Carmen in Carmen, Heartbeat Opera
“The gritty modern production and smoldering Carmen (the smoky-toned mezzo-soprano Sishel Claverie) won me over… Then, at the end, after Don Jose brutally murdered her and the house went dark, the lights came on, revealing the bloodied, shaken Carmen staring at the audience. After a dramatic pause, Ms. Claverie finally sang the “Habenera.” Now that was a riveting and unexpected moment.”
- The New York Times
“In the title role, Sishel Claverie displayed not only the requisite audacity (she sang and danced on the roof of a rickety guard tower) but also a pungent, throbbing mezzo reeking of sin.”
- The Observer
“The Mexican leading lady Sishel Claverie gave a likable, admirably uncompromising performance, with sufficient color and range for the part.”
- Opera News
“This magnificently charismatic creature (played by an astounding Sishel Claverie) is our Carmen…she stands apart from all of them, as a performer and as a character. Whether this was done through casting, through rehearsing, through directorial instruction or actor inspiration, or some combination of all of the above, is not something we can ever hope to know. It is enough that we will be in the presence of this Carmen for an evening of always gripping performance.”
- The Threepenny Review
“Mezzo Sishel Claverie was a sensational and very captivating Carmen. With her hair dyed violet, she carried herself with a restless anarchic abandon and exuded an explosive sexual energy that was infectious. She was independent and free, a woman on the loose, a wild animal with real sex appeal. She may have been more La Reina-style gangster than your typical voluptuous Mediterranean earth goddess, but she was damn good. It was readily apparent that she has sung the role in the past. She was vocally seasoned and skillful and delivered her showcase arias with sensual verve and real feeling.”
- Allegri con Fuoco (Blog)
“A highly intense Carmen, portrayed with wild abandon and stamina by the impressive smoky mezzo-soprano Sishel Claverie”
- Voce di Meche (Blog)
“Carmen was spectacularly sung, with intense physicality and sex appeal, by Sishel Claverie ... The cries of bravo and even a standing ovation had begun following the murder of Carmen when suddenly a spotlight appeared on Carmen standing center stage, bloodstained. As Ms. Claverie was catching her breath from the intensity of the previous scene, she scanned the audience as if not sure if she was alive or dead. This became her time to sing the Habanera, in this way serving as a commentary on her life after death. It was breathtakingly sung and the simple spot was just perfect.”
- Opera Theatre of Montclair (Blog)