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Lewek "Enthralls" as Juliette at Palm Beach Opera


Kathryn Lewek in Palm Beach Opera’s Roméo et Juliette (Phoo: Bruce R. Bennett)
Kathryn Lewek in Palm Beach Opera’s Roméo et Juliette (Phoo: Bruce R. Bennett)

Last weekend, superstar soprano Kathryn Lewek stepped into the role of Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at Palm Beach Opera, receiving universal praise for her performance as Shakespeare's tragic heroine. It was a triumphant return to the company after her wildly successful performances last season as all four heroines in their production of Les contes d'Hoffmann. Check out the rave revies below.


"Long shared a delightful chemistry with Lewek, whose portrayal of Juliette was equally enthralling. Together, they communicated an adorable air of teenage awkwardness in their characters which served to set up the final tragedy all the more. Lewek dazzled while performing “Ah! Je veux vivre,” with an effortless top register that added to the youthful vitality of the character."



"As Juliette, soprano Kathryn Lewek displayed a most beautiful tone, especially when singing pianissimo passages...she grew vocally and dramatically as the opera progressed, delivering a thrilling “Amour, ranime mon courage” (potion aria) and a remarkable love duet “Va, je t’ai pardonné” alongside the Roméo of tenor Long Long."



Lewek shines in Palm Beach Opera’s impassioned “Romeo et Juliette”


"As Juliette, the soprano Kathryn Lewek gave an affecting performance. Dark-haired and diminutive, she came off as shy and vulnerable even as she belted out world-class coloratura. Lewek is best known for incomparable performances as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, a virtuoso role that demands impeccable speed and precision at the top of the vocal range.


In the first-act aria known as “Juliette’s Waltz,” her brilliant runs and trills vividly expressed the teenager’s effervescence and enchantment with life. But her success in that aria, wasn’t just about high-speed singing. She brought sensuous phrasing to quieter, more lyric passages, drawing out phrases and foreshadowing the passionate, serious woman she would grow into over the course of the opera.


Her lustrous voice and dramatic feel for the role was apparent throughout. Lewek, Stern and the orchestra combined for a powerful evocation of the dark, brooding music that arrives with her terrible realization of her lover’s true identity. In the opening of the balcony scene, clad in a long white gown and evocatively illuminated by moonlight, she gave deep expression to the famous words “Oh Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo,” in which she expresses astonished despair that she had fallen in love with a Montague.


Her "Potion Aria," in which she tries to work up the courage to take a drug that will allow her to feign death, was full of brilliant coloratura and high arching lyricism that expressed her mental turmoil, making that aria the showstopper it was meant to be."



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