“The singers that Opera Night boasts to feature, feel they are in great company with professionalism, camaraderie , and talent abounding. Saturday’s performance was nothing shy of superb. Under the direction of Danielle Davis, the program came together flawlessly and artistically. With the artful hand of Danielle, the evening was alive with a roster of a tenor, baritone, bass and five sopranos.”…
– Maddalena Harris (from Memos from Maddalena)
“Danielle Davis is so much more than an accomplished soprano, artistic director, and stage choreographer. While I can go on to list her many attributes, I can see that she collects these accolades to her art as a testament to all her hard work and research.”
– Maddalena Harris (from Memos from Maddalena)
“At the helm of Opera Night’s production of “Suor Angelica,” was soprano with a flair, Danielle Davis. Her artistry of vocal and administrative acumen was only surpassed by her ability to orchestrate an extraordinary event such as this Puccini’s masterpiece. The eight chosen singers, in full concert attire were assembled and rehearsed by Danielle, Jessica Stolte Bender, and pianist Isabella, to near perfection. The somber tale of a woman banished away to a convent because of disgracing her noble family, was underlined and driven forward by the wonderful pianist, Jesse Pieper, and performed by singers, Danielle Davis, Kristin Starkey, Jessica Stolte Bender, Theresa Dunigan, Sonya Rice, Lorraine Helvick, Kate Wood and Emillee Carratala. A tear was not spared by our patrons, nor were the compliments during the reception. But then again, the elements were all there. The genius of Puccini, the beautiful voices, the storyline of love, loss, scandal, betrayal, and unbounded human cruelty. For this is the essence of opera, and when our opera devotees come and become a part of Opera Night’s event such as Suor Angelica, an emergence of creativity on all levels arise, and we are indeed awed and made better for it. It is a held notion that although Puccini was not political, his operas were a way of sending a message to a larger audience. In a review of “Il Trittico” from a 1920 New York Times paper, a critic speaks of women who were weeping in the aisles. When Danielle Davis sings “Senza Mama,” I too get weepy. Oh those Italians! How impressive to us that eight women in limited space, one opera, one pianist, could fill the room with so much joy as it did. Special mention to contralto, Kristin Starkey in her gripping role of “La Principessa.” Puccini understood the range of the singing voice, and how the musical score can enliven all emotions in us, good and evil, and translate this to the audiece. The production was a hit.”
– Maddalena Harris (from Memos from Maddalena)
