Hawaii’s Own Quinn Kelsey Thrills Audiences at Santa Fe Opera

HOT’s Executive Director was on hand to see HOT Orvis Studio alum & Ohana member Baritone Quinn Kelsey make his debut with the Santa Fe Opera as Rigoletto.  Simon had this to share:

Quinn Kelsey totally commanded the stage in his debut with Santa Fe Opera as Rigoletto in a new production by the English director, Lee Blakeley.

Quinn has made this role his own in a succession of productions from London to Chicago, and his ability to engage the audience’s heartfelt sympathy in this initially wicked, but ultimately tragic character makes sense of a challenging plot initially conceived by Victor Hugo.

Quinn was supported by a strong cast including Georgia Jarman as Gilda and Bruce Sledge as the Duke.  Despite a somewhat confusing set and constantly revolving stage, Quinn drew our attention and took his rightful place at the center of the opera. The standing ovation from the crowd confirmed Quinn’s “sensational” performance.

And from Charles T. Downey’s review in The Classic Review:

Baritone Quinn Kelsey made a sensation company debut in the title role, with a powerhouse voice that was also capable of luscious tenderness, as in the second act ensemble where he begs the court to let him see his abducted daughter, Gilda (“Pietà, signori”).  His was a brutish, hulking Rigoletto, with desperate anger roiling inside him, costumed in a large bowler hat capping his mop of curly hair and lopsided shoes accentuating his limp.  Subtlety of interpretation could be improved, for example, in differentiating some of the repeated lines, like “Quel vecchio maledivami!”

Audiences light up each time Quinn takes the stage and HOT is happy & proud of all that he has accomplished. Toi, toi, toi!