SINGER    ACTOR    DANCER

"Daniels, as Clio/Kira, delivers a brilliant light-comedic performance, matched by Quinn’s doofy but lovable Sonny. In the lead role, Daniels is thoroughly winning and endearing. With her blonde tresses, hair ribbons, pink garments, Aussie dialect and ever-present roller skates, she comes just shy of parodying Olivia Newton-John.

Daniels projects the Newton-John persona. More crucially, she captures the late pop star’s unmistakable vocal style. Daniels is featured in nearly every musical number, bringing the Newton-John mystique to “Strange Magic,” “Suddenly,” and the socko finale “Xanadu” where Sonny’s dream of a roller disco is giddily realized.

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-Eric Marchese, Newport Beach Independent

"Kristen Daniels gives a ‘tour-de-force’ performance as “Clio” (later known as “Kira”.)... Daniels strikes gold with her introductory ‘solo’—the iconic “Magic”...Partly satire, but always sublime, she flawlessly delivers the goods with this... Yet, her definitive intermezzo arises with “Suspended In Time”, wherein she tugs at our hearts all over again as “Kira” essentially ‘floats’ across the stage while seated on a cloud. Before they’re through, she introduces and marshal’s the renowned title number, while completely on skates, sending the “Wow” quotient this one boasts into the stratosphere!"

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-Leo Buck, Bucking Trends 

"Like Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly before them, the standouts in the show are Kristen Daniels as Clio/Kira and Jonathan Van Dyke as Danny."

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-Daniella Litvak, The Orange Curtain Review 

"Kristen Daniels does the heavy lifting as Kira/Clio in this production, belting out song after song while on roller skates... she has a good sense of the character’s spunkiness and naivete."

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-Dana Martin, Stage Raw 

"Played by Kristen Daniels, Kira affects a comically strained Australian accent as she glides around the stage on skates, falling for Sonny and encouraging his dream of opening an artsy roller nightclub... And with her spot-on vocals behind Newton-John’s classic hits, there’s no better way to honor the passing star."

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-Marrie Stone, Stu News Laguna 

"Kristen Daniels (“Avenue Q”) as Miss Maggie Winslow of San Mateo, California steps out of the line and begins singing her section of "At the Ballet," one of the most challenging sections of the spectacular Marvin Hamlisch score. The trio synchronizes in perfect union as we “dance around the living room” amid sustained applause, chills doing pirouettes up our backs."

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-Chris Daniels, The Show Report 

"Kristen Daniels similarly does a superlative job as “Ilona Ritter”, with her approach being that of a lovely, vivacious (albeit a bit naïve) working-class lass (think someone along the lines of a platinum blonde “Betty Boop”.) Daniels patently knows how to find the overall humor in the role, and then implements it in all the best and broadest terms!"

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-Leo Buck, Bucking Trends

"And what an endearing assortment of other perfume shop co-workers these two have, including the... way-too-easy cashier Ilona Ritter (Kristen Daniels who sparkles every moment onstage, especially during her ode to finding romance via 'A Trip to the Library')..."

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-Shari Barrett, Broadway World

​"Kristen Daniels (“Hairspray,” Laguna Playhouse) is hilariously appealing as co-worker Ilona Ritter, and adds an embellishing backstory to the action of the main characters with her zany Lucille Ball-like performance. Her fantastic belt, comedic girly-girl style and pitch-perfect vocals, especially during one of the most anticipated songs, “A Trip to the Library,” bedazzles the audience with laugh-out-loud empathy and firmly cements her as an aerosaltant you definitely want to see again!"

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-Chris Daniels, The Show Report

​"Best of all  is recent UCI grad, Daniels, who makes the flighty, fickle Ilona fabulously her own, whether declaring her independence from Kodaly in “I Resolve” or discovering the joys that “A Trip To The Library” can bring."

-Steven Stanley, StageScene LA

"And when Ms. Daniels as the sweet Maggie joined the "At the Ballet" troika, ringing that high E natural for the soaring climax, with the audience clearly buzzing in audible exhilaration, the beautiful strength of her voice was impossible to ignore."

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-Chris Daniels, The Show Report

"Marissa Mayer and Kristen Daniels deliver superb vocals and committed storytelling nuance alongside Ms. Hays in a perfectly staged and sung 'At the Ballet.'"

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-Marc Gonzalez, Road to 1000

"...Waiting In The Wings: The (Stage) Musical, a production whose biggest assets are... leggy standout Kristen Daniels as Rita’s chorus girl rival Gina (who takes the words “Break a leg” to heart)."

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- Steven Stanley, StageScene LA

"Scene-stealer Kristen Daniels is oh-so-damn-good as Tracy's BFF Penny Pingleton that you'd think she just stepped off the international tour of the musical yesterday.

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-Michael Quintos, Broadway World  

"And speaking of smitten, just as many love sparks ignite when a scene-stealing Kristen Daniels lets her freak flag fly as Tracy’s geeky, gawky, secretly gorgeous bestie Penny Pingleton opposite a winning Jovan E. Watlington as Seaweed J. Stubbs, the tall, dark, and handsome charmer of P.P.’s dreams."

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-Steven Stanley, StageScene LA

"The shining focus of Laguna's staging, Powell's Tracy is bursting with sunny optimism and can-do gumption, well complemented by Kristen Daniels as Tracy's dorky yet loyal, true-blue best pal, Penny."

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-Eric Marchese, OC Register

"Sophie’s best friends, Ms. Daniels and Ms. Knapp, provide a real shot of youthful adrenaline and sell their scenes well, particularly as the glue that holds together the whole bachelorette party sequence. Both are instrumental backstage in vocal enhancement backup."

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-Chris Daniels, The Show Report

"...fabulous foursome Daniels [as Ali], Knapp [as Lisa], Nazzaro [as Eddie], and Patel [as Pepper] making the most of their all too brief sidekick appearances."

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-Steven Stanley, StageScene LA

"Both actors display an astounding versatility, clearly imbued with fantastic chemistry as well as spot-on vocals and dancing... Ms. Daniels (“She Loves Me,” “Rock of Ages,” “Hairspray”), is debuting in her first show at the Candlelight and adds a touch of elegance and pinache to the stage with her cultured, gilt-edged voice. Their duet, “Over the River” is exemplary!"

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-Chris Daniels, The Show Report

"As Shelia, Bebe and Maggie respectfully, Camryn Zelinger, Ashley Arlene Nelson and Kristen Daniels prove to have golden voices as they sing about how their ballet classes allowed them to escape unhappy lives... Daniels’ voice sounds even more haunting when it comes out of her meek and reserved Maggie."

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-Erin Tobin, The Orange Curtain

"Also, Ashley Arlene Nelson (Bebe) and Kristen Daniels (Maggie) along with Zelinger offer up a gorgeous vocal trio in 'At The Ballet.'"

 

-Michael Quintos, Broadway World