Press
Giasone Opera Omnia
"Cavalli’s and librettist Cicognini’s decision to take the ghastly Medea-murders-Jason’s-children-out-of-revenge myth and give it broad comic elements, sexual innuendo and a happy ending works brilliantly, especially given the cabaret setting, the punk look of the costumes (the Argonauts’ vests are festooned with safety pins and hippie emblems and the Golden Fleece is a denim cut-off jacket lined in lambswool with a gold emblem on the back), props and sets (crates, fake flowers) and director Crystal Manich’s rich sense of irony."
Rinaldo Pittsburgh Opera
"The singing was full of fervor, the orchestra was superb, and Crystal Manich's staging was anything but bare-boned...The most striking aspect of the staging was the way Manich used lighting and stage manner to convey Armida's magical hold over Rinaldo and Almirena."
Tribune-Review preview article
La bohème Utah Opera
Salt Lake Tribune preview article
Madama Butterfly Buenos Aires Lírica, Argentina
"The American director Crystal Manich, who debuted here with this staging, couldn't have done it better. The work was quite traditional, but full of supreme taste, profound understanding of the work and conceptual clarity. The development of the action-quite linear and simple-resulted in clarity and precision." -Mundo Clasico.com
“The music [of Puccini], enriched with enveloping melodies of inspiration, achieves expressive tensions of doubtless effect of easy captation. The version offered by Buenos Aires Lírica crystallized this ideal.” -La Nación
“The stage director bent towards realism, but at the beginning of the second part of the second act she allowed a change of style to take the anguish of Butterfly to a surreal plane, where dreamlike images place the protagonist against the multiplied presence of her beloved. A very powerful and moving sequence.” -La Nación
“[Florencia Fabris] dramatically—and this is certainly a merit that the singer shared with the direction of the American Crystal Manich—her character never abandons the feeling of being pierced by a deep concern.” -Clarín
“The dissipated paraphernalia of the bicentennial celebrations ended the week with the delight of caring, tidy and very well performed Madama Butterfly... The staging of Crystal Manich was pregnant with nuances that passed through hope, distress, anguish, passion and tragedy of an oriental profile, including some symbolic resources to great effect at the beginning of the second part of the second act... In short, it is a show that reaffirms the path of continued growth in Buenos Aires Lirica in a very opportune moment for the enhancement of the deep cultural roots that Buenos Aires was able to cultivate over two centuries.” -Host News
La bohème Pittsburgh Opera
“The excellent production of La boheme that Pittsburgh opera unveiled in 2003 returned to the Benedum Center Saturday night... [with] often appealing staging by a new director.”
“The secondary romantic duo in the opera, Marcello and Musetta, was particularly well handled by director Crystal M. Manich... The last act was the most vocally compelling Friday night and well staged as well.”
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Orpheus and Euridice Pittsburgh Opera
“Staged simply but effectively by Crystal Manich.”
The Coronation of Poppea Opera Omnia in New York City
“Stage director Crystal M. Manich went for a naturalistic acting style, well in keeping with this tale of sex and tyranny.” -Heidi Waleson, The Wall Streeet Journal
“Crystal M. Manich’s direction was largely free of gimmicks and fancy concepts...” -Peter G. Davis, Musical America
“Even more important - most important- director Crystal Manich never once played this for comic-book laughts (and I have seen the opera this way). Not a single scene (except a silly one in the Second Act) is played anything but seriously. When Seneca is about to die, his acolytes huddle in the corner like Socrates’ disciples, with those most tragic Monteverdi chords. When the nurse Arnalta sings to Poppea as she sleeps, the hush is almost audible. The would-be murder, which could be grand guignolis melodrama, with honest urgency.” -Henry Rolnick, ConcertoNet.com
“The stage direction of Crystal M. Manich and music direction of Avi Stein worked to create exactly the kind of intimate ‘play with music’ which was the hallmark of early Italian opera when it made its commercial debut in Venice.” -Mark Ringer, ClassicsToday.com
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