Reviews

The Dixie Swim Club, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville, TN

... it’s Kelly Lapczynski who nearly steals the show as Vernadette, a woman who gives new meaning to the phrase “down and out.” Lapczynski’s deadpan delivery is priceless, and her Act II salute to Southern biscuits — “Put on your fat pants and embrace your heritage!” — nearly brought the house down.

-- Amy Stumpfl, The TENNESSEAN, September 2012

Lapczynski has a gift for delivery any actor would desire, and her handling of everything from an impassioned defense of Southern biscuits to her character’s late-life memory loss is superb.

-- Evans Donnell, ArtsNash, September 2012

Anton in Show Business, 6th@Penn Theatre, San Diego, CA

Hilariously in drag, the phenomenally low-voiced Kelly Lapczynski — a terrific find — portrays the Chekhov play’s two directors, first a pretentious Brit that Holly fires, and second, a serious director whose vision is dashed by the three motley actors.

-- Charlene Baldridge, La Jolla Village News, January 2008

The other standout performance is by Kelly Lapczynski, a Nashville native and new San Diegan, who absolutely nails all the male characters she plays. She's in the small role of an obnoxious donor, and outstanding as two directors -- an insufferable Brit and a disconcerted Russian.

-- Pat Launer, San Diego TheatreScene, January 2008

...accelerated pace and perfect, rigorous timing... Kelly Lapczynski does some standout work in many of her assigned roles, most especially, as the British director.

-- Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish, San Diego TheatreScene, January 2008

Kelly Lapczynski is surprisingly natural as a trio of believable male characters: Ralph, the insufferable British director; Wikewitch, the intense/brooding Polish director; and Joe Bob, the cowboy board president who doesn't give a sniff about theater.

-- Pam Kragen, North County Times, January 2008

Challenge Theatre III: Funny Bones. One Down, 6th@Penn Theatre, San Diego, CA

The cast of three features the superb Kelly Lapczynski, who has fun with Tower's droll dialogue ("friends call me Lucy, my sister calls me Lucifer") as the Southern Comfort-swilling Lucy, along with Leslie Gold as Lucy's hen-pecking sister, and Jude Evans as a drifter returned home to "make good."

-- Frankie Moran, sandiego.com, May 2008

The most satisfying play of the evening.... It's a bloody little piece that I wouldn't quite call a comedy, but it's deliciously nasty and very well done. Lapczynski, Evans, and Leslie Gold make for a deadly, dead-on trio.

-- Pat Launer, San Diego TheatreScene Curtain Calls, May 2008

The O'Conner Girls, Scripps Ranch Theatre, San Diego, CA

These five actors bring The O’Conner Girls to life, a life so convincing it becomes our reality. It is indeed exciting to see actors so together in their roles and relationships, that it is no longer acting. ... Lapczynski, in her best role to date, subtly brings Martha’s internal depth to the surface in moments of enlightenment.... The last scene is worth the price of admission in a play where just about every scene should receive the same accolade. What a cast!

-- Robert Hitchcox, San Diego TheatreScene, November 2007

Blithe Spirit, Scripps Ranch Theatre, San Diego, CA

The Scripps Ranch Theatre production of Blithe Spirit... featured three fresh, young Faces to Watch: Karla Francesca, who's nothing short of gorgeous as the ghostly Elvira.... Kelly Lapczynski is formidable and credible as Ruth, the put-upon second wife. And Chris Kennedy did a marvelous job on the sleek, upscale, suggestive set design.

-- Pat Launer, TheatreScene Curtain Calls, September 2006

A sophisticated, nuanced production with some very good performances... Kelly Lapczynski as Ruth gives a subtle performance as the ever-suffering wife Ruth, who is so because of the return of Charles' first wife, Elvira.

-- Jenni Prisk, SDTS Behind the Scenes, September 2006

A Gentleman & A Scoundrel, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville, TN

Opposite Gore is Kelly Lapczynski as Jenny, Fred's reluctant, easily distracted girlfriend and, incidentally, his boss. Lapczynski is usually behind the scenes as the Barn's resident stage manager. She is a talented actress as well. Here she offers a strong performance and adds a good deal to Gore's on-stage antics.

-- Leo Sochocki, Nashville City Paper, October 2002

Gone But Not Forgotten, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville, TN

Kelly Lapczynski plays John's very sensible and down-to-earth sister, Miranda. Lapczynski plays the part with amiable sincerity. Like "John," this is mostly a straight role off which the more wacko characters ricochet. Lapczynski does the role earnestly and with poise, rightfully staying out of the more loony characters' paths.

-- Bill Dorian, Nashville on Stage, January 2002

Wife Begins at Forty, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville, TN

A special mention must be given to the performance of Kelly Lapczynski as Betty Dixon. Live theater doesn't forgive. The old adage of "the show must go on" is probably the truest statement made in theater.

Stage managers usually know the show as well or better than the director or the actors. Theirs is the most thankless job in theater. Although having a stage manager take over the role of a leading character at the last moment is not unheard of, it is rare. It's rarer still when that performance is remarkable in and of itself. Ms. Lapczynski pulled it off without the slightest of error.

Had the audience not been informed of the replacement before the show started or had not seen the photograph of the original actress scheduled to perform, I'm certain no one would have realized that Kelly hadn't rehearsed the role from the beginning. Her performance seemed flawless, and her character was well developed.

However, level of volume in the sound was somewhat annoying. That may have been due to Mr. Ingram having to fill in as stage manager as well as tech director. Given the circumstances, the sound was a minor trade off for Ms. Lapczynski's fine performance.

-- Leo Sochocki, Nashville City Paper, March 2001

Rumors, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville, TN

Execution is all, then, and the production, directed by Eric Tichenor, is more than competent if not especially stylish. So are the actors, who include Kelly Lapczynski, Richard Daniel, Kimberly Nygren, Bobby Wyckoff, Joseph Collins, Juli Ragsdale and Derek Whittaker.

-- Kevin Nance, The Tennessean, September 2001

Kelly Lapczynski, as Officer Welch, is absolutely terrific in the role, imbuing her character with just the right amount of cynicism and world-weariness.

-- Jeffrey Ellis, BroadwayWorld.com, January 2010