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__________2020 Reviews__________
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GLORY DENIED
URBAN ARIAS
"Worra was perfect." (Broadway World - January 17, 2020)
"Caroline Worra and Cree Carrico are marvelous singer-actors. Both have performed their roles in other productions of this opera and bring great depth of emotional understanding to their characters.
Worra as Older Alyce delivers a powerhouse performance, not afraid to swoop down into a dark sound and likewise reveal the character's not so sympathetic moments. Her aria "After You Hear Me Out" in the second half of the show, when she gets to confront the stranger who has come home wanting her to be "just the way she was" then, was truly revelatory and heartbreaking and Cipullo had wisely scaled back the orchestral forces to let her shine. I so believed in the character I got angry with her when she compares her struggle with what her husband has endured, but I also felt her deep hurt in thinking she always came in second to the Army, something Older Jim comfirms to her face.
Wood has brought together a terrific team of singers, musicians, designers and director, and never a better production has been produced by this strong, lean and exciting contemporary opera company. Glory Denied is a piece that had me riveted to my seat, unable to clap or break the mood but only gasp silently." (DC Theatre Scene - Susan Galbraith - January 17, 2020)
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__________2019 Reviews__________
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THE MERRY WIDOW
MUSICA VIVA in HONG KONG
"Opening night was headlined by Caroline Worra, who, true to the title, nary let a frown wrinkle her brow, and tenor Richard Troxell... Both Worra and Troxell have been on stage countless times, and it showed. Neither, in a production where there are lots of kicking up of heels, put a foot wrong. Their polish, as well as the prevalence of American accents, gave the performance a Broadway vibe." (Asian Review of books - Peter Gordon - December 7, 2019)
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THE HANDMAID'S TALE
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
"...the superb soprano Caroline Worra was a commanding Aunt Lydia - scary in her smiling fanaticism, while fearless and accurate in some taxingly high writing." (Opera - David Shengold - August 7, 2019)
“Caroline Worra...delivers an incomparable performance as Aunt Lydia.
Caroline Worra epitomizes the righteous and vigilant Aunt Lydia, her commanding stature and mesmerizing charisma apparent every time she steps onstage." (The Sleepless Critic - Rachel Sandler - May 11, 2019)
"As Aunt Lydia, the domineering matron in charge of training handmaids, soprano Caroline Worra was a standout in the strong ensemble, her dramatic timbre giving vivid presence to a character who sounded like a musical hybrid of the Queen of the Night and John Adams's Madame Mao." (Opera News - Angela Mao - July 23, 2019)
“Aunt Lydia, trainer and enforcer of the Handmaids, personifies Gilead's oppressiveness. Soprano Caroline Worra played her with ramrod demeanor, and made her vocal character-high, steely, with upward leaps-reflect her sadistic pleasure in wielding power as much as her olive uniform, helmet-like hairdo, and cattle prod did." (The Wall Street Journal - Heidi Waleson - May 7, 2019)
“Caroline Worra sings Aunt Lydia - the enforcer of mores, the assailer of the weak, the collaborator with the patriarchy - with sadistic relish, half venomous, half gleeful." (The New York Times - David Allen - May 10, 2019)
“Caroline Worra (soprano) as Aunt Lydia is the perfect nemesis who claims the stage with her horse switch and army green uniform, terrorizing with a glare and posture." (Glide Magazine - Douglas Hall - May 10, 2019)
“Caroline Worra's Aunt Lydia combined a surfeit of religious fanaticism with the affect of a dominatrix, a BDSM Queen of the Night, head held high, eyes afire with zeal, her voice flashed with coloratura and ecstatic leaps into the upper register as she pealed Gilead's perversion of the Beatitudes and otherwise preached the party line." (bachtrack - Kevin Wells - May 9, 2019)
“Caroline Worra, as the handmaid's trainer Aunt Lydia, maintains an intensely menacing presence physically and vocally by way of an exacting diction even in a fairly high tessitura." (the arts fuse - Katrina Holden - May 10, 2019)
“And the handmaid headmistress Aunt Lydia is played with terrifying, almost campy zeal by Caroline Worra, who condemns the iniquities of the world in coloratura flights that are even more impressive for her unleashing the while storming around the stage." (The Boston Globe - Zoe Madonna - May 6, 2019)
“Aunt Lydia, the domineering mother hen of Handmaids (sung to chilling effect by Caroline Worra), enters with a Shostakovich-style fanfare that brings with it all the urgency of the "Leningrad" Symphony." (National Sawdust Log - Olivia Giovetti - May 2, 2019)
“The cast was superb from top to bottom. This was especially the case with the two largest roles, the most demanding dramatically and vocally. Jennifer Johnson Cano aroused deep pity for hr sufferings and losses as Offred, and Caroline Worra aroused the kind of hatred that a great villain creates as Aunt Lydia, the brutal and uncaring trainer of Offred. Both of them were required to make heavy demands on their upper register and their most forceful singing at the many intensely dramatic moments." (The Boston Musical Intelligencer - Steven Ledbetter - May 10, 2019)
"Caroline Worra's Aunt Lydia is a clear highlight, portraying the character's religious zeal with steady, almost rabid vigor." (The Theater Mirror - Michael Hoban - May 11, 2019)
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__________2017 Reviews__________
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GUILLAUME TELL
BALTIMORE CONCERT OPERA
“Mathilde, sung by the beautiful Caroline Worra, looked absolutely stunning in a bright red gown and giant jewel necklace. Her pianissimo and messa di voce melted my heart in her act two opening aria. She really started off the act with a bang and continued to draw me in as she sang seamlessly through all parts of her range." (Operagasm - Rachel Sandler - September 27, 2017)
“I sunk in my seat in amazement to see and hear Caroline Worra as Mathilde sing with so much depth and passion." (MD Theatre Guide - Lisa Harbour-Carter - September 28, 2017)
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FALSTAFF
OPERA SARATOGA
“Chioldi and the wonderfully enjoyable Caroline Worra made a sexy couple, well matched in refulgent sound and pointed word painting. Worra soared aloft and fielded splendid trills. These three leading performances [Colcough, Chioldi, and Worra]would have credited any stage." (Opera News - David Shengold - October, 2017)
“Caroline Worra, an ebullient Alice Ford, with a voice as bright as her beaming smile, deftly orchestrated the comeuppance of Falstaff and her husband." (Seen and Heard International - Rick Perdian - July 18, 2017)
“Caroline Worra as Alice Ford was outstanding and vibrant." (The Daily Gazette - Geraldine Freedman - July 3, 2017)
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ALUMNI CONCERT
The Copper Queen (excerpts)
AMERICAN LYRIC THEATER
“Borzoni's score is quite effective. It uses a variety of styles--from honky tonk to ultra-lyrical and romantic--to tell the true story of Julia Lowell...dramatically portrayed here by the passionate soprano Caroline Worra." (Broadway World - May 4, 2017)
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MASS in C MAJOR (Beethoven)
Carnegie Hall
NEW YORK CHORAL SOCIETY and ORCHESTRA
“The soloists were strong; soprano Caroline Worra's notes rang and glided gracefully on top." (New York Classical Review - George Grella - February 7, 2017)
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AMLETO CD
OPERA SOUTHWEST
“In Ambroise Thomas's operatic incarnation of Hamlet, it is the titular prince's mother Gertrude who claims much of the best music... Faccio's Geltrude enjoys a simila caliber of music, and she receives from Caroline Worra a portrayal of visceral immediacy apt for the character and musical poise befitting a queen. ...Worra brings emotional directness and singing of white hot charisma. ...the soprano excels as a mistress of dramatic utterance allied with undeviating adherence to exalted musical values. Worra's voicing of 'Ah! che alfine all'empio scherno mi ribello, o snaturato!' reverberates with feeling. The singer's easy command of the tessitura of Geltrude's music is wonderful, and the scope of Worra's artistry is revealed by the extent to which she exerts a prodigious histrionic presence even in the context of an audio recording." (Voix des Arts - CD Review - Joseph Newsome - January 30, 2017)
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__________2016 Reviews__________
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GREEK
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
“Caroline Worra, a veteran BLO singer was in fine form, able to play both the frumpy Mum in her dowdy cardigan and, stripped to her brasserie and slip, the seductive Sphinx, with tonal allure. ...the scene of the Sphynx...was one of the most striking in the work." (Berkshire Fine Arts - David Bonetti - November 23, 2016)
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AMLETO CD
OPERA SOUTHWEST
“Caroline Worra brings warm tone, wide range and notable agility to the oddly placed "falcon" role of Geltrude." (Opera News - CD Review - David Shengold - September, 2016)
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PETER GRIMES
THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL
“Caroline Worra deploys flawless technique and sureness of pitch as Ellen Orford…. Rarely have I heard ‘Embroidery in Childhood,’ Ellen’s haunting and difficult third-act aria, sung better." (Talkin' Broadway - Cameron Kelsall - June 20, 2016)
“Particular mention must be made of the wonderful performance given to us by Caroline Worra as Ellen Orford. Ms. Worra’s clear and brilliant voice was given further life by her excellent acting in this role of sadness and defeated love." (Out in Jersey - Toby Grace - June 27, 2016)
“...Ms. Worra's Ellen - at first tender and hopeful, then dismayed - moves through a heartbreaking transition... she has an exceptionally secure vocal command, from pianissimo to a sustained forte at the top of her range." (Princeton Packet - Bob Brown - June 23, 2016)
"Caroline Worra was a sympathetic Ellen Orford, and her crystalline lyric soprano projected well, with lovely pianissimi in the embroidery aria..." (reclining standards - David Fox - June 29, 2016)
"Worra is always a committed performer musically and dramatically...Ellen's music was sung with beauty and incisive verbal point." (Opera News - David Shengold - July, 2016)
“Grammy-nominated soprano Caroline Worra (schoolmistress Ellen Orford) shone like a beacon from a lighthouse. Her vocals showed strength and control." (Princeton Found - Robin Birkel - June 23, 2016)
"Caroline Worra...whose clear and silvery voice shined throughout. Particularly lovely was the quartet 'In the gutter' in Act II with Worra, Eve Gigliotti (Auntie) and Jessica Beebe and Sharon Harms (the nieces)." (operametro.com - June 29, 2016)
“Princeton's cast is unusually strong, including in the principal roles three young singers - tenor Alex Richardson, soprano Caroline Worra, and baritone Stephen Gaertner - currently forging major careers nationally and internationally..." (phillymag.com - David Fox - June 16, 2016)
“Grimes has the love of Ellen Orford, the selfless schoolmistress (sung affectingly by soprano - and festival favorite - Caroline Worra.) Richardson and Worra head up a uniformly solid cast, many of them veterans of past festival undertakings." (The Times of Trenton - Ross Amico - June 22, 2016)
“Worra brings complexity and depth as Peter's beloved..." (Broad Street Review - Linda Holt - June 20, 2016)
“Wisconsin-born Caroline Worra, a repeat favorite at the Princeton Festival, made for a passionate and sympathetic Orford. Her approach was as intensely expressive as any I have heard, an impression strengthened by fine diction and bright vocal timbre." (Opera Today - Andrew Moravcsik - June 27, 2016)
“Mr. Richardson...and Ms. Worra each did not miss a beat in vocal roles which required supreme confidence to sing either unaccompanied or against accompaniment that is deliberately of no help harmonically. ...Ms. Worra conveyed sympathy for Grimes in a voice which was light when necessary and especially soared over the orchestra in the opening to the second act, accompanied by a chanting offstage chorus. This couple was well matched, and at times controlled the score themselves without conductor or orchestral accompaniment.
...A quartet of Ms. Worra, Ms. Gigliotti, Ms. Beebe, and Ms. Harms at the close of act two's first scene was particularly strong." (Town Topics - Nancy Plum - June 22, 2016)
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THE POE PROJECT;
Buried Alive and Embedded
FORT WORTH OPERA
"The most cut-to-the-chase, knock-your-black-lace-stockings-off performance was delivered in the second opera, Embedded. Caroline Worra as Sylvia Malow gave a performance that is not to be missed... Her vocal flexibility and intensity carried the role with unearthly ease ...it was Worra's final scene clutching her cell phone that stuck in my mind like the bleak moment of recall when one wakes from a nightmare. I made it out alive, but did she?" (The Column - Laurie Lynn Lindemeier - May 1, 2016)
"Worra's wonderfully sung and extraordinarily committed performance is an example of playing a character with so much conviction that the audience follows without question." (ShowMag.com - Michael Van Duzer - June, 2016)
"Caroline Worra who possesses a Wagnerian supersized soprano voice...put her Brunhilde-sized voice to good use as the aging newscaster in Embedded. With a huge shock of wild blonde hair, she drove her characterization of Sylvia mercilessly from confidence to insecurity to determination to panic to death." (Theater Jones - Gregory Sullivan Isaacs - April 29, 2016)
"In Embedded, Caroline Worra's Sylvia is every inch the insecure prima donna, with a vividly expressed soprano." (The Dallas Morning News - Scott Cantrell - April 27, 2016)
"Embedded stays serious and reaches the afternoon’s emotional climax with a virtuoso performance by soprano Caroline Worra."(The Star Telegram - Olin Chism - April 25, 2016)
"The bright-voiced soprano Caroline Worra relished the challenging role of Sylvia, singing with fervor and intensity." (The New York Times - Anthony Tommasini - April 25, 2016)
"Embedded is updated from "the Cask of Amontillado," and it proves to be a nice star turn for soprano Caroline Worra. ...when Sylvia realizes she's in a trap she (and conductor Tyson Deaton) really shines. Not only does she keep up with the music's high tessitura as the heroine sees death closing in on her, she also portrays Sylvia's presence of mind as she turns the situation to score one last victory over both Montresor and the twilight of her journalism career. It's this performance that concludes the evening on a triumphant note." (Fort Worth Weekly - Kristian Lin - May 4, 2016)
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A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
TULSA OPERA
"At the center of this piece is Caroline Worra, making her Tulsa Opera debut as Blanche DuBois, and she is extraordinary. Worra is rarely off-stage during the nearly three-hour production, but the energy — and, more importantly, the subtlety — she brings to this character never flags.
Near the end of the opera, Blanche states that she tells “the truth as it ought to be,” and you can see that working in how Worra portrays the character — the forced brightness in her voice when she is trying to convince those around her of the “magic” she thinks she brings to life; the more brittle tone that informs the impolite truths Blanche spouts about her current situation and the people who populate it; the palpable, wounding hurt as she recounts the course of her brief, tragic marriage.
Worra also nails the aching sadness of the aria “Soft people,” and her final scenes, from the dreamy “I smell the sea air,” to the way she floats the famed line, “Whoever you are, I have always relied on the kindness of strangers,” should break even the hardest opera purist’s heart." (Tulsa World - James D. Watts Jr. - March 3, 2016)
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EMBEDDED
AMERICAN LYRIC THEATER
"The other half of the bill, based on Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," showed off the full-bodied voice of soprano Caroline Worra, in the juicy role of Sylvia, with the aria "Our value lies in how we look." (BroadwayWorld.com - Richard Sasanow - February 16, 2016)
"Among the vocalists is the captivating soprano Caroline Worra, a star of the Paul Kellogg era at New York City Opera." (The New Yorker - February 7, 2016)
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BEETHOVEN's MASS in C MAJOR
NEW YORK CHORAL SOCIETY at CARNEGIE HALL
"The soloists were strong; soprano Caroline Worra's notes rang and glided gracefully on top... The soloists' individual statements captured not just the music's great warmth but the liturgical purposes of what they were singing."(New York Classical Review - George Grella - February 6, 2016)
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THE MERRY WIDOW
UTAH OPERA
"Worra was wonderfully cast as Hannah Glawari, the vivacious young widow whose recently inherited fortune drives the operetta's daffy plot. She played Hanna with unpretentious charm and so much joie de vivre that one expected her to burst out laughing at any moment. But she also showed flashes of vulnerability in key scenes with Danilo, and her performance of the faux folk song "Vilja" was sublime." (The Salt Lake Tribune - Catherine Reese Newton - January 17, 2016)
"Caroline Worra had her Utah Opera debut as Hanna, and she was a charismatic lead. Her voice was warm and dramatic, and her acting and chemistry were top notch." (The Utah Review - Sara Neal - January 20, 2016)
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__________2015 Reviews__________
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THE LONG WALK
OPERA SARATOGA
"Caroline Worra brought star presence and her shining tone and dead-on attacks to three sharply contrasting roles." (Opera News - David Shengold - October, 2015)
"Worra, by the way, is a comforting presence in a piece like this. She also sings the roles of Brian's sister and a keening Iraqi woman [besides the shrink], giving them distinct characterizations aided by her can-do-anything voice. She must be fond of contemporary works: we've seen her triumph locally in The Mines of Sulphur and The Greater Good, among other operas." (Metroland - B.A. Nilsson - July 16, 2015)
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GREENWICH TOWN PARTY
NOMINATION for GTP HEROES
Paul G Geise who is Head of School at Stanwich has nominated one of his talented teachers for #GTPheroes - "Superlatives abound whenever Caroline's name is mentioned. 'Astounding', 'amazing', 'fabulous', 'mesmerizing', and 'unbelievable' are among the more often used terms. An ebullient smile and personality, Caroline has an indefatigable spirit and immense talent that evokes joy to all that she entertains and instructs. She is a choir teacher at a local coeducational independent school and also is an active choir member of a local church while being an internationally renowned opera singer. Dr. Worra's heroism, however, is centered on her inspired teaching of children. She teaches and touches the lives of children of all ages, from five year olds to senior citizens. She elevates everyone. Caroline teaches piano, voice, choir, as well as musicals for scores of students, and maintains a dizzying schedule without ever missing a beat. For example, last year she and her partner directed and led no fewer than 13 musicals and concerts in the month of May alone! 'Amazing', 'astounding', 'unbelievable'. The difference Caroline Worra makes in the musical lives of us all is truly heroic." (Greenwich Town Party - January, 2015)
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GLORY DENIED CD
FORT WORTH OPERA
The BEST of the Year - Opera News - Cipullo: Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera Festival (Opera News - January, 2015)
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AMLETO
OPERA SOUTHWEST
"Nomination for Best Rediscovered Work - International Opera Awards 2015." (Opera Magazine - January, 2015)
"...the experienced Caroline Worra, a tall stately soprano, handsomely endowed the expanded role of Queen Gertrude with her powerful voice and secure artistry." (American Record Guide - James A Van Sant - January 5, 2015)
"Two able sopranos, Abla Lynn Hamza and Caroline Worra, excelled as Ophelia and Gertrude." (Opera Magazine - George Loomis - February, 2015)
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__________2014 Reviews__________
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AMLETO
OPERA SOUTHWEST
"...and the excellent Caroline Worra as Regina." (Opera News "On the Beat" - Brian Kellow - October 2014)
"...with Shannon De Vine as Claudio, and Caroline Worra as Geltrude giving exceptional performances." (The Schiller Institute - Karen Nafziger - November 2014)
"Caroline Worra as Hamlet's mother Geltrude, was powerful and more than rose to the occasion in her duet with Hamlet which becomes a trio when the Ghost intervenes, and in her aria." (Donizetti Society - Charles Jernigan - October 26, 2014)
"As Queen Gertrude, Caroline Worra comes into her own in the second half. She sings a superb duet with Hamlet before launching into an arresting aria full of the guilt she feels, torn between husband and son." (Albuquerque Journal - D.S. Craft - November 2, 2014)
"Abla Lynn Hamza and Caroline Worra excelled as Ophelia and Gertrude." (London Financial Times - George Loomis - October 28, 2014)
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AMLETO
BALTIMORE CONCERT OPERA
"Caroline Worra as Queen Gertrude is truly one of the most fantastic sopranos I've heard live. She has a rock-solid voice from the top to the bottom and colors to spare!! And she looked every inch the evil guilty queen with her brazen, red, off-the-shoulder gown. Her Act III aria brought the house down." (Operagasm - Wade Davis - October 4, 2014)
"Caroline Worra was a terrific force as Amleto's duplicitous mother Geltrude (Gertrude). The stellar soprano's richly vibrant singing, complete with gleaming top notes and beautifully nuanced dynamics, elevated the whole evening considerably. If she threatened to go over the top in her Act 3 aria, it sure was fun hearing her tear up the joint." (The Baltimore Sun - Tim Smith - October 3, 2014)
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ORPHEE
PITTSBURGH OPERA
"He (Matthew Worth) paired well with Eurydice, played by soprano Caroline Worra, who had a ringing, golden-flecked tone and a cutting volume." (Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Elizabeth Bloom - April 27, 2014)
"Caroline Worra, an alumnus of Pittsburgh Opera's resident artist program, brought appealing vulnerability to Eurydice." (Pittsburgh Tribune - Mark Kanny - April 27, 2014)
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THE POE PROJECT;
Buried Alive and Embedded
FARGO-MOREHEAD OPERA
"Embedded was written with Worra in mind, and she nailed the night's finest performance, receiving - deservedly - a mid-show ovarion for her aria..." (Inforum - John Lamb - March 29, 2014)
"This is Sylvia's story; indeed, the opera is almost a monodrama for soprano, and it was done with amazing skill by Worra, who should be a household name in the world of opera."(Sequenzia 21 Washington Composers Forum - Wes Flinn - March 28, 2014)
"Both operas feature a cast of six of the country's leading singers who take on different roles in each opera: soprano Caroline Worra, soprano Sara Gartland, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Feinstein, tenor Jonathan Blalock, baritone Christopher Burchett, and bass Nathan Stark." (Deborah Brevoort - February, 2014)
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__________2013 Reviews__________
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LIZZIE BORDEN
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
"...it was Caroline Worra who really should have come with some kind of a warning label. As Abigail Borden...Worra was riveting...proving herself one of the finest singing actresses around." (Opera News - Karen Ratzlaff - February, 2014)
"Caroline Worra was as delightfully evil as a Disney villainess as the louche step-mother (smoking almost non-stop) and proved that this difficult role can be sung with beauty." (Opera - David Shengold - March, 2014)
"...as the morally “bad” characters can become more theatrically interesting than the good. This certainly is a risk this production does not avoid – Worra’s “evil stepmother” is played with a blowsy vivacity, smoking constantly and parading around in leopard-skin fabric. She is the only person in the opera who seems authentically alive, and her energy animates the other characters when they come into contact with it: for Lizzie, it provokes her to confrontation; for Andrew, it reduces him to a kind of erotic jelly. Even her cruelty has a liveliness to it—she’s a cat playing with a mouse when she humiliates Lizzie, taking a full throated cackling enjoyment in the ludicrousness of it all. Worra plays the part with great humor – some of which is written in (the ridiculous stratospheric notes interpolated as she sits singing at the harmonium), some of which comes from her carriage and swagger." (The Boston Musical Intelligencer - Brian Schutz - November 22, 2013)
"As Abigail, soprano Caroline Worra showed a fine flair for subtle comedy, engaging the audience’s sympathy in her position as the former hired help moving into the boss’s bedroom while setting herself up for her fate with her cruelty toward her stepdaughters." (Berkshire fine Arts - David Bonetti - November 25, 2013)
"As Lizzie’s cruel stepmother Abigail, a vocally assured Caroline Worra taunted and pushed Lizzie with theatrical aplomb toward the unspeakable deed." (The Boston Globe - Jeremy Eichler - November 21, 2013)
"Equally as impressive was soprano Caroline Worra as Abby Borden. She played the matriarch as a grotesquely sexy gold digger driven to duplicity out of boredom; a conniving Anna Nicole Smith meets Peggy Bundy. Worra has complete ease on the stage. Her voice holds high notes for ages and we want to hear them even as she spouts abuse." (The New England theatre Geek - Kitty M. Drexel - November 26, 2013)
"Caroline Worra nearly stole the show as the busty, leopard-printed, newly-married Abigail Borden. Even her breathing—husky from a cigarette—exuded character. The smoking fortunately didn’t affect her luscious soprano, which was equally capable of cutting coldly at her stepdaughters or teasing her husband with torrents of sound." (Boston classical Review - Angelo Mao - November 22, 2013) __________________________________________________________
GLORY DENIED
FORT WORTH OPERA
"Worra deploys acting and musical chops in equally impressive measure." (Opera News CD Review - Joshua Rosenblum - March 2014)
The BEST of the Year (2014) - Opera News - Cipullo: Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera Festival (Opera News - January, 2015)
The BEST of 2013 - Washington Post CD list - Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera "Nomination of the Best of 2013: the CD industry...crowdsourced CD recommendations for Classical 2013 highlights." (The Washington Post - Anne Midgette - December 27, 2013)
The COLUMN AWARDS "BEST PICK" for 2013 DRAMATIC SOPRANO - Best in the DFW Theatre - Caroline Worra as Older Alyce in Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera (Laurie Lynn Lindemeier - December 2013)
The REGIONS BEST ON STAGE 2013 - Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera (criticalrant.com - Alexandra Bonifield - December 31, 2013)
The 8 BEST MOMENTS in CLASSICAL MUSIC and OPERA in Dallas/Fort Worth 2013 - Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera "The best among many memorable moments in its annual spring festival at Bass Performance Hall and adjacent facilities arrived with a beautifully performed, emotionally riveting production of Tom Cipullo's Glory Denied, and exquisitely crafted operatic retelling of the true story of one Vietnam War POW Jim Thompson." (Front Row - D Magazine - Wayne Lee Gay - December 26, 2013)
THE 10 BEST CLASSICAL MUSIC and OPERA PERFORMANCES of 2013 - Glory Denied - Fort Worth Opera "A cast of top-notch actors and a spare set and effective direction created a sense of isolation and anguish."(DFW.com - Olin Chism, Punch Shaw, and Gregory Sullivan Isaacs - December 24, 2013)
"The most all around performer was Caroline Worra as Old Alyce. All of the colors of the emotional spectrum seemed to radiate from her facial expressions. This role has got some serious turbulence – Old Alyce is one tortured individual! Worra’s brassy yet bright sound lusciously wove the torment she felt with the constant reminiscence of her young life." (Opera Pulse - Press Desk - April 30, 2013)
"I'm eager to hear the always impressive soprano Caroline Worra once more (in Glory Denied)." (Billevesees - William V. Madison - May 11, 2012)
"Caroline Worra, another young singer with a bright future makes her company debut in the role of Older Alyce." (Theater Jones - Gregory Sullivan Isaacs - May 11, 2012)
"Michael Mayes (the older Jim) and Caroline Worra (the older Alyce) were musically as well as dramatically biting. ...Worra sang with passion, sorrow, and bitterness, describing hopes that have turned to nervous depression and finally rage." (Opera News - Willard Spiegelman - July, 2013)
"The singers-tenor David Blalock as the younger Thompson, baritone Michael Mayes as the older Thompson, soprano Sydney Mancasola as the younger Alyce, and soprano Caroline Worra as the older Alyce-met the considerable musical and dramatic challenges impressively, with soprano Worra emerging as the first among equals in a role that demands a special blend of vulnerability and defiance." (Front Row Magazine - Wayne Lee Gay - April 22, 2013)
"All four of the performers are top-notch actors, generating tension that is almost painful at times." (www.star-telegram.com - Olin Chism - April 21, 2013)
"His cast of four, as connected to one another as a Greek chorus and as fully engaged as Shakespearean players, imbues the work with raw honesty and savage sorrows. Whether singing solo or in harmonic interplay, each skilled vocalist validates the poetic beauty of Cipullo’s homage to a fallen, forgotten warrior, a true American hero." (criticalrant.com - Alexandra Bonifield - April 25, 2013)
"Cipullo gives us a quartet. He casts Thompson (Younger) as a tenor, played by a heartbreakingly vulnerable David Blalock, and Thompson (Older) as a baritone, played by an astounding Michael Mayes. Lyric soprano Sydney Mancasola plays the younger Alyce, and the more spinto soprano Caroline Worra gives an amazing performance as the older Alyce.
All four do an outstanding job, both vocally and dramatically, but that phrase is inadequate to describe their accomplishments in these roles. The vocal ranges of the composer’s writing push all four singers beyond any reasonable expectations at both the top and bottom of the voices. Yet, all four have such secure techniques that there isn’t a single note that sounds unreasonably forced or out of line. Dynamics also push the limits on both ends of the scale yet, even when singing full out and red faced at the effort, none of the singers overdrive their instruments, although the temptation to do so must be overwhelming." (Theater Jones - Gregory Sullivan Isaacs - April 23, 2013)
"Caroline Worra...an intensely dramatic Older Alyce..." (arts blog Dallas News - Scott Cantrell - April 21, 2013)
"Caroline Worra sang the role of the Older Alyce, with a bitter yet beautiful quality in her voice. Afterwards, I spoke with Ms. Worra and thanked her for her outstanding portrayal of the emotional abuse a woman inwardly endures that most often receives no recognition, support, or acknowledgment. A single tear rolled down her cheek as I spoke. Perhaps that tear represented the sweet joy of knowing the result of one’s hard work being worth it all in the end when it touches the heart of the listener." (Pegasus News - Laurie Lynn Lindemeier of John Garcia's The Column - April 24, 2013)
"...the older Alyce is sung by Caroline Worra, who’s sung the role before and who is endowed not only with a radiant soprano voice but also with one of the most infectious smiles in the Opera World: it’s almost impossible not to smile back at her." (Billevesees - William V. Madison - April 26, 2013)
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COSI FAN TUTTE
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
THE TOP 10 PERFORMANCES of 2013 by The Boston Classical Review - Cosi fan tutte - Boston Lyric Opera "The Boston Lyric Opera succeeded by playing it as a knowing, coming-of-age comedy for adults, and by supplying beautiful staging and a stellar young cast." (The Boston Classical Review - David Wright, Aaron Keebaugh, and Angelo Mao - December 23, 2013)
"As Fiordiligi, silvery soprano Caroline Worra sang with passion and dead-on accuracy." (The Edge Boston - Ed Tapper - March 17, 2013)
"...soprano Caroline Worra took the lead with her customary gusto and witty aplomb; I'm a big fan of Worra...she knew to pull out all the emotional stops for Fiordiligi's crisis, and particularly when begging forgiveness for the sin she knows her newfound love will compel her to commit, Worra was heart-breaking." (The Hub Review - Thomas Garvey - March 22, 2013)
"She sings with conviction, aplomb, and a formidable technical arsenal." (Boston Classical Review - Angelo Mao - March 16, 2013)
"...bright and powerful of tone." (The Boston Musical Intelligencer - Lee Eiseman - March 16, 2013)
"...fabulous...heard someone in the crowd make comparisons to Sills." (Facebook - Neil Ferreira - March 16, 2013)
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__________2012 Reviews__________
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FRANCESCA DA RIMINI
THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL
"Worra has a very pure, ravishing tone that is superbly controlled. Her aria in this scene was achingly beautiful - simply breathtaking." (centraljersey.com - Bob Brown - June 27, 2012)
"Caroline Worra...her silvery top and womanly chest voice fall sweetly on the ear." (Parterre Box - John Yohalem - June 25, 2012)
"Ms. Worra invariably turns in a stunning performance and was fully up to form in this production." (Out in Jersey Magazine - Toby Grace - June 27, 2012)
"Soprano Caroline Worra particularly excelled at floating the very high passages of her role, which was full of pathos at being married to the wrong man." (Town Topics - Nancy Plum - July 3, 2012)
"The singing by Stephen Gaertner, Caroline Worra, and Rolando Sanz, thrillingly idiomatic in sound." (Opera-L - John Camner - June 23, 2012)
"The singers were better than one could hope for." (Philadelphia Inquirer - David Patrick Stearns - June 25, 2012)
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GIANNI SCHICCHI
THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL
"My favorite moment in the opera, the trio of ladies dressing Gianni up as their cousin the corpse - Puccini's sidelong wink at Wagner's Seigfried and the Rhinemaidens - was exquisitely performed by Jamie Van Eyck, Ms. Worra and Cindy Sadler." (Parterre Box - John Yohalem - June 25, 2012)
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RECITAL
VIRGINIA TECH
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BEFORE BREAKFAST - Pasatieri
URBAN ARIAS
CAROLINE WORRA as Charlotte in "Before Breakfast" - NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTRESS IN AN OPERA - DCTheatre Scene - August 2012
"Conceived originally for Beverly Sills and revised in 2006 for Lauren Flanigan, the single role calls for a soprano with some dramatic power and high-flying range, qualities that this production's Charlotte, Caroline Worra, had in spades." (The Washington Post - Charles T. Downey - April 17, 2012)
"It's also a tour-de-force by Caroline Worra, who gives a gut wrenching solo performance as a woman trapped in a miserable marriage, singing uninterrupted for the entire opera." (Washington City Paper - Mike Paarlberg - April 16, 2012)
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
EL PASO OPERA
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DIE FLEDERMAUS
OPERA MEMPHIS
"Caroline Worra lends her stately soprano to Rosalinda." (The Commercial Appeal - Christopher Blank - January 23, 2012)
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__________2011 Reviews__________
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MINES OF SULPHUR
CD REVIEW
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nifty Ghost Story With Perfectly Suitable Score July 5, 2011
By James S. Eisenberg
Format:Audio CD
"When I first saw THE MINES OF SULPHUR in its North American premiere in Toronto in the 1970s, I was absolutely riveted from beginning to end. Here is a gripping tale of murder and a ghostly theater troupe to which Richard Rodney Bennett's beautifully crafted atonal score is perfectly suited.
I remember Toronto critics pointing out some inconsistencies in the plot development, but following the libretto, I can't figure out at this distance in time, what they were.
This live performance from Glimmerglass confirms my initial strong impression.
The singers are uniformly first rate, especially Caroline Worra as Jenny the ghostly ingenue. The orchestral playing under Stewart Robertson is brilliant and the SACD sound recording, excellent ! (The random stage noises not too distracting !)
There is an excellent liner note and a full libretto..
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GLORY DENIED
URBAN ARIAS
"Caroline Worra, tasked with straddling the line between selfish self-preservation and brutal reality, did so magnificently. (The Washington Post - Joan Reinthaler - April 3, 2011)
"Caroline Worra as the Older Alyce also brought both dramatic skills as well vocal power and expression. She delivered the very difficult emotions of shame and defiance in the powerful aria, “After you hear me out,” putting across the position of someone whose faith had flagged, someone who couldn’t live up to the image of the devoted military wife.
This piece was a painful reminder of a very difficult chapter in our country’s history. But it was also about faith, the personal dugged-deep for faith. How do some people find the strength not to just survive but to forgive and rebuild lives while others are broken and left embittered wrecks? There are two haunting images that stand side by side from this piece: the Older Thompson standing up in his church to attest, a man whose heart has opened to Grace, and Older Alyce, eyes narrowing and sucking on a cigarette, whose self-loathing leaves her swearing and snarling at the life that was ripped from her." (DCTheatre Scene - Susan Galbraith - April 14, 2011)
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AGRIPPINA
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
"Of course, no production of this opera can work without a compelling Agrippina, and soprano Caroline Worra was all that and more. Put simply, she had it all - a beautiful voice, dynamic stage presence, tremendous technique and a keen dramatic instinct. Worra's performance was so richly charismatic that her presence was felt even when she was absent from the stage - which is exactly the way Agrippina would have wanted it." (Opera News - Karen Ratzlaff - March 11, 2011)
"As Agrippina, exquisite Caroline Worra woos us into her world of intrigues while demonstrating the years of vocal training. Every note from her is a gift, and all of her arias are limpid and satisfying. She is conniving, enticing, disdainful, and beautiful...What else can we ask for from a diva?" BostonEventsInsider.com - Lily Thompson - March 14, 2011
A Remarkable Performance
"As the manipulative matriarch herself, soprano Caroline Worra gave a remarkable performance. Her bright, focused soprano soared across the florid passages with ease. Although her comic sense was innately keen, she was equally strong in dramatic moments, such as the astounding "Pensieri" aria, in which her voice took on a plangent quality. An endearing stage presence, she made it difficult to completely detest this Agrippina." EDGEboston.com - Ed Tapper - March 12, 2011
"Soprano Caroline Worra makes a kind of mad stage mother of Agrippina - she seems to be devouring the role as we watch; but she's also in glorious voice, and when the empress is suddenly struck by guilty doubts, suddenly Worra is dramatically riveting, too." The Hub Review - Thomas Garvey - March 14, 2011
"Worra spun out elegant coloratura lines - Handel was in his Italian phase, and some of her arias have that "how can she do that?" quality." BostonHerald.com - Keith Power - March 13, 2011
"...in the title role, Caroline Worra was vocally and dramatically commanding as a free wheeling Agrippina, crazed with blind ambition for her son yet not without her own sympathetic vulnerabilities." The Boston Globe - Jeremy Eichler - March 14, 2011
"Beautiful Soprano Caroline Worra, who thrilled audiences in "Idomeneo" last year, is deliciously scheming as Agrippina." The Theater Mirror - Sheila Barth - March 15, 2011
"In the title role, soprano Caroline Worra made the most of her juicy part, offering scintillating coloratura and a three dimensional characterization of the emperors wife, by turns arrogant, scheming, and tormented by misgivings...Musical highpoints for me included Agrippina's first aria "I exult in the rage of the storm" whose fearless brilliance evokes the character's dauntlessness." The Boston Musical Intelligencer - Geoffrey Weiting - March 15, 2011
"As Agrippina, soprano Caroline Worra...acted with great comic timing. In her scheming - and her frustration when her plans went awry - I thought of Lucille Ball more than once. She understands Baroque style, and her trill is something to treasure." BerkshireFineArts.com - David Bonetti - March 13, 2011
"Caroline Worra, who plays the titular mother, is most notably adept at these complicated, difficult and incredibly fun to hear musical moments. Her commanding soprano and delicate trills fit the demanding role perfectly, and she delivers difficult arias such as "Pensieri, voi mi tormentate," which the character deftly and expertly sings during her "mad scene." (The Tufts Daily - Emma Bushnell - March 18, 2011)
"The star of the night was Caroline Worra's performance as Agrippina. Her voice soared the entire night and never faltered...This was a great role for her...and she stood up to the challenge." (JJK - Boston Theatre Review - March 19, 2011)
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TOSCA
CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA THEATRE
Tosca is Triumph for Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre
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__________2010 Reviews__________
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IDOMENEO
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
"Soprano Caroline Worra, stalking the stage in a wild whirlwind of fury, was a vivid presence as the crazed Elettra, daughter of the murdered Greek king Agamemnon and, in this narrative, Illia's jealous rival for Idamante's love. She navigated the chromatic passagework of her rage arias with ease, exhibiting sureness of pitch and control, and she also found a surprising shading of character in her Act II aria of love for Idamante, "Idol mio," conjuring up an image of the innocent, loving girl she might have been in gentler times." (Opera News - Kalen Ratzlaff - August, 2010)
"...there were two really high spots...the second one was truly spectacular, and it was interesting to hear the giggles of the audience morph into silence, then awe, and then fierce applause - Electra's flipped out aria. Caroline Worra was amazing and I'd love to see her do Lucia di Lamermoor." (community.netscape.com - Karen Lindsey - April 29, 2010)
"...was simply up-staged by the great Caroline Worra...the spurned Elettra. Worra is blessed with a beautifully burnished timbre, and threw herself into her role with abandon, at times even teetering at the edge of comedy - she made Elettra's final meltdown one for the vocal and dramatic history books." (The Hub Review - Thomas Garvey - April 27, 2010)
"Caroline Worra's Elettra was also worthy of international stages: extremely well-sung (the tricky "Soavi zeffiri" a particular sensuous highlight) and thoughtfully enacted." (The Boston Musical Intelligence - David Shengold - April 26, 2010)
"Although the entire cast of Idomeneo was very strong, the clear stars of the night were mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy in the role of Idamante and soprano Caroline Worra as Elettra. ...As a BLO staff member explained, during the orchestra's first rehearsal with Worra, the musicians cheered following the conclusion of "D'Oreste, D'Aiace," the aria during which Elettra goes insane with jealousy and rage. Her performance Wednesday night inspired similar enthusiasm from the audience, which applauded unrestrainedly as she tore offstage, cackling and screaming." (The Justice online.com - Hannah Kirsch - May 4, 2010)
"Caroline Worra (Elettra) was wonderfully and exuberantly dramatic in a final mad scene." (Boston Arts Diary - BADMan - June 20, 2010)
"Then there was Electra, a character who defines the overused phrase "kick ass." A ballsy soprano of the old school, Ms. Caroline Worra shone, moving from love-struck to spurned to vengeful with aplomb." (Julie the Jarhead - June 1, 2010)
"When I first arrived at the Shubert Theatre, where the Boston Lyric Opera holds their performances, I spoke with the conductor, David Angus. He said that during a previous rehearsal the other night, the orchestra gave Caroline a cheer after that third aria. That doesn't happen much with orchestras, he said. Angus went on to say that every now and then there is a WOW! in an opera. In "Idomeneo Re Crete," he said, Caroline is the WOW.Angus has worked with Caroline at Glimmerglass Opera in the past and knows her well. "Caroline is an exceptional artist, both technically and musically," he told me. "In a business where sopranos infamously drag behind the beat, she is the first one I have ever met who says that she want to go faster than I do, and actually means it!"She has the technique to do so, with total accuracy and a beautiful tone," he added. "She is a consummate professional, a great musician and actress, and I hope to work with her very often in the future. She is also a lovely person, and a great colleague -- almost too good to be true!" (The Greenwich Citizen - Helen Neafsey - April 23, 2010)
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ARIODANTE
PRINCETON FESTIVAL
"Caroline Worra is a compelling performer with quite extraordinary technical abilities. Sometimes she started lavish decorations in the first A sections and took them to Silsian lengths. One admired her daring... Early on, she evoked Sill's broadly smiling "TV" hostess manner..." (Opera News - David Shengold September, 2010 - Vol. 75. No. 3)
"...partnered brilliantly by Caroline Worra as Ginevra. Ms. Worra's handling of one of the opera's early mad scenes, "Il mio crudel martoro" stopped the show." (Central Jersey.com - Michael Redmond - June 23, 2010)
"An equally demanding role is that of the princess Ginevra, which Caroline Worra performed in an enchanting and amusing manner. Her clear and powerful soprano voice was a joy from start to finish." (OPERA-L Archives - June 21, 2010)
"The cast was led by Caroline Worra who has already built a considerable reputation. She sang well from the first showering the audience with cascades of trills." (OPERA-L - James Camner - June 20, 2010)
"Worra was riveting as she portrayed Ginevra's madness." (N.J.com - Ronni Reich - June 22, 2010)
"Soprano Caroline Worra also took over the stage as Ginevra, the daughter of the king and betrothed to Ariodante. Ms. Worra also sang with a voice full of color and runs came easily to her throughout the music. She also convinced the audience well of her despair as she was denounced by her father at the end of the second act. Ms. Worra had her work cut out for her in her "Furies" aria and closed Act I with a glorious ending to the aria encouraging "cupids to fly." (Town Topics - Nancy Plum - June 23, 2010)
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"Anyone with a heart will thrill to soprano Caroline Worra, an absolutely delightful performer. I smiled when she smiled, I frowned when she fretted. Her performance as the Governess is exhilerating." (dane 101.com - Maddie Greene - January 29, 2010)
"But it is Worra's show all along. Her incredible enunciation makes the display of the libretto seem unnecessary, and the way she approaches melodic climaxes by way of phrasing and melodic contour is tremendously moving." (The Daily Cardinal - Katie Foran McHale - January 28, 2010)
"Worra is a fine dramatic performer, with a bright, clear soprano. When the governess frets before meeting the children in the first scene, Worra's voice reveals doubt but her tone never falters." (The Capital Times - Lindsay Christians - January 28, 2010)
Eye on the Cast: Caroline Worra
Madison Opera's casting high point promises to be the gifted Caroline Worra as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw...(Opera News, "Hot Tickets")
Soprano Caroline Worra has been hailed as "a new soprano powerhouse" by The New Yorker. In Time Out New York, the composer Mark Adamo had this to say: "Caroline's an immaculate musician and vocally complete, but that's only where a singer starts. Her sound is utterly her own--rich, bright, crackling with intensity--and every time I hear her, she's a bolder, more inventive actress." From January 28-31, you can hear her sing the role of The Governess in Madison Opera's production of The Turn of the Screw.
There's a reason our casting of Ms. Worra as The Governess caught the attention of Opera News magazine: she is known for excelling in contemporary repertoire. I first heard her as a stunning Eurydice in Philip Glass's Orphee at Glimmerglass Opera in 2007; with that same company, she earned a Grammy nomination for a recording of The Mines of Sulphur and high-praise for creating the title role in The Greater Good: The Passion of Boule de Suif. Earlier this season, she was Miss Rose in the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz's new work, Seance on a Wet Afternoon.
But to focus only on her work in contemporary opera would ignore her huge range. She's recently performed Marguerite in Faust with Opera Memphis, and this month, she is in Chicago at the Lyric Opera for Hanna in The Merry Widow. Perhaps these two videos of Caroline (Verdi's Il Corsaro and Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress) capture it best.
Rehearsals for The Turn of the Screw start January 11th, and we can't wait!" (The Mad Opera Blog - Brian Hinrichs - December 8, 2009)
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_________2009 Reviews_________
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
"I spent the afternoon in Princeton, New Jersey, with a very rewarding Midsummer, of which more a bit later in the day, but the singer who stood out was Caroline Worra, incandescent in the roll of Helena. She is simply the most instantly communicative and immediate artist I have seen on the stage since Beverly Sills. Worra has been singing for almost 14 years, if I look at her performance history, although she couldn't be much over thirty two or so, and when she began to sing her plea to Hermia, the audience was electrified. I do not think it is necessarily a large voice, although that's hard to tell in the McCarter Theatre, but the vocal quality is luminous, there is a throb in the vibrato that gives a real sense of vulnerability and femininity, and she has precisely the same magical quality that Sills had - the ability to seem, on stage, completely self-confident and self- possessed, and yet with a warmth in her voice and manner, a sense of being 'personal' and 'caring', that spoke directly to the audience. There is also a bit of physical similarity to Sills - the large front teeth, the way she has of tossing her head at times, and that wonderful smile. Perhaps it was just the mood of the afternoon, but there were moments when she was singing when I was close to tearful, hearing such an intimate and personal sense of presence in a young singer. She is, I believe, on the verge of a stellar career - she's been covering now at the MET, is getting just the reviews she deserves (and more so), and it's just a matter of a couple of years for her to meet up with a signature role which will skyrocket her to where she is entirely entitled to be. If I were Princeton Festival next year, I'd mount Baby Doe for her. This summer you can hear her in the Wintergreen Festival in Virginia (including Barber's Knoxville - THAT might be worth a trip - and later in the year she will be the Governess in Screw in Madison (which really would be worth while, and in the Spring of 2010 Elettra in Boston. You can find out more about her here http://www.carolineworra.com/ We have heard a number of very fine young sopranos in recent years, including Irini Rindzuner, Fabiana Bravo and Eglise Guttierez, but Worra is I think unique among them in the sheer human communication and expressivity she is bringing to the stage right now." (Opera-L - Beckmesserschmitt - June 28, 2009)
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KNOXVILLE, SUMMER OF 1915
"...to the Wintergreen Festival in Southwestern Virginia to hear Caroline Worra sing Knoxville as part of the Festival. I had raved about Worra after hearing her as Helena in Midsummer in New Jersey... the drive south was more than worth it for these 17 minutes hearing Caroline Worra, and I expect to hear her do Elettra in Boston in the Spring, I may try to make it for her Governess in Madison in January (but then, I love Britten and cold weather) and those in the Chicago area should know she's covering Elizabeth Futral as Hanna at Chicago Lyric Opera, and though I like Futral, I'd hightail it to any performance that Worra got to do if I were you. Her singing in English - which I think is really a golden language for her - is always clear and she has a special way in making the words bear emotional content without overemphasizing them. The breath support is really impressive and she is just great to watch and 'communicate with' on stage - again, she reminds me of all of the wonderful parts of Sills without that last dollop of aggression that Sills sometimes forced into her comic roles - and I'd think she'd be a spectacular Hanna if given the chance.
...she is such a luminous presence on stage, and such an incandescent artist, that you really should do everything you possibly can to experience this type of artistic communication, which is increasingly rare today, I am afraid." (Opera-L - Beckmesserschmitt - July 21, 2009)
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THE MINES OF SULPHUR
WEXFORD OPERA FESTIVAL
WINNER BEST OPERA OF IRELAND AWARD 2009
"The crowning glory of the 2008 season was Michael Barker-Caven's engrossing staging of Richard Rodney Bennett's 1965 The Mines of Sulphur. Seldom have I been more unnerved by anything on the opera stage; ...The Mines of Sulphur is a small twelve-tone masterpiece that deserves the attention it has gotten since its recent rediscovery courtesy of Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera. It's a chilling ghost story... The revelation in the cast was Caroline Worra as Jenny, a member of the acting troupe, who provides the evening's terrifying climax. ...with a superb soprano and solid technique ... she delivered the final twist with fearsome power, landing on a molten high B that produced an almost physical reaction from the audience." (Opera News - Brian Kellow - February, 2009)
"This was one of the most homogeneous Wexford casts I've heard, with one outstanding voice - Caroline Worra's Jenny, who made much of Bennett's grateful soprano lines while also articulating her poignant role in the drama." (The London Financial Times - Andrew Clark - October 21, 2008)
"...there were vocal talents aplenty to admire (Caroline Worra in particular)." (The Sunday Tribune (Ireland) - Karen Dervan - October 26, 2008)
"The best show this year is Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur...it's character's gripped...and Caroline Worra as Jenny the actress, who proves infected with plague, all acted and sang enthrallingly. Wexford's new era is better than ever" (Spectator.co.uk (Ireland) - Tom Sutcliffe - October 25, 2008)
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FAUST
"The opera "Faust" by French composer Charles Gounod may begin with a contract between a man and the devil, but it ends on a love story between a woman and God. The love story in particular sticks with you long after soprano Caroline Worra sings her final redemptive notes as Marguerite...It's Worra's madness and salvation that finally illuminates the opera, which swirls with haze and darkness. She caps the show with her emotional delivery and spot-on singing...few will fail to be moved by her final scene ending the season on a haunting but epic note." (The Commercial Appeal - Christopher Blank - April 27, 2009)
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MOTEZUMA
LONG BEACH OPERA
"Caroline Worra who played Asprano really stole the show...when she sang her first aria she was astounding and really electrified the theater. I highly recommend getting familiar with her because she is destined for the larger stage." (Opera Chocolate - Mark D'Aquila - April 5, 2009)
"Worra earned two of the loudest ovations during the evening, infusing her role with startling energy, vocal thrill, and tremendous charm." (The OCRegister - Peter Lefevre - March 29, 2009)
"LBO veteran Caroline Worra's giddily courageous functionary-turned-cut throat Asprano was the clear favorite of the sold out crowd, especially in the wake of her final, roof-raising aria." (www.afoolintheforest.com - George M. Wallace - April 6, 2009)
"...Caroline Worra....managed not only to sing beautifully, but also to make dramatic sense of the coloratura, often nothing more than an obstacle course for most singers. And Worra's metamorphosis from museum functionary to Aztec general was particularly cool." (Gazettes.Com - Jim Ruggirello - April 1, 2009)
"...and super-butch Mexican general Asprano is sung equally flawlessly by the marvelous soprano Caroline Worra (who was one of the many good reasons to visit Ireland's Wexford Festival last season.)" (Opera West - David Gregson - March 29, 2009)
"...I was also fond of Caroline Worra's Asprano, Montezuma general. She has a wonderful sequence where she sheds her business attire to don feathers and a quasi-Aztec war garb. It was hysterical in a good way." (Out West Arts - George M. Wallace - March 30, 2009)
"...Caroline Worra, whose transformation from a quiet, modern-day personal assistant to Mexican general Asprano is one that takes place before the audiences eyes, as she belts out her aria. To witness her come to life after passively sitting upstage for nearly an hour is a visual and aural pleasure." (Signal Tribune Newspaper - Cory Bilicks - April 3, 2009)
"Worra was a nice surprise, especially in that she spent so much of the first act seeming like a member of the audience who had wandered by mistake onto the stage. Her metamorphosis into Motezumas fierce general, and then back again, is quite an accomplishment." (Easy Reader - April 3, 2009)
"Caroline Worra was an effervescent delight as a highly unlikely Aztec warrior called Asprano." (Stage Happenings - Michael Van Duzer - April, 2009)
"Caroline Worra underwent an astonishing transformation from museum curator to Asprano, the General of the Mexicans, shedding her pants suit for war paint, headdress and leopard bustier. All this while slashing with her sword and executing flawless pyrotechnics." (The Beverly Hills Outlook - Wendy Kikkert - March 29, 2009)
"The cast is full of dynamic, daring actors. ....Caroline Worra (Asprano) made a delightfully spectacular transformation from museum assistant to Mexican general." (LA Times- Mark Swed - March 29, 2009)
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TIME OUT NEW YORK magazine
From "We got next" - By Steve Smith
TONY's favorite artists give a nod to the rising stars they're watching.
The pick: Caroline Worra, operatic soprano, seen above
The fan: Mark Adamo, composer of the operas Little Women and Lysistrata
What’s the story? Caroline’s an immaculate musician and vocally complete, but that’s only where a singer starts. Her sound is utterly her own—rich, bright, crackling with electricity—and every time I hear her she’s a bolder, more inventive actress.
First encounter? I met her as a Glimmerglass Young Artist, preparing her first Amy in the Little Women production she later accompanied to New York.
Latest sighting? I engaged her to sing Lysia on the demo recording of Lysistrata. I’ve also heard her in The Mines of Sulfur, The Greater Good and most recently in Lance Horne’s terrific Three Lost Chords at the Zipper Theater. In “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” the central scene of Three Lost Chords, her intensity was such, you could hardly draw breath.
Stolen anything? By definition, I can’t really steal anything from Caroline. But, as Leonard Bernstein once said of Maria Callas, if I could sing like that I’d never write another note again.
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AOP stalwart soprano “rich, bright, crackling with electricity”
Soprano Caroline Worra with composer Stephen Schwartz at the AOP workshop for Schwartz's "Seance on a Wet Afternoon."
Longtime AOP supporter, Composers & the Voice singer, and all around powerhouse performer Caroline Worra was singled out in a November issue of TimeOut NY – the weekly mag of events and all things hip in New York City. In a section called “We Got Next”, the mag asks a bevy of notable artists to “give a nod to the rising stars they’re watching.” And according to opera composer (and C&V composer chair) Mark Adamo, that rising star is Ms. Worra who he lauds as “an immaculate musician.” (The blog of American Opera Projects - November 23, 2008)
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THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME
"Carolines an immaculate musician and vocally complete, but thats only where a singer starts. Her sound is utterly her ownrich, bright, crackling with electricityand every time I hear her shes a bolder, more inventive actress...her intensity was such, you could hardly draw breath...as Leonard Bernstein once said of Maria Callas, if I could sing like that Id never write another note again." (Time Out New York - Mark Adamo - 2008)
"Caroline Worra brings a persuasively carefree style and a lovely vocal timbre to "The Girl I Left Behind Me." (The New York Times - Allan Kozinn - January 9, 2008)
"The three singers in the show each portray a character based on short stories: Franz Kafkas A Hunger Artist (about the predicament of a man who hates food), Muriel Sparks The Girl I Left Behind (about a young woman struggling with a strange kind of memory loss), and Edgar Allan Poes well-known A Tell-Tale Heart. Nathan Lee Graham, with a resume that is a mix of television and movie roles, Broadway, and classical, portrays Kafkas hunger artist, while Michael Slattery (Poes guilt-plagued murderer) and Caroline Worra (the woman trying to remember what she is missing) are both well established in the classical universe.
Id somehow managed to miss Worra when she sang Jenny in Bennetts The Mines of Sulphur at New York City Opera in 2005, for which she got excellent reviews, and was glad of an opportunity to hear this singer that has had New Yorker critic Alex Ross calling her a new soprano powerhouse. Worra is intriguing indeedshe has a big voice of exceptional beauty that has sharp edges and is also capable of precise coloratura, and she has a voracious appetite for new music. She sings everything from Handels Semele to Mozarts Donna Elvira to music by composers such as Stephen Hartke, Philip Glass, and Richard Rodney Bennett; one the upcoming performances shes most excited about is the Composers & the Voice Workshop Series, presented next month in New York by American Opera Projects. This fall she takes on a world-premiere opera, Blizzard Voices, at Opera Omaha, and reprises her role as Jenny in Bennetts The Mines of Sulphur at Irelands Wexford Opera.
When I spoke to Worra for a few minutes after her Sunday performance in Three Lost Chords, she explained how it is she has come to sing so much new music. Im a fast learner, was her understated response. Uh, it turns out she learned the lead role, Boule de Suif, in Hartkes The Greater Good in exactly one week when she sang that at Glimmerglass Opera in 2006. She says it helps speed up the learning process that she started off as a piano major before switching her main focus to voice; she still has a piano teaching studio of 35 students. Right now, shes excited about her first Metropolitan Opera engagement: understudying the role of Mrs. Naidoo in Philip Glasss opera Satyagraha, a highly anticipated co-production with English National Opera, scheduled to have its Met premiere on April 11. This is not Worras first Glass opera; she sang in his Orphe last summer at Glimmerglass. As she describes it, In Satyagraha, there are a lot of instructions in the score like repeat these two measures eight times or sing this whole section twice. The wonderful acting troupe Improbable is constantly onstage with us, manipulating these giant puppets and crinkling paper and so forth. I play an Indian lady whos an adviser to Gandhi. There are no Met Titles at all! Its in Sanskrit, and there will be just a few projections of text on the stage, so people have a general idea of whats going on.
Since Worra's an understudy in Satyagraha, youll only hear her in that if someone else gets sick. This Wednesday, April 9, is your last chance to hear her in Three Lost Chords. Definitely worth a listen." (Sunday Arts Blog - Jennifer Melick - April 23, 2008)
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THE GREATER GOOD
"As Boule de Suif, Caroline Worra, in a glowingly humane performance, gives the piece its moral frame of reference. Her candid, emotionally revealing aria about being left in Rouen with the occupying Germans reveals layers of roiling emotion, and the women respond to her as a person for the first time. A singer without Worra's warm, naturalistic delivery couldn't pull this off." (Opera News - Joshua Rosenblum - September, 2007)
"...starring Caroline Worra in a brilliant and touching portrayal of Boule de Suif. The normally svelte soprano Caroline Worra needed some high-tech costuming to portray the notoriously rotund Boule de Suif." (NPR's World of Opera - August 19, 2007)
"The role of Boule is that of a dramatic soprano, here taken with vigour, refinement and impeccable intonation by Caroline Worra, an extremely gifted young singer who has come through the Glimmerglass Young American Artists Program." (Naxos.com (Classical Music Review) - David's Review Corner - July, 2007)
"Soprano Caroline Worra, as Boule, stands out for the richness of her voice and the warmth of her portrayal." (All Music Guide (CD Reviews)- Stephen Eddins - July, 2007)
"The cast is excellent, with Caroline Worra shining as Boule, expressing the character's complexity well." (Classics Today.com (CD Reviews) - Robert Levine - July, 2007)
"...the cast...led by former Merola soprano Caroline Worra in the title role, does a wonderful job of bringing out its twists and turns." (San Francisco Chronicle (CD Reviews)- Joshua Kosman - July 8, 2007)
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"...the City Opera stars Lisa Saffer and Caroline Worra take the leading roles." (The New Yorker - July 21, 2007)
"Phillip Cutlip and Caroline Worra each contributed solid singing and dramatic commitment as the title role and his doomed spouse...both fleshed out their portrayals with fire and commitment." (Opera Today - James Sohre - August 27, 2007)
"The best show of the season turned out to be the most recent: Philip Glass's "Orphee" (1993)....."Orphee" also had the most consistently top flighted cast:...Caroline Worra was forthright and warm as Eurydice, an ordinary girl saddled with a genious." (The Wall Street Journal - Heidi Waleson - August 16, 2007)
"...In contrast, tall, blonde Caroline Worra's golden soprano as Eurydice captures the sunshine of life." (Syracuse New Times - James MacKillop - August 15-22, 2007)
"Eurydice was played by soprano Caroline Worra who performed her special situations with strength and clean intonation." (Ithica Times - Jane Dieckman - August 14, 2007)
"...and Caroline Worra in luminous voice as Eurydice." (Financial Times - George Loomis - August 8, 2007)
"Caroline Worra, a soprano making quite a name for herself, was an appealing Eurydice, the point being that she was worthy of not only attention, but being brought back to life." (Classics Today - Robert Levine - August 4, 2007)
"The Eurydice of Caroline Worra is both sweet and robust both in voice and presentation." (Post Standard Critics (Syracuse) - Chuck Klaus - July 22, 2007)
"Sopranos Saffer and Worra were a double treat handling a score that kept the pressure on...Worra and Saffer filled Kaye Voyce's costumes nicely." (Oneida Dispatch.com - Wayne Meyer - July 23, 2007)
"Sopranos Caroline Worra as Eurydice and Lisa Saffer as the Princess were both excellent." (Times Union.com (Albany) - Joseph Dalton - July 23, 2007)
"Three estimable singers - Phillip Cutlip, Lisa Saffer, and Caroline Worra take the leading roles." (The New Yorker - June, 2007)
"Anne Manson conducts and Sam Helfrich directs a stellar cast - Phillip Cutlip's Orphee, Caroline Worra's Eurydice, and Lisa Saffer's princess." (Opera News Online - Janet A. Choi - June, 2007)
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"The brilliant, classic opera voice in the production belonged to Caroline Worra, crying out in desperation as Micaela." (Memphis Commercial Appeal - Christopher Blank - March 27, 2007)
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"Caroline Worra...a coloratura with a bright yet handsome sound, her performance as Sister Constance made the character believable." (Opera in America - J. Valois - December 13, 2007)
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"...most of the entertainment came from the comic duo of soprano Caroline Worra as Magda's maid Lisette and Gordon Gietz as the flippant Prunier...Both were refreshingly funny and also excellent singers in their supposedly secondary roles." (Texas Monthly (High Notes) - Chester Rosson - February, 2007)
"The evening's most outstanding voices came in the supporting roles...Massimo Giordano...the perky soprano of Caroline Worra...and Gordon Gietz." (Star-Telegram.com - Matthew Erikson - January 28, 2007)
"Caroline is a remarkable young soprano who has an amazing ability to impact audiences in a way they don't easily forget. We are extremely lucky to get her." (Dallas Opera Press Release - Jonathan Pell, Dallas Opera Artistic Director - October 4, 2006)
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_________2006 Reviews_________
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THE GREATER GOOD
"Worra, leading light of the Greater Good"
"Caroline Worra, visually and vocally blooming, musically pin-point accurate, (after "cramming" the difficult role in two weeks), radiated Boule de Suif's simple warmth..." (Opera News - John W. Freeman - November, 2006)
"The radiant Caroline Worra takes the leading role."
"Caroline Worra created a radiant and heart breaking Boule de Suif." (The New Yorker - Alex Ross - August 14-21, 2006)
"The excellent Caroline Worra....has a rich soprano and her demeanor nicely characterized Boule de Suif." (The Wall Street Journal - August, 2006)
"In addition to some old favorites, Glimmerglass' lineup includes a new opera starring a gifted young soprano"
"It's every opera company's worst nightmare, losing its star singer before a historic performance... Clearly, whoever was going to be [the replacement] would have the unenviable task of having to learn a challenging contemporary opera role from scratch, no mean feat. But Glimmerglass had at least one soprano on hand who was equal to the challenge. Caroline Worra, a graduate of Glimmerglass' Young American Artists Program, had already appeared in two of the company's recent contemporary opera productions. Mark Adamo's Little Women (2002) and Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur (2004). So she was practically like a house soprano. More importantly, though, Worra is a consummate musician. In addition to being an opera singer, Worra is a gifted pianist...If anyone was going to memorize Hartke's new opera in a flash, it was going to be Worra. "This is a tough opera full of spiky melodies," says Glimmerglass spokesman Donald Marrazzo. "It's mind boggling that Caroline could learn it so quickly." (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - John Pitcher - July 16, 2006)
"Greater Good gets a grand world premiere at Glimmerglass Opera"
"Soprano Caroline Worra delivered a vocally elegant performance as the buxom Boule de Suif, achieving more and more poignancy and sympathy in the role as pressure on the character mounted. This thin lady sings a great fat lady. (Worra, a New York City opera favorite who appeared as the plague carrier Jenny in Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur at Glimmerglass Opera in 2004 wore a fat suit with "strategically placed" ice packs for the role.) Worra learned the role of Boule de Suif on short notice." (Oneida Dispatch - Wayne Myers, Dispatch Drama Critic - July 26, 2006)
"The main role of Elisabeth was splendidly performed by Caroline Worra, the slender, sickly ingenue of last year's The Mines of Sulphur, here transformed into the very plump but pretty prostitute. Worra, unsparing of voice, sang some demandingly high passages with great clarity, but also a more sweetly subdued "I have a child" in response to her companions' curiosity about a chance village baptism." (The Ithaca Journal - Stephen Landesman - July 24, 2006)
"The singers and elements of this production could scarcely be improved upon... As Boule de Suif, the noble lady of the evening, soprano Caroline Worra displays a fine, clear voice and alert dramatic abilities." (Syracuse.com - The Post Standard - Chuck Klaus - July 24, 2006)
"On opening night, the cast handled the difficult, often dissonant score with generous aplomb, especially immensely likeable Caroline Worra as the Boule de Suif." (Austin360.com - Michael Barnes - July 23, 2006)
"The singers were all impressive, with Caroline Worra making an especially winning protagonist." (Los Angeles Times - Mark Swed - August 1, 2006)
"Not Greater, Greatest"
"Boule de Suif, played by Caroline Worra in a beautifully designed fat suit (credit to David Zinn, whose work throughout the piece was magnificent), this is a character of rich complexity, and a role with extraordinary musical demands. You may leave the opera with a silent picture of Worra's face framed in the cell of her carriage seat, but be assured she was working hard all night. She met all demands." (Metroland Online - B.A. Nilsson - August 3, 2006)
"...Boule de Suif, sung superbly by Caroline Worra." (Advocate Weekly Online - Classical Beat - Stephen Dankner - August 10, 2006)
"The splendid figure of Caroline Worra was augmented by padding for "Boule de Suif," and her thousand-watt smile and compelling personality made her erotic pull credible. Vocally she was excellent, cleanly articulating the wide-ranging part; Worra's rising career should go truly international any day now." (Gay City News, Vol.5, No. 32 - David Shengold - August 10-16, 2006)
"Hartke's music is potent when it comes to Boule, and Caroline Worra does it full justice." (Syracuse.com - The Post Standard - Joan E. Vadeboncoeur - August 16, 2006)
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"I absolutely must rave about a recital I happened to catch at Weill Recital Hall the other snowy night, joint effort between soprano Worra and Tenor MacPherson, joined by pianist Janice Wenger and pianist/composer Edwin Penhorwood. Both singers are consummate artists, excellent actor/singers with an eye to music's future. The fare was lovely, from arias by Tobias Picker and Mark Adamo to art songs by Benjamin Britten, Richard Rodney Bennett and (surprisingly, fascinatingly so) by Charles Griffes, one of those too overlooked composers. Both performers are not only very attractive, but are gifted with those fortunate faces that read as beautiful from the back row--and they both know how to work this to their advantage. Worra's soprano manages to be both broad and pointed, never shrill, always careful, and perfectly expressive...and both are able to sing in their native tongue, also too rare. (And I must say, from a composer's perspective, it is refreshing to hear an entire evening in English.) An especial highlight for me was Caroline's gently insane reading of Penhorwood's intentionally demented setting of e.e. cummings' "who knows if the moon is a balloon," a realistic and yet amusing mad scene. This was followed by a lush, fearlessly tonal setting of "A Lute Will Lie"...and a cheekily rollicking rendition of Dickinson's "Wild Nights!"...Her wistful portrayal of Carlisle Floyd's "Ain't it a pretty night" from Susannah reminded all present that someone ought to cast her in this part and quick--she was born for it!" (Felsenmusick - Daniel Felsenfeld - February 12, 2006)
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"Caroline Worra, sang the role of the bawdy, saucy, sexy Musetta...Ms. Worra's "Quando m'en vo" was saucy, flirtatious, fun and sung with just the right mixture of sass and feigned coyness to make it a truly standout performance, deserving the wild applause it received." (OperaOnline.us - Paul Joseph Walkowski - November 19, 2005)
"Worra was a perfect fit for a glamorous and brassy Musetta. She strutted around her elderly sugar daddy, making a scene in the cafe, but she also conveyed a depth of tender feelings for Marcello and, in the final act, for a dying Mimi." (The Greenwich Times - Jerome R. Sehulster - November 24, 2005)
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"Caroline Worra, as Jenny. She frankly stole the show. Her voice is round, brilliant and lovely all the way from bottom to (considerably high) top, and she can do ANYTHING with it. The cherry on top: she is electric onstage, and a gorgeous blond, too." (Martern Faller Aparten - bella figlia dell'amor - November, 2005)
"Among the cast, the standout is Caroline Worra, who sings the role of Jenny - a pivotal member of the troupe of actors. Her vocal power and vivid presence rescue the second act just in time...as soon as Jenny re-enters, the pace picks right back up again, and the opera burns steadily to its close." (Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly - David Salvage - October, 2005)
"New York City Opera has struck operatic gold with a new production of The Mines of Sulphur by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett....While all the singers of this All-American cast sounded great, the women stood out more than the men....Caroline Worra, made a feisty and distressed Jenny. With a voice that was at the same time big and intimate, she reached her high notes with precision and clarity." (A.J. Goldmann's BLOG - October 27, 2005)
"The cast is remarkable...both she [Jessie Raven] and Caroline Worra, as Jenny, provide the productions high-wire vocal fireworks as well as its sharpest emotional edges." (The New York Times - Allan Kozinn - October 24, 2005)
"...the soprano Caroline Worra, in the coloratura role of Jenny, offered singing of power, grace, and dramatic understanding." (The New York City Newsday - Russell Platt - October 27, 2005)
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"...handsome Caroline Worra (Anna) acted enough for three, with sobs and even words ("Grido...'Aiuta!'")...Worra sang all of her music wonderfully, with clean attack and informed stylistic mastery: clearly this is a serious artist destined for international stages." (Opera News (August 2005, vol 70, no. 2) - David Shengold - May 14, 2005)
"Caroline Worra's Donna Anna was in constant pain. She commanded the stage dramatically and vocally...praise for the attractive brightness to her voice..." (The Stamford Advocate - Jerome R. Sehulster - May 22, 2005)
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"Goren and Alden have assembled a compelling young cast: Caroline Worra, a knockout in The Mines of Sulphur at Glimmerglass Opera last summer, plays the titular princess...[in Handel's Arianna in Creta]" (Time Out New York Magazine - February 10-16, 2005)
"Caroline Worra might be a new soprano powerhouse."(The New Yorker - Alex Ross - February 23, 2005)
"Caroline Worra also had a star turn in the title role, showing a free voice with a touch of metal that helped to carry it to ringing volume, particularly on her top notes. (In her first aria, Mr. Alden had her put her hand to her head and wince every time she let loose a particularly big one.) Another showstopper was an aria she sang entirely quietly, with her head leaning against the empty bed where Teseo had slept." (The New York Times - Anne Midgette - February 12, 2005)
"A seldom performed opera from Handel's prime becomes sung drama at the Gotham Chamber Opera, thanks to Christopher Alden, but the lasting impression is of talented young singers flinging themselves headlong into their music...Caroline Worra, as Arianna (Ariadne) gets to use her free slightly metallic voice in a diva turn." (The New York Times - Anne Midgette - February 18, 2005)
"The cast includes some notable young singers. Caroline Worra and Hanan Alattar among them." (The New York Times - Anne MidgetteFebruary 11, 2005)
"Caroline Worra's Arianna was a mass of anxious tics. Clearly a princess in a pink evening gown, she dispatched her rapid-fire music with glorious ease, ringing, secure high notes and great expressivity throughout the entire, wide range of the role. One wished Handel had given Arianna another aria or two." (Classics Today.com - Robert Levine - February 17, 2005)
"Neal Goren conducts an early-music band and a cast that includes such City Opera stalwarts as Caroline Worra and Kevin Burdette." (The New Yorker - February 14, 2005)
"...the cast performs as if lives are at stake. Caroline Worra manages to be both radiant and silly in the agonies and ecstasies of Arianna." (The Financial Times - Martin Bernheimer - February 16, 2005)
"Caroline Worra, the Ariadne, not only has a big-boned old fashioned beauty but a coloratura soprano of force and style." (New York City Newsday - Russell Platt - February 15, 2005)
"Caroline Worra, a magnetic Ariadne in the Gotham Chamber Opera Production of Handel's Arianna in Creta." (The New York Observer - Charles Michener - February 28, 2005)
"A wasted bottle-blonde a la Monroe, Caroline Worra's Arianna first knitted in a manic stupor, then wrestled with gigantic needlesnwhen torn between "love" and "disdain." The needles suggested the horns of her half brother, the Minotaur; the web that she wrought presaged the thread with which Teseo would defeat the labyrinth; her mind and her handiwork unraveled together. It was all too clever by half, but Worra plumbed the depths of Arianna's despair, singing and acting with an arresting emotional rawness." (Opera News Online - Marion Lignana Rosenberg - February 15, 2005)
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"Caroline Worra's Semele was gorgeous, vocally and visually." (Gazettes.com - (Long Beach, CA) - Jim Ruggirello -
November 2-8, 2006)
"Semele is one of Handel's most demanding roles; in the last act she has a string of arias that are both a vocal and emotional roller coaster. Caroline Worra...came to life dramatically, and everything flowed." (The LA Times - Mark Swed - June 6, 2005)
"Semele...gives new meaning to the art of Baroque ornamentation...Caroline Worra was Semele in a slip. A radiant shivering soprano with agility to burn." (The Orange County Register - Timothy Mangan - June 6, 2005)
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_________2004 Reviews_________
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OF MICE AND MEN
"Dazzling Caroline Worra as Curly's Wife threatened to steal every scene she was in. ...Worra's voice was splendid and true." (The Kansas City Star - November 8, 2004)
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"...the company [Glimmerglass Opera] unearthed a forgotten gem: The Mines of Sulphur (1965), a taught theatrical drama by Richard Rodney Bennett...the impressive cast powerfully defined their characters...the dying ingenue of the troupe [was] sung with explosive ferocity by soprano Caroline Worra." (The Wall Street Journal - August 11, 2004)
"The Mines of Sulphur, which sets grimness to luscious 12-tone music...The cast...seemed utterly in command of this difficult score...The bright-voiced coloratura Caroline Worra as the haunted actress [was] impressive." (The New York Times - August 4, 2004)
"Caroline Worra sang with a silken sound and gave a touching performance as Jenny who portrays the young wife in the all too real play." (Opera Japonica - Maria Nockin's Letter's from America - July, 2004)
"As Jenny, the acting troupe's frail ingenue, Caroline Worra sang a lovely account of the high-lying ballad ("The wind doth blow tonight my love") she teaches to Rosalind. Worra's complete vocal and physical involvement in the final frightening revelation was shattering." (OPERA-L - Stephen G. Landesman - July 29, 2004)
"Of the theatrical intruders, Caroline Worra spun a spooky aura around the stricken Jenny, carrier of the plague." (Opera News - November, 2004)
"Worra has a low key role during most of the opera, but it's up to her to crank it up to a riveting conclusion and she managed that perfectly on opening night." (The Daily Gazette, Schenectady NY - July 26, 2004)
"...this attractive cast could easily make it in Hollywood. The women were consistently the most impressive singers...Caroline Worra (Jenny) suggested all of her character's vulnerability (and horror) with a sound that was positively luminous." (The Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester NY - August 1, 2004)
"There isn't a weak link in the cast, either in the singing or acting department. The two leading ladies, Rosalind and Jenny, as the music calls for, have similar voices - soaring, lyric sopranos with a dramatic edge. Each, of course, has her own distinction...Caroline Worra gives Jenny a gossamer eerieness that turns into a volcanic outpouring by evening's end." (The Record, Troy NY - August 12, 2004)
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ORESTEIA
OFF-OFF BROADWAY PRODUCTION
"Caroline Worra displays an impressive operatic voice when she sings an aria from Richard Strauss' Elektra in a bathtub." (Theater Mania.com - January 28, 2004)
"The extra Electras oocassionally add something to the mix - as when the one in the bathtub sings the aforementioned aria (beautifully; kudos to Caroline Worra)..." (nytheatre.com - January 16, 2004)
"...the most memorable sound is another Electra lounging in a bathtub singing, beautifully, a bloodily enticing aria to Orestes from Richard Strauss' opera Elektra." (NYTimes.com - January 22, 2004)
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_________2003 Reviews_________
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THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK
"Caroine Worra excelled in clarity and dead-on pitch in soprano flights." (Classics Today.com - August 12, 2003)
Worra Shines
"As Mrs. Mueller, Schweiks Prague Landlady (and later as Lt. Lukashs two mistresses), soprano Caroline Worra was excellent." (The Ithaca Journal - July 30, 2003)
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"Caroline Worras vibrant rendition of the letter contributed considerably." (Opera News - March 2003)
"Caroline Worra's petulant Amy was deliciously feminine." (The New York Observer - August 2002)
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_________2002 Reviews_________
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HANSEL AND GRETEL
"Caroline Worra sings the Dew Fairys song with radiant beauty." (The New York Times - October 2002)
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"...the statuesque Kate Pinkerton sang this tiny role with an easy voice that made one want to hear more of it." (The New York Times - Anne MidgetteSeptember 2002)
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_________2000 Reviews_________
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MEROLA GRAND FINALE
"Caroline Worra, another first-class performer, sang a thoroughly believable Nedda (I Pagliacci) in a beautifully developed, luscious voice that delighted the heart and ravished the ears. In the finale, Ah! A tal colpo inaspettato, from Rossinis Il Viaggio a Reims, she proved herself adept at comedy as well." (San Francisco Classical Voice - August 20, 2000)
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"Soprano Caroline Worra sang alluringly as his wife Rosalindaas well as bringing a welcome measure of hauteur to the role." (San Francisco Chronicle - August 14, 2000)
"It required no imaginative leap on my part for Caroline Worra to seem a beautiful romantic lead. her performance throughout was as ingratiating musically as it was visually. The evenings singing was consistently lovely." (San Francisco Classical Voice - August 11, 2000)
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"Soprano Caroline Worra was a brilliant Anne Trulove as outstanding as she was in Verdi's "Il Corsaro" in December. If Verdi demanded bel-canto brilliance, Stravinsky challenges with irregular intervals. Worra triumphed over both. She has quite a career ahead of her." (Pittsburgh Tribune - March 2, 2000)
"Outstanding in the role of the ignored lover, Anne Trulove, Caroline Worra proved that good acting and good singing in opera are not mutually exclusive. With a minimum of motion, she appeared comfortable on the stage while never forgetting the importance of being understood vocally. Worra captivated the audience with her rich voice and she executed Stravinsky's interval leaps and sudden dynamic shifts brilliantly." (Pittsburgh Post Gazette - February 28, 2000)
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IL CORSARO
Soprano sails high C's in delightful staging of Verdi's Il Corsaro
"Soprano Caroline Worra stole the show as Gulnara, villain Pasha Seid's favorite slave girl in his harem. She handled the coloratura challenges with panache, inflecting ornate parts expressively, tossing off a fabulous fast trill, and projecting thrilling high notes above high C. She is as impressive singing softly as powerfully, and was sensitive in ensemble work. Worra is a singer to watch." (Pittsburgh Tribune - Dec 11, 1999)
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LA TRAVIATA
THE MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM
WESTERN OPERA THEATRE TOUR
Rolando Villazon as Alfredo and Caroline Worra as Violetta
"With her pearly tone and elegant technique, soprano Caroline Worra was a cool self-possessed Violetta, letting the character's uncertainties and misgivings register gradually over the course of the performance. Her singing was clear and often unruffled, growing deeper and more thoughtful in "Dite alla giovine,"when she finally decides to renounce Alfredo's love; she reeled off the glittering coloratura in Act 1's "Sempre libera" splendidly." (San Francisco Chronicle - August 11, 1998)
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Copyright 2010 Caroline Worra. All rights reserved.