Reviews for Jason Howard as Emile de Becque
Lincoln Center Theater Touring Production, Toronto, August 2010
The Toronto Star
"Toronto based Jason Howard is, quite frankly, a perfect Emile de Becque. He has the right age, the right weight, the right charm. He knows how to dispense both elegant sophistication and uncensored emotion with equal ease."
The Toronto Sun
"He uses a voice as rich and smooth as old port, as well as some smooth acting, to create an Emile de Becque for the ages."
The Globe and Mail
"Baritone Jason Howard’s Emile de Becque comes to full bloom when he delivers his operatic, deeply moving account of This Nearly was Mine."
Lincoln Center Theater Touring Production, December 2009
The Dallas Observer
"Howard's singing is as rich, warm and sweet as the stuff you pour on flapjacks."
Edge Dallas.com
Jason Howard as Emile de Becque is wonderful. Handsome, rich voice, very suave.
Palm Beach Arts Paper
"As is the tradition, Emile comes from the world of opera, but Jason Howard has the acting chops -- as well as the lung power -- to embody the character completely."
Press Quotes from London - 23 August 2011
Tim Auld, Sunday Telegraph
★★★★
“Samantha Womack will make headlines for her sassy performance”
“Paulo Szot blows the theatre away with his rendition of Some Enchanted Evening”
Robert Gore Langton, Mail On Sunday
★★★★
“Richard Rodgers’ score is ripplingly lush and the hit songs are virtually non-stop – from the eerily seductive Bali H’ai to the aching romance of Some Enchanted Evening and the sex starved sailors’ song There Is Nothing Like A Dame”
“Paulo Szot’s singing of Some Enchanted Evening is stunning”
“Alex Ferns – EXCELLENT”
“Loretta Ables Sayre – one of evening’s real star performances”
“A GORGEOUS DIP IN A MUSICAL MASTERPIECE. A REVELATION”
“A MUSICAL MASTERPIECE. IT’S A REVELATION”
Paul Levy, Wall Street Journal
“Falling in love with the barbican’s wonderful South Pacific”
“Bartlett Sher’s much-hyped staging lives up to its billing: its sets are glorious, its choreography is brilliant, it respects the original costumes and lyrics, it is anachronism-free, and makes no concessions to an audience for whom this is ancient history”
“It is a measure of how well Mr Sher has directed that the pair of hugely talented children (Dites-moi, pourquoi) do not steal this lovely show”
Kate Bassett, Independent On Sunday
“Paulo Szot nearly raises the roof with his richly vibrant, show stopping rendition of Some Enchanted Evening”
Christopher Hart, Sunday Times
“An outstanding performance from Nigel Williams as Captain Brackett”
“Donald Holder’s beautiful lighting effects, passing through all the colours of the rainbow”
“Loretta Ables Sayre is both sinister and hilarious”
“A slick, glossy production, thoroughly well acted and sung”
Laura Silverman, Daily Mail
★★★★★
“FAULTLESS”
“NOW THAT’S SOME ENCHANTED EVENING!”
“Return to the South Pacific is simply toe-rrific”
“THIS TERRIFIC REVIVAL”
“Paulo Szot’s baritone is rich and sensual”
“Loretta Ables Sayre is a brilliantly bawdy Bloody Mary”
“Michael Yeargan’s sets – exquisite”
Julie Carpenter, Daily Express
★★★★
“Loretta Ables Sayre – WONDERFUL”
“Alex Ferns – EXUBERANT”
“A wonderful 25 piece orchestra with the power to sweep you up in its superlative score”
“South Pacific is hard to beat”
Libby Purves, The Times
★★★★
Paulo Szot – his baritone steals your soul like a sunset swim in a warm ocean”
“Samantha Womack - is an enchanting Nellie”
Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
★★★★
“AN ENCHANTED EVENING IN THE SOUTH SEAS”
“One of the most glorious scores that Rodger’s and Hammerstein ever wrote, yearning, tender and funny, and at moments bitter and angry too”
“A fine 25 piece pit orchestra making the most of the brilliant score”
“A MOVING AND UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE”
“The performances are vivid and fresh”
“Beautiful South Sea Island designs”
“Paulo Szot brings charm, authority and a sense of Gallic melancholy. He sings with rich power”
“Samantha Womack – delightfully engaging”
“Alex Ferns – terrific comic value”
“A production of almost continuous pleasure”
“A CLASSIC OF AMERICAN MUCIAL THEATRE REVIVED WITH THE LOVE AND RESPECT IT DESERVES”
Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail
“If you don’t already have a ticket to see South Pacific, go and purchase one immediately. It’s the best production of this particular Rodgers & Hammerstein show I have ever seen.”
“SOME ENCHANTED EVENING”
“When Paulo Szot sings the wonderful sound of his rich baritone makes your heart ache”
“South Pacific remains one of the best of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musicals, jam-packed with landmark songs fans have been singing in the shower for six decades”
“Womack gives the best performance of her career. You won’t want to wash this girl outta your hair”
“Bartlett Sher’s TRIUMPH”
Michael Billington, The Guardian
“Paulo Szot – a commanding presence, a sense of solitude and a burnished tone that almost stops the show”
“Loretta Ables Sayre – a full-blooded performance as Bloody Mary”
Paul Taylor, The Independent
“Using the sumptuous original orchestrations, a 25 piece band does RAVISHING justice to the indestructible score. Just to hear them play those haunting first three notes of ‘Bali Ha’i’ is to feel the risky, seductive pull of exotic otherness distilled to its shiver-inducing essence”
“Loretta Ables Sayre – SUPERB”
“Samantha Womack – engagingly spirited and touching. A delightful tongue-in-cheek impishness and an air of sassy send up”
“Paulo Szot brings his lovely burnished baritone and a rumpled romantic presence to the role of Emile”
Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard
“Paulo Szot is the undeniable star of the show. His voice is a thing of splendour”
Sarah Hemming, Financial Times
“A very good, immensely thoughtful production and it looks gorgeous on Michael Yeargan’s evocative seascape sets”
“Beautifully sung and delivered with plenty of energy”
“Dark undercurrents emerge strongly assisted by a superb performance from Loretta Ables Sayre”
“Paulo Szot, as Emile, has a tremendous rich, uplifting voice and a magisterial stage presence”
“It is hard to resist the magnificent score (expertly delivered by the 25-peice orchestra)”
Siobhan Murphy, Metro
“The live orchestra’s renditions lap over you like warm Pacific waves.”
“Loretta Ables Sayre is completely arresting as the alarmingly entrepreneurial Bloody Mary, capturing both the sinister and desperate sides of a calculating woman”
Michael Coveney, whatsonstage.com
“Bartlett Sher’s Lincoln Center production is sharp and sassy, beautifully designed by Michael Yeargan. The score is imperishable and its bewitching dramatic composition in which dialogue, sentiment and music are held in perfect sway”
Andrew Castle, Broadcaster & TV Presenter
“A thrill to see the latest incarnation of a piece of theatrical history. Not to be missed.”
Press Quotes from the Broadway and across the USA
“Makes Broadway come alive to the sound of musicals - In Bartlett Sher's fresh-as-paint production at Lincoln Centre, the piece surges with musical delight, sexy comedy and thematic seriousness. And its exploration of racial prejudice seems especially moving so soon after America's election of its first black President. And the score, played by a cracking 30-piece band in the original orchestrations, is magnificent, ranging from the haunting Ball Ha'i and the achingly romantic Some Enchanted Evening to the testosterone-charged There Is Nothing Like a Dame.”
- Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
“SIMPLY wonderful! Theatrical magic! A great staging of a great show, with enough wattage to keep Lincoln Center alight for years.”
– Clive Barnes, New York Post
“I know we’re not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I’m darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production.”
– Ben Brantley, The New York Times
“The level of artistry and inventive stagecraft on display is breathtaking ... From the seductive swell of a full orchestra playing the glorious five-minute overture through the poignant final tableau of love and reconciliation, this is ravishing theater ... Richard Rodgers’ score is one of the most lush, tuneful and romantic in American musical history.”
– David Rooney, Variety
“★★★★ out of four! ...Spine-tingling moments ensure that this gorgeous revival of South Pacific doesn't just float; it soars.”
– Elysa Gardner, USA Today
“Director Bartlett Sher has masterminded a big, luscious, witty production with the emotional intimacy of a chamber musical…Michael Yeargan’s ravishing sets are dominated by a sense of the sea and massive but delicate bamboo shades. Catherine Zuber’s period-true yet sensual costumes make us re-evaluate the allure of ‘40s bathing suits. And the lights, by Donald Holder, dream up fabulous magenta sunsets and silhouette nurses as if they were pinups, sunbathing without care in the distance.”
– Linda Winer, Newsday
“What makes this impeccably acted and designed production so extraordinary is Bartlett Sher’s meticulous and dramatic direction….The show is filled with fantastic and familiar songs that are presented here like musical conversation, making them sound fresh and exciting. Characters are played with such intimacy you practically hear hearts flutter as people fall in love.”
– Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News
“Electric! This is the SOUTH PACIFIC we’ve been waiting for!” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Classy. A perfect-pitch production” – San Francisco Examiner
“Breathtaking! Theatrical Paradise” – Bay Area News Group
“Incredibly vibrant production manages to be truthful and relevant; you’re likely to forget every other South Pacific you’ve seen previously” – Theatermania.com
“The show looks spectacular. You won’t ever see a better South Pacific that does not require getting on a plane. You just can’t miss this show. ★★★★” – Chicago Tribune
“Subtle and sophisticated, this South Pacific triumphs on every level. It is, quite simply, magnificent.” – Daily Herald
“Bartlett Sher’s 2008 Lincoln Center revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic is a revelation. Everything about it sizzles: soaring vocals, vivid acting, eye-popping scenic effects.” – Dallas Observer
2008 Tony Awards
- Best Revival of a Musical (winner)
- Best Direction of a Musical - Bartlett Sher (winner)
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Paulo Szot (winner)
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Kelli O'Hara (nominee)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical - Danny Burstein (nominee)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical - Loretta Ables-Sayre (nominee)
- Best Choreography - Christopher Gattelli (nominee)
- Best Scenic Design - Michael Yeargan (winner)
- Best Costume Design in a Musical - Catherine Zuber (winner)
- Best Lighting Design - Donald Holder (winner)
- Best Sound Design of a Musical - Scott Lehrer (winner)
2008 Drama Desk Awards
- Outstanding Revival of a Musical (winner)
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Paulo Szot) (winner)
- Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Kelli O'Hara) (nominee)
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein) (nominee)
- Outstanding Lighting Design (Donald Holder) (nominee)
- Outstanding Sound Design (Scott Lehrer) (winner)
- Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Michael Yeargan) (winner)
- Outstanding Director of a Musical (Bartlett Sher) (winner)
2008 Outer Critics Circle Awards
- Outstanding Revival of a Musical (winner)
- Outstanding Director of a Musical (Sher) (winner)
- Outstanding Choreographer (Christopher Gattelli) (nominee)
- Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) (Yeargan) (nominee)
- Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) (Catherine Zuber) (winner)
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Szot) (winner)
- Outstanding Actress in a Musical (O'Hara) (nominee)
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Burstein) (winner)
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