
because I wanted to take the tour and experience it just like anyone else.
In case you(Kramer) are wondering, or didn't figure it out, I am the guy
who
worked for Warner Bros. at 1325 Ave of America's and told you that it
was the exterior shot for Elaine's job at J. Peters.
I guess the final thing is would I recommend this tour? Well I think if
you are a Seinfeld fan and like the show, like I do, you would probably
like the tour. The tour lasted a little over three hours and it was not
three hours of looking at your watch waiting for it to be over. Both Bobby
and Kramer were able to hold everyone's attention/interest throughout
the tour, even with our small detour(on the way to Tom's). When Kramer
wasn't telling bits of Seinfeld trivia, history and answering questions
he was
telling bits of NY history he learned while obtaining his NYC tour
guide license(in case he needed it). Altogether I would say it was a
good tour and even my girlfriend who is not a big Seinfeld fan enjoyed it
very much. I guess the last question is, is it worth the money? Well I guess
that
depends on how much you like the show! Although like I stated earlier,
you don't have to be a die hard fan, or a fan at all, being a fan would
probably make it more enjoyable. If you ever have some extra bucks and
about three and a half hours on a Saturday then I say go for it.
Overall it was a good tour and all soup buyers received their bread and
fruit so it was a good day. Thanks Kramer!
