REVIEWS
Be it stipulated: mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe can do just about anything – and apparently will!
La Scena Musicale, March 2017
A Diva, a Divo - But Which is Who? You Decide, as Opera Philadelphia's "Two Queens" Switch it Up
“Blythe’s voice is as powerful as any, and her confidence in her instrument is rightfully unwavering. To fill a hall with sound is not an easy feat for any singer, but to drop to a near whisper, as she did with The White Cliffs of Dover, without a single audience member even considering missing a word, is the act of a magician.”
Palm Beach Daily, January 2016
Blythe brings Kate Smith's songs alive in remarkable Four Arts show
Stephanie Blythe is a hostess with the mostest. An advocate for the song, whether she is singing Wagner’s “Things are the way the are because of the eternal Gods,” or "Der Deitcher’s Dog" in faux German with a yodel, Blythe sings with the ease of a consummate artist. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
Berkshire Fine Arts, January 2016
Stephanie Blythe: Sing America!
Carnegie Hall Hosts Amateur Singers Braving a Blizzard
That multifold personality could not have been better embodied than it was by Blythe’s magisterial, witty and engagingly dark-hued performance as Mrs. Lovett, the cheerfully amoral baker who abets Todd’s murderous schemes by turning his victims into delicious — and profitable — meat pies.
SF Gate, September 2015
"Carnegie Hall is no place for cabaret songs, an art form that thrived in Parisian cafes and Berlin nightclubs. Yet, on Friday the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who can do anything, turned Carnegie’s 2,800-seat Stern Auditorium into her personal cabaret haunt, ably assisted by the stylish pianist Warren Jones.”
The New York Times, May 2015
City Newspaper, April 2015
Concert Review: Stephanie Blythe at Kilbourn Hall
Blissful Blythe
I can't remember an evening filled with more vocal joy than Tuesday night's Kilbourn Concert with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe. And I'm not alone: Given the volume and enthusiasm of its applause, the audience might have been echoing the plea of one of the songs on Blythe's program, Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" ("Please Don't Leave Me").
Arts Atlanta, March 2015
Review: Mezzo Soprano Stephanie Blythe sings sweet cabaret songs in Spivey Hall recital
But which song was the real pièce de résistance of the evening aside from “Amsterdam”? Arguably, it was the alarmingly funny “Singing in the Bathtub” from the Warner Brothers’ film Show of Shows. At the conclusion of the evening, it was clear that Blythe had proven that she doesn’t just play a goddess on the operatic stage. She really is one.
Having seen Met Opera superstar mezzo Stephanie Blythe many times on the stage, the decision to cast her as Stein seems like the logical choice. Devouring every moment of 27 with that magnificent voice and commanding presence, Blythe’s nuanced performance utilizes the full extent of her versatile instrument that shines through on the recording. When she sings: “The flowers. Before the flowers a friendship faded friendship faded” during her final aria “I’ve Been Called Many Things,” one would have to be stone-hearted to be unmoved.
One of the most remarkable artists singing today, Blythe showed a different talent for which there is no opportunity to show off in her famous roles composed by Wagner and Verdi. She has superb comic timing and proved to be a brilliant comedienne.
The Seattle Times, February 2015
Blythe’s dual turn as Ino and Juno was so powerful and so artful that she made the term “commanding the stage” seem completely inadequate.
Bachtrack, February 2015
This Semele has been mostly billed around the star power of mezzo Stephanie Blythe, and she delivered the goods in winning style. Taking on the twin roles of the vindictive goddess Juno and the mortal Ino, Semele's sister, Blythe succeeded in giving a plausibly distinctive coloration to each, which made for particularly wicked fun when the goddess visits her rival in the guise of Ino to seal Semele's fate.
Newcity Stage, October 2014
No singer can sing everything, with just one caveat: Stephanie Blythe. Her characterization of the gypsy Azucena was appropriately gripping, and I’m certain she could have been heard in the theater at any vocal level she desired from the comfort of her dressing room.
Chicago Classical Review, October 2014
Lyric Opera delivers the vocal thunder in a dark and combustible “Trovatore”
Blythe deployed her vast mezzo with consummate skill, from her gutsy and agile “Stride la vampa” to her cumulative emotional intensity in the ensuing narrative and touchingly nostalgic regret in the duet “Ai nostri monti.”
Opera Today, July 2014
It cannot be overstated that the peerless Stephanie Blythe was a tour de force as Gertrude Stein. Ms. Blythe’s instrument is one the glories of present day operatic life. She is a consummate artist who knows how to make every moment count. Physically imposing and absolutely right for the part, she commands the stage at every moment, as inscrutable as the terra cotta sculpture of Stein in the National Portrait Gallery. We miss her when she leaves the stage, however briefly. Although her commanding mezzo can certainly fill a room with no effort, Ms. Blythe finds a varied and well-balanced approach to her assignment. Her lyrical singing is beautifully negotiated and her cooing with Alice encompasses a grand palette of affectionate colorings. But when the situation warrants, and she pours on the steam, you are instantly served notice that this is one of the powerhouse voices of our time.
La Scena Musicale, July 2014
Recommended for fans of Blythe and for opera fans who want to venture into old standards.
Broadway World, June 2014
With music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Royce Vavrek, [27] brings us into the world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas-"27" being their address on the Rue Fleurus. The piece was specifically written for mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and her performance is worth a ticket clear 'round the world! ... both musically and theatrically this is quite a glorious production. Stephanie Blythe will make you swallow your gum.
Opera News, January 2014
Stephanie Blythe and Craig Terry: "As Long as There Are Songs"
Stephanie Blythe is clearly having fun in her first pop-music recording, but she is neither coasting nor trying to change her nature. The style can be brassy, bluesy or inspirational, the mood casual, defiant or needy, but the technique is brilliant and the commitment operatic.
HuffPost Arts & Culture, December 2013
Live and unplugged is the closest way to describe the sound of the newly released CD, As Long As There Are Songs by Stephanie Blythe and pianist Craig Terry. Recorded in the Pearson Theatre at the Berkeley headquarters of Meyer Sound and using its much-acclaimed digital system, Constellation, the CD provides an "In Person" experience that is virtually miraculous. As a fan of non-amplified solo recitals, the sound environment of this recording is like sitting in down-center Orchestra in a world class concert hall and having eye-to-eye contact with an artist whose big guns vocals penetrate clear to the soul.
The New York Times, February 2013
While listening to the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe pour her heart and soul into songs associated with Kate Smith at the Allen Room on Saturday evening, I wondered if it were possible for any contemporary singer to embody the nation’s optimistic, can-do spirit with the force and purity that Smith brought to “God Bless America.” To what degree does such a feeling even exist anymore?
The View from Here, July 2012
Stephanie Blythe can do whatever she wants musically.
And what she wants to do these days is sing the songs introduced and made popular by Kate Smith. She launches a new tour of her Smith tribute at Ravinia’s indoor Martin Theatre Monday night with Chicago pianist Craig Terry.