"Remmes can write scenes that are hysterically funny, scenes that actors might pay to play. His flip dialogue is rife with insights into the rituals and pitfalls of first dates, the fragility of relationships, and the nature of life and death and everything else in between. [He] succeeds in making us laugh mercilessly and entertaining us with one-liners, thought-provoking sentiments and delightful character quirks.
Nightlife (Los Angeles)
For GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL
2018 East Coast Premiere – Ogunquit Playhouse
2019 West Coast Premiere – La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
"Grumpy Old Men the Musical hits the mark right from the start; there's no shortcomings here. With a well-written, fun script laced with comic one-liners, lovable characters and a lighthearted musical score, Grumpy Old Men exceeded all my expectations … Everything works extraordinarily well in this premiere production. The story is fun and the characters lively, engaging and memorable."
— Broadway World
"Dan Remmes has done an excellent job of adapting the movie for the stage … The book is great, the score is outstanding … I would be very surprised if this production does not move on to Broadway."
— Post-Gazette
"Book writer Dan Remmes’ smartest move is in taking the local citizenry and giving them names, occupations and personalities brought to vibrant life… A crowd-pleaser in the classic Bye Bye Birdie/Damn Yankees/Pajama Game mode but with enough contemporary sensibility to satisfy 21st century audiences (and not just those of John and Max’s advanced years), Grumpy Old Men: The Musical has exactly what it takes to become a regional theater favorite."
— StageScene L.A.
"I was surprised how much I enjoyed the West Coast premiere of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical. For a crowd pleaser, Grumpy is unexpectedly heartwarming, moving and at all times, highly enjoyable."
— Hollywood Progressive
"The grumpy hurrah remains natural and poignant. Much of that credit significantly belongs to scripture Dan Remmes His compassion in his book for these now well-known characters eschews real sentimentality and provides a certain dignity even amid the ribald banter and utter puerility of the pension-age adolescents."
— Whittier Daily News
"Full of recognizable small-town characters who excel in the rapid-fire comedy moments, which are a big part of what's best about the show."
— Portland Press Herald
"When you leave the show, you're likely to want to reach out to someone who means something to you and let them know that they do."
— Whittier Daily News
"Book writer Dan Remmes, along with late lyricist Nick Meglin of MAD Magazine, have crafted a timeliness piece of work that will appeal to both audiences who have seen the original film and those who are coming to the story with fresh eyes."
— Seacoast Online
"The musical numbers are creatively coiffed to fit the template of the fast-moving production – sometimes touching, sometimes raucous, all times enticing — that add a layer of fun and laughter to the mix while not detracting one iota from the spirit of the artistic comedy on display."
— Journal Tribune
"Dynamically comical and totally brilliant."
— IRNE Awards
"Remmes' script is overflowing with quick-witted gags and sly word-puns … at turns hilarious, while at others startling affecting, many of the best lines or crucial plot twists delightfully take you off guard, making their impact lingering and lasting … ensuring that by the curtain call, odds are you'll be challenged to elicit a smile large enough for what you've just experienced!"
— Bucking Trends (Los Angeles)
"Dan Remmes' book keeps the humor at a high level and pushes a happy ending at every turn."
— Broadway World (Los Angeles)
"The fictional version of the tiny real-life town of Wabasha, Minn., brims with the kind of eccentric, zany figures that have populated musicals since the Golden Age … a feel good show."
— Voice of OC
"Grumpy Old Men: The Musical brings all the Midwestern charm of the film to the stage … If you get a kick out of musicals, puns and all things go-lucky, Grumpy Old Men won't disappoint."
— The Orange County Register
"You're in for a slap-happy feast."
— The Theater Mirror
"This is an improbable, offbeat romantic comedy … I loved it."
— The Forecaster
"This play is not to be missed."
— Boxing Over Broadway
FOR OTHER PLAYS
I have attended plays three times as long that didn't impact me as much. The play was powerful … you felt for each and every one of them as the evening unfolded and the dynamics at each table changed. The play is worth of a second and maybe a third viewing.
Bob Leggett, HOLLYWOOD FRINGE Certified Reviewer
AS AN ACTOR
Dan Remmes, however, almost steals the show with his rendition of Mister Cellphone in which he laments that everyone, including his wife Roxie, sees right through him. Ironically he exhibits more emotional commitment in his character than the rest of the cast.
The Daily, Somerville, MA