In Review: Moran, Mayes, and Angus in Boston Lyric Opera's "Carmen"
"The cartoonishly masculine, granite-jawed Michael Mayes brought a shyster’s swagger and a robust sound as Escamillo. He and Johnson Cano beautifully matched as a musical and theatrical pair so much so that it seemed obvious that Carmen and José had been wasting time on each other from the beginning; Johnson Cano shared chemistry with Mayes to a degree that was never even hinted at in her interactions with Honeywell. The melding of Mayes’ dark chocolate baritone and Johnson Cano’s caramel mezzo only confirmed that the toreador and the gypsy were made for each other. Standouts among the supporting cast included Liam Moran’s Zuniga, whose every action simmered with the promise of imminent violence. Of all the male actors, Moran best embodied the volatile world of unfettered sexual rapacity that Bieito seeks to portray. With the additional power of his vigorous bass sound, Moran’s palpably animalistic stage presence seemed to pose a genuine threat to the physical safety of any female onstage. . . David Angus led the Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra in a spirited, technically precise account" -Boston Musical Intelligencer