The Pirates of Penzance | Opera North
"Despite a fine cast throughout, it was when Gillian Hollis as Mabel made her entrance, that the stage lit up with her brilliant coloratura soprano and sunny good looks."
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Jim Lowe, Rutland Herald
The Student Prince | Ohio Light Opera
"[The Student Prince] played out beautifully on the Freedlander Theater stage, thanks in part to the divine soprano of Ohio Light Opera newcomer Hollis."
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Tami Mosser, The Daily Record
Zémire et Azor | Skylight Music Theater
“As Zémire (Beauty), soprano Gillian Hollis is as earnest, idealistic and pure as a Disney heroine. She negotiated the challenging role with relative ease, with an attractive voice that has color in its light core.”
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Rick Walters, Shepherd Express
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“But there would be no Beast (his real name is Azor) without the Beauty (Zemire). And in her Skylight debut, Gillian Hollis radiates pure innocence in her performance as well as in her singing, which reaches its vocal zenith in the Act 2 French aria, La Fauvette.”
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Harry Cherkinian, Shepherd Express
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“As Zemire, Hollis uses her voice to advantage in several show stopping numbers. A favorite of this reviewer is her treatment of La Fauvette, which she sings (in French) to the Beast to amuse him. And the Beast, although he looks frightful at first sight, reacts to Zemire in a way that is boyish and charming. Even small children can detect the spell she is casting over him, and their laughter can be heard in the aisles as Zemire and Azor play hide-and-go-seek with each other.”
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“Soprano Gillian Hollis created a kindhearted, unselfish Zemire (Beauty) at Saturday’s performance, singing her character’s brisk, coloratura arias with grace, ease and a bright, sparkling sound.”
Elaine Schmidt, Journal Sentinel
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“'La Fauvette' is the best known song from André Grétry’s 1771 opéra comique, originally called Zémire et Azor. Gillian Hollis sings it with assured elegance, a sweet coloratura that negotiates the aria’s challenges without sacrificing its charm and sweet feeling. It’s the musical highlight of the evening.”
Paul Kosidowski, Milwaukee Magazine
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The Student Prince | Opera Grand Rapids
"The guest star romantic leads – Justin John Moniz as the Prince and Gillian Hollis as Kathie – are simply outstanding. From the moment their characters meet their voices meld together into a glorious duet. It’s as though all the marches and drinking songs are like the assistant keeping the show a respectful distance from opera, but when these two are together the barrier drops and the soaring, dramatic opera takes over. Whether speaking or singing, their performances are always believable. When they part at the end of Act II, it made me shiver."
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"Opera Grand Rapids’ June production of The Student Prince was recently nominated for five awards by Broadway World Detroit, a leading resource for news on Broadway, theatre, and entertainment. The production was nominated for Best Musical, Best Director of a Musical (Scott Skiba), Best Music Direction (Dr. Henry Duitman), Best Actor in a Musical (Justin John Moniz) and Best Actress in a Musical (Gillian Hollis)."
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Snow White Turns Sixty | Album
"Throughout, the bright-voiced Hollis sings with remarkably clear diction and a strong sense of drama."
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"Hollis sings with great flexibility, and never allows the punishingly high tessitura of some of the songs to deter her from poise-filled musicality."
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