Lady Macbeth (Resonance Works Pittsburgh)
"She was a commanding figure who dominated the stage in her scenes, pouring her brilliant soprano over the audience prodigally...and her interpretation of the role, overall, was quite an excellent one."
- George B. Parous, onStage Pittsburgh (May 19, 2023)
Leonora, Il Trovatore (Opera in the Heights)
"It was good to get up close, close to the text, and appreciate, for example, the intensity Natalie Polito invested in her recollection of the way Manrico serenaded her (“Tacea la notte placida”), the urgency with which she remembered how he called her name. You could almost “see” her run to the balcony to listen to him."
"An oft-repeated quote regarding “Il trovatore” is Enrico Caruso’s adage: “All it takes for successful performance of ‘Il trovatore’ is the four greatest singers in the world...And the four principals Dane Suarez as Manrico, Natalie Polito as Leonora, Nathan Matticks as the Count, and Anne Maguire as Azucena served as strong pillars on which the drama could rest...All three of these principals would have been impressive performers live in the theater – their Act 1 trio (“Di geloso amor sprezzato”) was especially stirring."
- Gordon Williams, OperaWire (December 25, 2021)
Soprano Soloist, Beethoven Choral Fantasy (Carnegie Hall)
(Presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York)
"Among the soloists...were the excellent singers Natalie Polito (soprano) and Peter Drackley (tenor), whose voices projected their noble entries with strength and clarity."
-
The Foreign Princess, Rusalka (Resonance Works Pittsburgh)
"Soprano Natalie Polito, as the Foreign Princess who toys briefly with the Prince’s emotions before damning him to his fate with Rusalka, burst onto the scene in the second act. Poured into a sheath of jet, crimson and gold, she dazzled the eye and delivered the role’s passages with resoundingly solid and effective tones."
- George Parous, Pittsburgh in the Round (May 12, 2018)
Nedda, I Pagliacci (Boheme Opera New Jersey)
"Nedda...was sung by soprano Natalie Polito with versatility in shifting emotions and a voice which soared into the upper registers...[Gustavo Feulien as Silvio's] duet with Polito was a high point of the production."
- Nancy Plum, Princeton Town Topics (April 25, 2018)
Nannetta, Falstaff (Resonance Works Pittsburgh)
"Nannetta, soprano Natalie Polito...proved a fine addition to the cast. Her voice is captivating, as is her stage presence and acting, and she sang “Sul fil d’un soffio etesio,” (“Now lightly borne from near and far”), probably the best known aria from the opera, charmingly."
- George Parous, Pittsburgh in the Round (May 13, 2017)
Countess Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Columbus)
"The keystone of the production, though, was the battered yet delightfully desperate relationship between the Count and Countess...Natalie Polito, as the Countess, beautifully captured the dichotomy between the clever young woman and the empty, abandoned wife. The resentment and sadness were nearly tangible, and her arguments with her husband were authentic."
- Lynn Green, The Columbus Dispatch (March 7, 2015)
Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute (Opera Saratoga)
“...a strong cast that included soprano Natalie Polito as the Queen of the Night, whose furious virtuosity almost stopped the show in her famous aria.”
- Geraldine Freeman, The Daily Gazette (June 23, 2014)
Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute (Opera Saratoga)
“Soprano Natalie Polito certainly made the most of it all. She was note perfect and thrilling in the second act.”
- Joseph Dalton, Times Union (June 15, 2014)
First Lady, The Magic Flute (Virginia Opera)
“The Queen’s three “ladies” (Natalie Polito, Courtney Miller and Sarah Williams) together provided one of the best trios we’ve ever heard in a “Magic Flute” production. Applying just the right comic touch, they were a joy to hear and behold and served to keep the proceedings light and airy every time they threatened to get too serious.”
- Terry Ponick, The Washington Times (December 13, 2013)
The Girl, Rocket’s Red Blare (Intermezzo: The New England Chamber Opera Series)
“The lovers, played by Natalie Polito and Gregory Zavracky, made a sweet and harmonious duo. Polito particularly had an exquisitely plush voice.”
- Melanie O'Neill, Boston Performing Arts Examiner (October 2, 2011)
Hanna Glawari, The Merry Widow (Cape Cod Opera)
“In the title role of Hanna Glawari, soprano Natalie Polito was money. I imagine half the audience wanted to marry her by the final curtain.”
- Susan Blood, Cape Cod Times (August 10, 2010)
Hanna Glawari, The Merry Widow (Cape Cod Opera)
“...compelling, lively and mesmerizing…”
- Opera Online (August 2010)
Adele, Die Fledermaus (Opera by the Bay)
“Natalie Polito charmed the audience in the role of Adele, the saucy chambermaid who dreams of being an actress. Her agile and confident singing rose to the heights, and brought her audience right along with her. Her by-play at the Ball with her pal Sally was delightful – a charming examination of the differences between a proposal and a proposition.”
- The Duxbury Clipper (July 2008)
Violetta, La Traviata (Opera by the Bay)
“Remember the name Natalie Polito. The 25 year old soprano has been building a reputation as one of the finest young sopranos in Greater Boston on the strength of work with such area companies as the Boston Conservatory, Opera Hub and the Boston Opera Collaborative. Now she has added considerably to that standing with a radiant performance with the South Shore Conservatory as the title’s strayed woman Violetta of the 1853 Verdi masterpiece La Traviata. ...
...Polito proves a revelation as Violetta. Her arias are rich with resonance and strong phrasing. She captures all of the bounce and energy of the early partygoer and the contrasting weariness and growing despair of the bedridden heroine of the later going. Kevin Hayden…and Polito display good chemistry during their love duets and demonstrate the kind of feeling and fire that one would expect from a couple very close to marriage and commitment but struggling to rise above society’s assumptions and family judgments…
...Opera by the Bay’s affecting La Traviata stands tall thanks to Polito…”
- The Patriot Ledger (November, 2007)
Violetta, La Traviata (Opera by the Bay)
“Natalie Polito was astonishing as Violetta Valery. Every inch the coloratura soprano, Natalie was beautiful in every way, the perfect Violetta. From the highest high notes, through Verdi's fabulous grace notes and figures, to the softest sotto voce, Natalie made Violetta real, irresistible, and vital to her last breath. For all the complexity of Verdi's fireworks, she sang every note as if she loved it, and loved it well. Like Violetta, Natalie Polito made every moment, from beginning to tearful end, gioia. Joy.”
- Bruce Barrett, The Duxbury Clipper (November 2007)
