Marie’s Crisis

Continuing my trek southward through Manhattan to my 3^rd review of the day (earning the Crosstown Magic badge) I’ve ended up in the West Village at Marie’s Crisis based on my daughter’s friend’s suggestion. Initially I’m skeptical at this dark cramped divey bar with that dank, sewer-​y smell that is a catalyst for any time I visit NYC. Soon, though, a plethora of young talented men and women descend the stairs to gather ’round the piano and do an outstanding job singing showtunes, including my daughter, who’s just graduated with a musical theater degree. Alex, the pianist, was fantastic! There wasn’t anything he couldn’t play with that IPad sheet music thing-​y of his. The revelry that exists around that piano balances out the shortcomings of this ancient basement bar. I’d suggest arriving early with a good buzz already on to maximize the fun!

Wanna sing? Your agent hasn’t called? Karaōke is for losers?
Welcome to Marie’s Crisis.
Piano bat with a great many flamboyant men. Loosen up, soldier. They have no interest in bringing you home. They are there, like everyone else, for the show tunes.
When the Broadway shows let out, a great number of the chorus boys head here. The pianist kicks ass and everyone is having fun. Drinks are a little steep, but hey, you’re paying for the show. It’s fun, it’s different, it’s a hoot.
Come by and sing.

This place is incredible. We, a group of 5, waited about 45 minutes to get in around 11 on a Saturday night. (We walked past the bar on the way to dinner around 9, and there was no wait.) However, it was absolutely worth the wait. It’s a super teeny, divey but lively bar. Get ready to belt out your favorite showtunes with a crowd that’s as excited as you are to hear «and all that jazz.»
Also worth noting, the place is cash only, beer is $ 8, not sure of mixed drink prices. You must check your coat, $ 1.

I fudging love it here !!! I came here with Brittany and I have no idea what she’s talking about !!! I went to smoke a cig and they asked me to leave … I have no idea why. They were singing my favorite songs !!! They didn’t ask me for tips once while I was there and the drinks were good from the bar ! The bouncer was super chill and I’m actually on my way there now. Make sure you guys come thru. This is not some mainstream singing bar. This is for true songstresses. Love it !!

So sad to be leaving this review. I’m here on holiday, and came to visit this bar on good recommendation. The service was fine, and the bartender was actually quite friendly– different from other reviewers of Marie’s– perhaps it was a different fellow. Anyway, the atmosphere was pretty enjoyable, with happy patrons who mostly kept to themselves, but smiled or said hello, and the people at the piano singing songs from musicals cheerfully in the background. My friends and I were enjoying our time well enough, until the pianist decided to ask the crowd who were first-​time patrons there. We shouldn’t have raised our hands– we were 3 of 5 people total. After we raised hands, she explained that it is a sing-​along bar, and encouraged us to sing along. That’s all fine. But after another song, she paused to say that it was «an awkward crowd, tonight.» I had been enjoying my time, even though I didn’t know every single song, and didn’t feel the least bit awkward, until she said that. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to pretend to sing a song that I do not know. Some of the songs she chose to play were not very popular, and even the patrons singing around the piano (I believe on/​off Broadway actors) had to Google the lyrics and read them from their phones and tablets. Again, she mentioned that the crowd was awkward, and for us to sing with her. After another song, she explained again that it is a sing-​along bar, and that she takes requests– for tips. She mentioned tips and the topic of money about 7 different times, and even waved around the overflowing tip jar while making these announcements. She said things like, «50s and 100s, please.» And while that might have been humor-​intended, it only made my friends and I feel all the more awkward. I, being the one who wanted to come here in the first place, motioned to my friends that I was ready to go whenever they were, hoping to leave there with good enough vibes to want to come back again a different time, perhaps with a different pianist who did not unnecessarily beg for money. As we were grabbing our coats and trying to leave, the pianist finished her song, and shouted to us, «Bye guys, thanks for the tips!» We hadn’t left any… As someone who has worked in the service industry, I typically tip generously. Even with poor service, I feel guilty if I don’t tip at least 15%. I know from first-​hand experience that some people rely on tips to get through the week, or to make bills. That tips help in times of struggle. This woman may have gotten something from us if she hadn’t completely excluded us from the rest of the crowd. If she’d mentioned only once or twice that she relies on tips. If that jar wasn’t already full of 20s and 50s and 100s. Anyway, like the icing on the cake, as we were exiting the place, she announced to the whole bar, «They didn’t tip me anything!» Well, here’s a tip for you: don’t beg for money. Especially when your jar is actually physically overflowing with cash. Don’t victimize yourself, or patronize customers. You sing songs from these musicals, where many of the characters voices are those who are unheard, mistreated, or in some other way downtrodden, and then you treat people who are paying you patronage in this way. The musicals from who’s songs you sing, sing with a voice of wanting inclusion and having integrity. But we did not feel either of these things here. Sorry, Marie’s. This really is a crisis.

Marie’s crisis is my new favorite bar. This bar has a great bar culture. American bar culture normally consists of people quietly (possibly angrily) drinking by themselves, whereas in Ireland or Germany people will sing. Marie’s Crisis brings back a singing bar culture – I love singing, so that’s a big deal for me. Here, a pianist leads the crowd in various musicals: Les Mis, Sound of Music, Little Shop of Horrors, and many others I haven’t heard of (South Pacific). It is a friendly atmosphere with some very talented singers, but most importantly everyone comes to have fun and sing.
The drinks are bad, and a little overpriced, but you come here already buzzed and have a great night singing your heart out.

There is no place on earth like Marie’s Crisis… anywhere…period. A swinging little downstairs piano bar, where the patrons sing musical theater showtunes en mass around a lively piano in the center of the room. This is the type of place you can show up alone and leave having made amazing friends for the evening, all bonded together by the shared love of belting out showtunes at the top of your lungs. It’s also a great place to people watch and one of the few truly mixed (as in gay and straight) bars in the neighborhood. Sometimes it reminds me of being back in high school drama club. There’s also no cover and drinks are cheap. Marie’s — don’t ever go away!

Update: went back because a date wanted to meet there. It was a much busier night and a different, MUCH nicer bartender, and it made the whole experience that much better. Still not a place I’d seek out, but given the right conditions I wouldn’t mind going.

Kind of rude bar staff, but they probably think they’re being fun, like Carla on «Cheers». The singing is fun but the regulars were weirdly hostile about little things. I think a lot of them are failed Broadway wannabes who just need a little release and attention. Just expect weirdness, expensive drinks in a charming/​shabby setting, and sing along loudly to the ones you know.

This place makes you want to learn ALL Broadway shows back to front. I thought I knew Broadway but I loved feeling like I was the novice with all the pros. So much fun! For anyone that loves singing show tunes, warm up, grab a drink and get cozy and animated with your neighbor!

We were looking forward to going to Marie’s crisis for our friends bachelorette party. This was not a rowdy bachelorette, didn’t even have any sash or tiara, just a low key fun night. After hearing of our excitement, the bouncer responded «I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.» Apparently they don’t accommodate bachelorettes because of previous incidences???
One of us whispered «thank god we didn’t bring the dick glasses». To which he said «OK YOU JUST CALLED ME A DICKHEAD YOURE NOT GETTING IN» and disappeared inside. We were stunned.
He came back out and walked right by to let the people behind us in, who kindly informed him that he misheard us. He came back to us to half heartedly apologize and then told us to come back in 2 hours?
We’re not the typical rowdy group. We were very offended and disappointed by his unwelcoming behavior. The whole situation really threw a wrench in our plans for the bride that night… Not okay!
Our advice for anyone is to not go unless you want to feel really confused and hurt. A couple of us who had previously been there, and have spent A LOT of money there, couldn’t believe it… We won’t be back ever again.

Loved this place! Definitely for lovers of Broadway show tunes. Fun atmosphere where you can mingle and sing with Broadway performers who frequent this little piano bar.
Fun fun fun!

I loved the atmosphere of Marie’s Crisis, with the historic feel, the piano, entire room singing Les Mis, and the rainbow Christmas lights. The drinks were also pretty good for the price ($ 7 for a cocktail).
But the service was questionable at best. The bouncer pulled seemingly random people from the end of the line to come to the front, despite several people having been waiting for longer, and the bartender was rude.
I’d probably come back, but despite the terrible service.

I absolutely LOVE this place! If you’re someone who loves rockin’ out to show tunes, this is definitely the place for you.
Marie’s Crisis really made me feel at home with it’s cozy underground bar with twinkling lights overhead. It is a really small area so sometimes, if you arrive later in the night, you might need to wait a while for people to get out before they can let you in. The piano is located right in the middle of the room and once people have their drinks in hand, they typically sit around the piano, singing, requesting songs and basically having one heck of a time. Everyone there was really friendly too. There’s nothing I like more than sitting around a piano, in a living room with my friends and signing, that is the exact feel that I had at Marie’s Crisis. I had such a great time.
Oh! One thing though, it is a Cash Only bar, so make sure you hit the ATM before coming in. :) Other than that, I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a nice, musical night out with some friends. You won’t be disappointed.

Marie’s is an NYC treasure. Maybe even a national treasure :)
Cheap drinks in a historic atmosphere (Thomas Paine died here) and some of the most quirky and genial clientele you’re likely to encounter in a city bar.
Of course the centerpiece of Marie’s is the piano, and the talented folks who tickle the ivories nightly. Some pianists aim to please with singable favorites from RENT and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Others prefer to veer towards the slightly more «eclectic» fare. But no matter what, you’re guaranteed a rollicking time.
Look for talented bartenders who will leave their post to serenade the room, as well as regulars who’ll arrive with their own sheet music in-​hand. And of course this place is a celeb magnet as well, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself tossing one back next to an incognito Jimmy Fallon or belting Les Miz alongside Josh Groban. It’s all just part of the Marie’s experience!
Whatever you do, just beware of requesting «Annie» tunes. You might be obliged, but they won’t be happy about it. Not that we learned from experience or anything… ;)

Came here on a Monday night with my best friend and a friend of his and had the absolute best time… Kenny was playing that night and he was FABULOUS!
The night we were there, some of the regulars (who appeared to be NYU students) were doing A LOT, but after a few drinks they weren’t that bad and my best friend decided to tell Kenny that I’m a musical theatre performer and the two of them decided that I had to sing.
Now, I’m not really one for karaōke or anything along those lines. I was just here for the ambiance and to hear other people, but Kenny stopped playing and refused to continue until I agreed to sing. So, sing I did and it was more fun than I could have imagined!
I’d definitely like to go back another time, perhaps when the «just turned 21» crowd isn’t the majority.

Great great spot, if you like show tunes that is. As others have stated theres a piano in the front of the bar and everyone crowds around and sings along. There is a mandatory coat check, which is a dollar… and it’s soooo worth it as this place is super small and super crowded which makes it hot as he**
There is also a 1 drink minimum and cash only… so leave those credit cards in your wallet… the drinks are small, but carry a little punch and aren’t priced too bad… stoli and tonic and a jack on ice $ 14 for both… don’t forget to bring dollars for the pianist… if you love show tunes and drinks, this is definitely a spot to visit even if you can’t hold a tune, there’s enough talent around to drown you out

This place is more piano bar than gay bar, and anyone who likes live music and classic show tunes is going to love this spot. Why wouldn’t you? It’s a crowd of people who can actually sing well, crowded around a piano, singing the classics. Broadway stars and celebrities are known to show up after a show and give a live performance; not bad, considering there’s no cover at the door!
In winter, they require that you check your coat for $ 1. Not bad, and given the size of the spot, pretty understandable. Drinks are around $ 9, and they are strong. Not good, but full of alcohol. Bar is CASH ONLY! Wish I knew that ahead of time.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to bring my (straight, traditional Indian doctor) father here when he comes to visit me. After all, the man loves «The Sound of Music» as much as he loves Seinfeld, and after catching Larry David on Broadway, I can’t imagine a more New York-​y experience than Marie’s Crisis.

Our friend who works in the theatre biz brought us to Marie’s Crisis, and swore it wasn’t a gay bar. I’m not entirely sure she wasn’t lying because this was one of the gayest bars I’ve ever been to.
It was described to us as a «piano bar», and it definitely lived up to that categorization. There’s a piano in the middle of the basement, with a live pianist playing showtunes. People put in requests and everyone else sang along. It was a pretty cool experience, and the piano player was great (I’m strongly resisting the urge to make a joke about how gay people love a good pianist).
There’s a few tables and a good amount of seating at the bar. Very lively crowd (how could you not be with live group singing?). Not a particularly good place to sit down and have a conversation though.

Unfortunately, like many others here, a positive experience turned sour due to the extremely unprofessional and nasty behavior of Joe the bartender. Apparently Joe is fundamentally opposed to patrons charging their phone at available outlets, although it is unclear whether this is an institutionalized rule or a personal preference.
Rather than asking me not to charge my phone, Joe called me rude, and, even after I began to leave the bar, he loudly disparaged me to other patrons, repeatedly called me a «c*nt,» followed my party out of the bar, and physically and verbally harassed my party.
While I completely understand a bar having a specific policy regarding the use of its outlets (however unreasonable such a rule may be), based on Joe’s statements, this clearly appeared to be a self imposed policy. Moreover, even if it were the official policy of the bar, the appropriate thing to do would be to politely explain the rule, rather than disparaging a customer in such a manner. This behavior was particularly concerning given how friendly and generous my group had been to Joe throughout the evening.
Given that this appears to be a common theme at the bar, I hope the management seriously considers a change in staff. It is extremely upsetting that a bar that encourages diversity would employ someone who would utilize such demeaning, inflammatory, and cruel language to a patron – all based on the simple act of charging her phone for several minutes.

This was quite a surprise! Such an amazing small quaint space. perfect for Broadway and musical lovers. Basically because it holds a piano, which everyone sits around and sings to songs from classics. Every now and then, a single person will sing a solo and just WOW everyone. Make me feel I am surrounded by Broadway singers and their crew.
Truth is, I actually didn’t know half of the songs, I felt every minute like at any point someone would take my gay card away!
With that said, I saw nothing for bites, and honestly, not much space to sit anywhere to eat anyways. The place is pretty dark, and always packed, so it really would not be comfortable for eating. The bar is very very very simple. Either beer or straight house alcohol. Expect nothing fancy, and servings are small. I tried asking for a cider and the bartender looked at me and said I was a hipster for asking for something «fancy». This kind of shocked me as I have gotten ciders at places much more crummy than this place… But I guess I was not supposed to fit in. After the bartender walked away laughing, I decided to just get a vodka and ginger. Not my favorite, but it was the best of the worst for me.
Well, still a great place to bring a first date that is a music enthusiast and that doesn’t mind being in small cramped places. ;)

Marie’s Crisis has completed my holiday season.
After dinner in the Village, we hopped over to Marie’s to hang out. Even on a Monday at 8 pm, the impressive pianist conducted the most joyful singalong of extremely talented bar patrons I’ve ever seen. Of course, it being Christmas week, carols and holiday show tunes were favorites. We sang Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. In full harmony. The baritone next to me was incredible. It was MAGICAL.
Drinks at the bar are standard, and not impressive, but affordable. Cash only, most often standing room only. Don’t forget to tip the pianist. Relax, sing, spectate, and raise a glass to this charming institution of Broadway fandom.

Respectable drinks, respectable prices. You won’t leave sober, and you won’t leave poor.
Approachable bartenders. Cash only, last I checked.
Conveniently close to the Christopher Street subway stop. I’d probably be a regular here if I lived/​worked closer.

Look for the bright colored lights at Christopher Street, by pass The Monster,
descend the dark stairs marked «Marie’s crisis» and ignore the bad smell and
the seeming lack of an air circulating system — You’ve hit dive bar pay dirt.
Take a trip to 1970s NYC neighborhood gay bar culture where a very mixed «regulars» crowd gathers around a piano player and sings in unison a wide range of musical showtunes. These people know all the words. Drinks are strong and fairly priced but don’t expect a selection beyond Jack or Tanqueray.
If you wanna sing or hear something specific, $ 10 to the pianist gets an immediate request or during the day when no ones there, but that’s no fun.
Cash only
extremely small seedy space — not recommended for claustro or germo phobes.