Reviews

The supporting cast was first rate. David Cangelosi as the Blind Judge gave a stentorian hint that Justice might be rendered.

All of the roles were well taken. Chief among them was the remarkable character tenor David Cangelosi as the Blind Judge. His powerful singing emphasized the Judge’s tenacity…

And casting David Cangelosi in the problematic role of Monostatos was inspired. Cangelosi went to town playing up the character’s officious buffoonery, singing strongly all the while.

Similarly, I always enjoy veteran performer American tenor David Cangelosi. In this production, he was Monostatos. Cangelosi has been around international opera long enough to telegraph “I got this” to the audience. My guess is that kind of cool has a calming effect backstage, similar to that of a veteran ballplayer sitting on the bench with the jumpy rookies.
DC Metro Theater Arts

And casting David Cangelosi in the problematic role of Monostatos was inspired. Monostatos was originally written as a black man, and the opera world today wrings its hands about how to deal with the blatant racism of the concept. This production simply turned him into a jerky, power-hungry, #MeToo-type white guy, and Cangelosi went to town playing up the character’s officious buffoonery, singing strongly all the while.
Washington Post

Similarly, I always enjoy veteran performer American tenor David Cangelosi. In this production, he was Monostatos. Cangelosi has been around international opera long enough to telegraph “I got this” to the audience. My guess is that kind of cool has a calming effect backstage, similar to that of a veteran ballplayer sitting on the bench with the jumpy rookies.
DC Metro Theater Arts

(Papageno’s) scenes with David Cangelosi’s Monostatos, the only performer on the stage who was any match for (his) virtuosic clowning, were riotous. And how refreshing it is to see a mature character tenor in the role of Monostatos. Cangelosi sang with a bright, pingy tone, and seemed to be having so much fun with the silly role. Thankfully, Andrew Porter’s translation smoothed over the more problematic issues with the character, and Cangelosi played him as a cartoonish scoundrel, akin to Wile E. Coyote.
Schmopera

THE MAGIC FLUTE’s success lies in it’s exceptionally talented cast…and David Cangelosi as the sex-pest Monastatos is a stand out performance.
Broadway World (BWW)
Character tenor David Cangelosi hammed it up as the absurd villain Monostatos.
Washington Classical Review

The rest of the cast was excellent…The most unsettling sight in Christian Räth’s grim production was that of the Blind Chief Justice who presided over the trial of Heliane, his daughter, from a cart pulled by a boy in a chrome harness. The image resonated on so many levels, all of them profoundly disturbing. David Cangelosi, a terrific tenor, was the Chief Justice, surprisingly tender and paternal in his interactions with his daughter.
Seen and Heard International

The opera’s supporting players were universally cast from strength…tenor David Cangelosi made a piquant impression as the blind Chief Justice – who is also Heliane’s father, but must decide her fate. Cangelosi played that internal conflict par excellence.
Bachtrack

Tenor David Cangelosi was excellent as The Blind Judge.
Voce di Meche

All of the supporting roles were well taken. Chief among them was the remarkable character tenor David Cangelosi as the Blind Judge. His powerful singing emphasized the Judge’s tenacity…
Opera Canada

The remaining principals, Jennifer Feinstein as the Messenger, Nicholas Brownlee as the Porter, and David Cangelosi as the blind Chief Justice gave splendid performances.
BMI

The supporting cast was first rate. David Cangelosi as the blind judge gave a stentorian hint that Justice might be rendered.
ConcertoNet

David Cangelosi’s Blind Chief Justice is given major sections to sing as he seems to have the final say as to who lives and who dies.
Operawire

Praise…also for The Blind Chief Justice, sung by David Cangelosi.
Operametro

David Cangelosi sang vividly as the Blind Judge.
New Criterion

David Cangelosi served up an Expressionist, incisively sung, Chief Justice.
Opera News

David Cangelosi portrays, in the role of Spoletta…the almost non-human species one becomes when one does not stand up to power. Cangelosi insinuates like a snake and cowers behind Scarpia’s desk like a cur. He is that true dual threat in opera of singer and consummate physical performer.

The company offered some luxury casting, including David Cangelosi as Scarpia’s henchman Spoletta.

The henchman (Spoletta)…well sung by David Cangelosi (a splendid character actor).

“Mime…brilliantly sung and acted by David Cangelosi, possibly the greatest Mime ever.”

“As Mime, tenor David Cangelosi dominated the first act of ‘Siegfried’.”

“Nobody has ever been more effective or as amusing than David Cangelosi as Mime; he made every minute of this role a total pleasure.”

“The remarkable David Cangelosi dominates the show to such an extent that the opera should be renamed ‘Mime’.”

“American tenor David Cangelosi…succeeded in making the first two acts of Siegfried high points of the entire Ring cycle.”

“The strongest male singer over the weekend was David Cangelosi, an athletic and funny Mime.”

“David Cangelosi wonderfully oily and athletic as the conniving dwarf Mime.”

“David Cangelosi is simply the best Mime I have ever seen or heard, his approach refreshingly three-dimensional and varied.”

“Tenor David Cangelosi…sings the rôle more comfortably than many Mimes heard in recent years. Cangelosi’s Mime is like a live wire, showering every scene in which he appears with dramatic sparks… his use of text throughout the performance is masterly…his vocalism is gratifyingly fluent.”

“The role of Mime is unquestionably David Cangelosi’s signature role.”

“David Cangelosi…marvellous…as Mime.”

“Vocally, David Cangelosi delivers just about everything you could want in Mime. His full clear tenor easily sails over the roiling orchestra and never grows tiresome to listen to.”

“Mime – David Cangelosi – was superb, a character singer-actor… dancing, high fives and all.”

“Throughout the Ring David Cangelosi’s Mime was particularly creepy and unctuous, but in Siegfried, he almost managed to make Mime convincingly pathetic. He has a great character tenor sound and acts well.”

“David Cangelosi’s lustrous Tenor tones were conveyed with complete control as the character Mime… he obviously relished the potential of this multi-layered role…a ‘tour-de–force’ performance.”

“In the wrong hands, Act 1 of Siegfried can be a chore…But that’s not the case here. David Cangelosi provides a gorgeously sung Mime, never resorting to snarling or blustering. He manages to provide many fine character touches by darkening and lightening the tone.”

“Cangelosi’s practiced Mime was a full theatrical creation.”

“The cast is very fine. David Cangelosi is an articulate Mime, mildly sinister and certainly not caricatured.”

“David Cangelosi and Werner Van Mechelen field characterful portrayals as Mime and Alberich.”

“Returning as Mime, David Cangelosi almost stole the show with his tremendously characterful and generously-voiced performance, which won a huge ovation during curtain calls. Indeed, his Mime was the most all-rounded portrayal in the midst of this estimable cast.”

“And Cangelosi is a special Mime, (in the Graham Clark class) for characterization and word-attention without the mannerisms of older interpreters.”

“David Cangelosi’s forceful Mime…sings rather than barks.”

“In Act 1 (Siegfried) occasionally sounds a bit like the Mime of David Cangelosi–a compliment to the latter rather than a critique of the former–Cangelosi sings, rather than mugs, the role of Mime.”