In Review: Burns and Staufenbiel in LA Opera's "Scare Pair"
"Stage director Brian Stauffenbiel told Poe's story in a straightforward manner, which lent a solid footing to the unearthly aspects of the story. . . Burns sang with a wiry bass voice that fit well into the concept of a comic ghost who was more afraid of the teenage twins than anyone in the family was of him... Matthew Burns was an intense, growling Primus..."
-Maria-Nockin, BroadwayWorld.com Read full review.
"A refreshingly human Matthew Burns as the Ghost chewed the scenery just the right amount, and even threw in a ghastly pronunciation of "ghost" of all things."
-Laurence Vittes, Backtrack
...A refreshingly human Matthew Burns as the Ghost chewed the scenery just the right amount, and even threw in a ghastly pronunciation of "ghost" of all things.... Collectively, L.A. Opera’s Off Grand presentation of Scare Pair, under the direction of Brian Staufenbiel, was an entertaining hybrid of spooky stories and opera, providing fans of scary stories with an eloquent theatrical experience and fans of opera with a particularly colorful program."
-Scott Feinblatt, LA Weekly
"Bass-baritone Matthew Burns displayed the widest acting range — a dour Doctor Primus in “Usher” and a hammy Sir Simon in “Canterville.”
-Richard s Ginell, Los Angeles Times
"Bass-baritone Matthew Burns, who served as the dour Doctor Primus in Usher, turned on a dime to whoop it up in Canterville as Sir Simon in a manic mood and also conveyed the character’s later depression and loneliness."
-Sam Ginell, Classical Voice North America