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Thomas has been becoming a star right before our eyes since before she could order a cocktail. What was always a powerhouse voice now whispers as well as shouts. The transits between the registers have become seamless and Thomas’ performance here shows her to be the finest dramatic-soprano-bass-baritone in the city. Astonishingly, she is even more breathtaking in silence.
Aaron Hunt Newcity BETHANY THOMAS AS SERENA... IS FLAT-OUT SPECTACULAR.
Terry Teachout Wall Street Journal Anyone who's heard this singer around town knows that her gift for interpreting lyrics is matched by the incredible range of textures she lends to a song. She can go sweet and soft or big and brassy, talents she uses to sing everything from Irving Berlin to rock.
Hank Sartin Crain's Thomas is a first-rate talent; she can sing like there's no tomorrow and her acting heats things up with a smoldering inner fire... Mike Fischer Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Bethany Thomas is almost orgasmic with her rendition of “Do It Again”, and also in duets with Robbie Fulks. Splash Magazine Bethany Thomas as Serena, who is tasked with one of the show’s best arias, “My Man’s Gone Now” — a mournful cry for her murdered husband. Thomas, who’s always made an impression in every show she’s in, finally gets a breakout role that shows her mettle. In this song, which has been expertly tailored to her freakishly wide-ranging vocal abilities, she moves from extreme vulnerability to rage-filled grief to shattered despair. It’s a milestone performance — in fact, Thomas received mid-song applause from the rapt crowd. Bob Bullen ChiTheaterAddict Bethany Thomas... whose raw, elegiac "My Man's Gone Now" expresses the pain of loss so unabashedly it's unsettling. Barbara Vitello Daily Herald |
Many in this cast are, I think, doing the best work of their creative lives. That includes Bethany Thomas, who plays Serena and whose remarkable vocal instrument is newly disciplined and precise without sacrificing any of its raw and emotional power.
Chris Jones Chicago Tribune (review of Court Theatre's Porgy and Bess) The highlight here is Bethany Thomas, who crams the tiny space with passion and bravado during the slow-burning “Stormy Weather” and “The Man That Got Away. Barry Eitel Chicago Theater Beat Bethany Thomas as the pious Serena steals the show with her wickedly expressive singing style. She shreds right through the heart of “My Man’s Gone Now." Scott Zacher Chicago Theater Beat Bethany Thomas, who plays Sofia, a giant of a woman with a giant heart for all her sisters. If there is a scene stealer in this production, it is Thomas, who provides both gravity and humor in her role as the enforcer. The audience loved everything about her. Dave Begel OnMilwaukee She gets to belt high and groan low like Satchmo, teasing out her vocal range... Urban Milwaukee |
