Joyce El-Khoury “shines” & captivates audiences as Violetta in Kansas City

The reviews are trickling in for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City‘s La traviata production (more shows October 1, 3 and 5)…and THEY ARE GREAT! Here are some quotes featuring soprano Joyce El-Khoury:

“Joyce El-Khoury fit most opera-goers’ vision of Violetta—she is stunning, elegant, and vocally she was unmatched in this cast. The soprano has an impressive flexibility, examples of which she doled out generously, teasing out a lyrical line past its prime here and there just to extend a dramatic moment (and maybe to show off just a little).”
–KCMetropolis.org

“From the elegant opening party to the final, fatal, surge of energy, soprano, El-Khoury captivates the ears and hearts of the audience. The audience was totally won over with her anguished indecision in, Sempre Libera. She is not the unshadowed brilliance for long, as she alludes to her illness and must clear the party to another room so that she can rest a bit. This is not to be a musical comedy, or a ride away into the sunset fable. El-Khoury’s charming facial expressions, vocal athleticism, and acting skills (down to the tiniest gesture or touch) endear her to all; not a gentleman in the audience would refuse to jump on stage to prevent the inevitable.”
–Examiner.com

“Soprano Joyce El-Khoury was the noble-hearted courtesan Violetta, altering her vocal style to suit the mood, from the effortless trills in the flippant Act I to a marrow-deep weariness of body and spirit in Act III.”
Kansas City Star

[photo caption/credit: Scott Quinn and Joyce El-Khoury star in the Lyric Opera’s production of “La Traviata.”Cory Weaver]