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.