Press
With emotions swirling around the self-possessed Zoe and Glenn, one could only wonder if they were merely compatible rather than swept away-especially after witnessing the tenderness shared by Zoe's artist brother Lindon and his boyfriend, the restaurateur Thomas (played compassionately by the outstanding bass-baritone Christian Pursell), providing a foil for other love relationships.
MICHAEL CLIVE
We had to wait for Act II for the tall and playful bass-baritone Christian Pursell to take the stage, but when he entered, he owned it. Mr. Pursell’s substantial orotund sound, musicality, and charismatic demeanor were wholly winning. His and Mr. Austin’s love duet about Valancia was arguably the highpoint of an evening that was chockfull of them.
JAMES SOHRE
And bass-baritone Christian Pursell is a warm and sympathetic Thomas—a marked contrast with his swaggering Escamillo in OTSL’s Carmen in 2022.
CHUCK LAVAZZI
Baritone Justin Austin brings supple emotional nuance to the role of Lindon, Ida’s son, while Christian Pursell lends warmth and pathos to Thomas, Lindon’s lover.
CHAS ADAMS
And when Lindon’s gay lover Tom (Christopher Pursell) arrives to urge Lindon to come with him to Spain … Wow!! Things get suddenly OPERA! I never realized how gorgeously dramatic the word “Valencia!” is. When sung with such an astonishing voice as Mr. Pursell’s it is a very fanfare—it’s almost an opera in itself!
STEVE CALLAHAN
Zoe’s brother, poetic painter Lindon (baritone Justin Austin), doesn’t want to leave the house. and his lover Thomas (bass-baritone Christian Pursell) suggests they travel to Spain.
RONALD BLUM
Bass-baritone Christian Pursell delivered a commanding and convincing portrait of a blindly ambitious careerist prosecutor with impressive power and a frighteningly memorable voice. As the villain, he was appropriately insensitive and self-righteous.
KEVIN T MCENEANEY
Bass-baritone Christian Pursell capably portrayed Aman’s cartoonish villainy, with a huge, resonant voice and beautiful diction that underlined the character’s declarations of violence. Throughout the performance, his committed physicality lent a modicum of humor to the character to soften the impact of his stentorian vocal delivery.
LANDON HEGEDUS
Christian Pursell was potent in his opening aria, his singing thunderous as he proclaimed his credo with confidence, the voice booming into the hall. And he retained this directness throughout every one of his interjections. There was an aggressiveness throughout his performance that matched the authoritarian depiction of the Prosecution lawyer and was neatly counterpointed by Joshua Dennis’ more gentle vocalism.
DAVID SALAZAR
Bass-baritone Christian Pursell’s Prosecutor was all fury and inner conflict, his tight dark suit and briefcase fairly bursting with accusations as he resonantly defended his right to “do my job,” but ultimately confessed to doubts about what he had done.
DAVID WRIGHT
