Frieda Hatzfeld in MUSIC IN THE AIR
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

But what really makes this show - the fifth of seven to open this season - is the return of soprano Tanya Roberts to center stage. In her fifth OLO season, Roberts cements her reputation as a stellar vocalist and all-around fascinating stage presence as operetta star Frieda Hatzfeld. Though the character initially is played for laughs (and there are some good laughs), Roberts quietly downshifts the prima donna to a multi-faceted, sympathetic character… Roberts handles both sides of Frieda with equal care and compassion.

Leontine in THE DEVIL’S RIDER
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

What helps even more is pairing Dutton, in just his second year with the OLO, with the always charming and excruciatingly talented Tanya Roberts, whose Leontine is soft, passionate and headstrong all in one fell swoop. Some of the production’s most memorable moments come compliments of this duo…

Narrator & Soloist in LADIES FIRST
Harry Forbes, Operetta Research Center

Soprano Tanya Roberts made an effervescent co-host and sang with rich tone – getting the evening off to an amusing start with “The Lady and the Kick”… In a cute bit of staging, Roberts later donned a doctor’s coat as she dispended love advice with “You’ll Feel Better Then” from The Rose of Algeria.

Narrator & Soloist in LADIES FIRST
Meche Kroop, Voce di Meche

Tanya Roberts and Anthony Maida did a swell job as narrators, establishing the background of each scene.  Ms. Roberts was hilarious as “the 5’ lady with the 8’ kick”.

Countess Maritza in COUNTESS MARITZA
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

"Countess Maritza" -- with composer Emmerich Kalman's daughter Yvonne sitting ringside to cheer on the production and make a lovely curtain speech after -- was distinguished by its compelling leads -- Tanya Roberts, grandly imperious and vocally lustrous as the wealthy lady of the manor, and Daniel Neer as the high-born Baron Tassilo, who has taken a job incognito as Maritza's bailiff.  Their acting generated real heat, and they sang Kalman's glorious melodies with requisite passion... an OLO DVD will eventually be forthcoming, which is a good thing as it's very much a performance worth preserving.

Dollbabia in LADY OF THE SLIPPER
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

Roberts and Best turned up for droll comic turns as step-sisters Dollbabia and Freakette (love those names!).

Dollbabia in LADY OF THE SLIPPER
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

Among the first characters you meet are sisters Dollbabia (Tanya Roberts), reminiscent of Chatty Cathy on steroids and Freakette (Sarah Best), kind of a mutant Queen of Hearts… It's hard to take your eyes off them. And it's hard to explain why that is. Of course, underneath those wonderfully garish costumes are two outstanding comediennes and serious singers…

Countess Maritza in COUNTESS MARITZA
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

If you buy a ticket see “Countess Maritza” during this Ohio Light Opera season, Daniel Neer and Tanya Roberts alone are going to make it worth the trip… it is the soprano Roberts (in the title role) and seven-year-OLO veteran Neer who take a fine production and make it even better. Roberts takes on the title role with gusto, dancing up a storm in “Set the Gypsy Music Playing” and delivering for the entire three hours on the vocal aerobics the part requires. She makes her work look effortless and exhibits the kind of stage presence that says “I belong here.” Pairing Roberts with Neer was a stroke of outstanding casting by stage director Steven Daigle, as both can control the stage alone, or surrender it to the other. Their duets are magic… The chemistry is palpable in “Waltz our Worries Away,” as well as “Be Mine, My Love, Be Mine.”

Countess Maritza in COUNTESS MARITZA
Kelly Ferjutz, CoolCleveland

… a stellar cast lead by the ebullient Tanya Roberts (Countess Maritza)… The duo possesses extraordinary vocal mastery and Ms. Roberts is a gifted comedienne who infuses the farce with a romantic believability that elevates the plot and infuses the whole production with elegance.

May Rooker in PRIMROSE
Kelly Ferjutz, CoolCleveland

In the meantime, Freddie (the son of Sir Barnaby, and brought to life by Benjamin Krumreig), is unhappily engaged to Joan, but is actually in love with buoyant amateur golfer May Rooker, the effervescent Tanya Roberts.

May Rooker in PRIMROSE
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

Benjamin Krumreig and Tanya Roberts are the zany, all-too-athletically consumed lovers Freddie and May, whose opening duet, "Till I Meet Someone Like You" makes able use of a golf club and whose one-skip exits say more about their character's current moods than others could say in a Shakespearean monologue... Fans of OLO's brightest -- Best, Brian, Roberts, Krumreig, Devlin, Yampiro and Faulk -- are going to love it.

Purity in ANYTHING GOES
Kelly Ferjutz, Cleveland Classical

A wonderful quartet of ‘Angels’ are part of Reno’s retinue: Tanya Roberts, Grace Caudle, Teresa Perrotta and Sarah Best... This batch really lights up the stage.

Dora in A DEVIL’S DEAL
Beth Spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle

Bousel and his group had created a 15-minute operatic comedy inspired by San Francisco’s nearly impossible real estate market.  Roberts played a rental agent trying to sell Rydman on a haunted apartment… Roberts was awarded the night’s Best Performer award.

Lady Maude in EILEEN
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

The handsome cast proved dramatically believable and sang beautifully.  On the dramatic side, Colonet Lester's wooing of Maude, for instance, was quite touching in Holmes' and Roberts' capable hands... Holmes and Roberts performed their teasing "Life Is But A Game" duet with its piquant counterpoint charmingly, and Roberts scored with her soaring "When Love Awakes" (originally Eileen's song) and later with "True Sons of Erin."

Lady Maude in EILEEN
David Salazar, OperaWire

The operetta may be titled "Eileen," but it might as well go by the title “Lady Maude,” because she is the true heroine of the piece… Canadian Soprano Tanya Roberts embodied the character and all her complexity quite wonderfully in arguably the standout performance of the night.  Moving about with poise and elegance, she always demanded the viewers’ attention… that was especially true of her singing, which was the most mature and vibrant amongst a strong cast… her voice soared into the soprano stratosphere with a tremendous sense of poise and prowess that defined the character.  But her shining moment may have been the ensemble “True Sons of Erin,” where her voice initially delicate and tender before carrying through the massive choral sounds around her.

Lady Maude in EILEEN
Meche Kroop, Voce di Meche

Tanya Roberts created the character of Lady Maude who faced life with grace and good will.  Her acting was impeccable...

Principal Soloist in VALENTINE’S GALA
Nick Lees, The Edmonton Journal

...soloists Aidan Ferguson, Jason Hardwick, Michael Marino, Tanya Roberts and Geoffrey Sirett were all emotional and powerful.

Gabrielle in LA VIE PARISIENNE
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

And speaking of comedy, keep your eye on Tanya Roberts as the German glove maker Gabrielle… Roberts, hysterical though she is, is the type of singer you quite possibly could listen to all day, even if she’s just singing about gloves and shoes. Roberts’s contributions to the finales of Acts II and IV, including, “I’m a General’s Widow” are so breathtaking, they leave the audience breathless.

Gabrielle in LA VIE PARISIENNE
Ellen Pill, Wooster Weekly News

Tanya Roberts as the glove maker, Gabrielle, shines as her character goes through several incarnations and costume changes. Her comedic timing is impeccable, and the soprano’s solos are lively and commanding.

Gabrielle in LA VIE PARISIENNE
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

… there was also standout work from Gretchen Windt (Metella), Tanya Roberts (Gabrielle), and Clark Sturdevant as The Brazilian.

Dolly in HAVE A HEART
Tami Mosser, The Daily Record

…the comic relief is left to Roberts, who more than delivers with “It’s a Sure, Sure Sign” and alongside elevator operator Henry (Kyle Yampiro) on “Bright Lights.” With the brassy, sassy attitude and a voice to match, Roberts emerges as the must-see highlight of the production.

Dolly in HAVE A HEART
Ellen Pill, Wooster Weekly News

Tanya Roberts is a gem as Dolly Brabazon. Her gesturing alone as she enters and exits is hysterical. She takes every nuance, movement, lyric and word and makes it exactly, enchantingly and hilariously her own.

Dolly in HAVE A HEART
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

Charmingly staged and choreographed, all the players were perfectly cast… Tanya Roberts, Stephen Faulk, Kyle Yampiro, Emily Hagens and Isaac Assor were all tops and great fun, and gave a period-perfect account of Kern’s delectable score.

Aline in THE SORCERER
Jerry Sehulster, OperaMetro

A poised and accomplished musical comedienne, Tanya Roberts as Aline made me smile throughout the performance, particularly in the scene in Act II in which she has taken the love potion, only to happen upon Dr. Daly, the local curate, a polite and retiring gentle fellow who is also under the spell. Cling to the columns of the portal though she might, Aline begins to exhibit every symptom of being hopelessly in love with him, literally drawn towards him. Ah, rapture! Roberts is a gifted musician and a pleasure to watch throughout… [she] had no problem sailing over the orchestra.

Valencienne in THE MERRY WIDOW
Bill Rankin, Opera Canada

Tanya Roberts, too, lent the show some strong musical moments as Valencienne, and she gave Krysa the comedic overacting I’m sure he was looking for.

Valencienne in THE MERRY WIDOW
Mark Morris, The Edmonton Journal

Tanya Roberts effectively subscribed to the production’s comic style as Valencienne.

Zweite Dame in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Bill Rankin, Opera Canada

The singing was consistently enjoyable, beginning with a terrific trio of women in the roles of the Queen’s agents. Betty Wayne Allison, Tanya Roberts and Catherine Daniel created some of the most musically satisfying moments of the evening.

Zweite Dame in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
The Edmonton Journal

The Three Ladies… are compelling vocally and dramatically.

Rosalinda in DIE FLEDERMAUS
Tami Lange Mosser, The Wooster Weekly News

The performances are uniformly outstanding, from Roberts’s full-bodied, resonant soprano to the singing-dancing-convivial chemistry of Gordon and Brian to the delicate vocal work of Nelson.

Rosalinda in DIE FLEDERMAUS
Jeff Wanser, Buzzard Tracks

Some of the singers, notably baritone Nathan Brian as Dr. Falke, soprano Emily Nelson as the maid, Adele, and soprano Tanya Roberts as Rosalinda were delightful… Roberts had a good, strong voice that pierced the rafters of the Freedlander Theatre in her Csardas.

Eliza in MY FAIR LADY
Harry Forbes, Forbes on Film & Footlights

“My Fair Lady” was solidly traditional, satisfying both musically and dramatically. There was real dramatic tension between Eliza (Tanya Roberts at my performance), and Higgins.

Maude Peck in DREAM CITY
Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News

The successfully delivered one-liners from the Peck ladies of Columbus Avenue (Olivia Maughan, Wendy Marck, Tanya Roberts, Hannah Kurth) prove that the gags land best in the proper dialect.

Anna in THE KING AND I
Robert Rollin, Cleveland Classical

The two leads, Tanya Roberts, as Anna, and Ted Christopher, as the King, were excellent. Soprano Roberts has a remarkably beautiful quality that made her performance stunning. This musical must radiate from the central character, Anna’s role, and Roberts was musically arresting, technically sound, and constantly on the move as she brought Anna to life. Though very young, she brought the role of a mature widow to life fully with the help of the fine costuming and her gorgeous voice.

Anna in THE KING AND I
John Finn, Akron Beacon Journal/The Wooster Daily Record

Roberts appears at ease in her OLO debut, interacting comfortably with the King’s many wives as well as the children she was summoned to teach. She also develops a chemistry with Christopher that blossoms as the production unfolds.

Gianetta in THE GONDOLIERS
John Finn, Akron Beacon Journal

Faulk and Brian are exceptionally entertaining as the two gondoliers, while Best and Roberts are equally amusing as the two wives. ...the singers are pitch perfect in performing Sullivan’s timeless compositions.

Mrs. Gobineau in THE MEDIUM
Ruth Crystal-Zaromp, Encore Michigan

The three customers for the seance are Mrs. Gobineau (Tanya Roberts), Mr. Gobineau (Marian Pop) and Mrs. Nolan (Sarah Nisbett) - all worthy to be heard for their singing abilities.

Mrs. Gobineau in THE MEDIUM
John Guinn, Opera News

The singers were uniformly satisfying… In lesser roles, Tanya Roberts (Mrs. Gobineau), Marian Pop (Mr. Gobineau) and Sarah Nisbett (Mrs. Nolan) contributed to the performance’s success.

Alcina in ALCINA
John Yohalem, Parterre

Tanya Roberts, a pretty Canadian soprano, made an imperious, cold-hearted Alcina (when not writhing on the sofa, trilling away, countertenor between her legs), and then sang the extended heartbroken phrases of “Ah! mio cor” with a yearning that thrilled. The title role is one prima donnas would kill for, and she did it justice in a voice of focused brilliance, agility and impressive size.

Alcina in ALCINA
Richard Garmise, Opera Britannia

The rest of the cast was generally at a very high level, and I’d single out Tanya Roberts as Alcina... This company really deserves your support, and the singers I’ve mentioned in particular should be on your list for the future.

Alcina in ALCINA
Taminophile

Alcina herself was sung with great depth of feeling and beauty by Tanya Roberts. One doesn’t need to be an island-owning sorceress to foresee a bright future for both of these stars.

Alcina in ALCINA
NY Opera Review

The sopranos in the cast were equally impressive. Tanya Roberts (Alcina) had a solid sound which supported her convincing acting as she moved about with abandon, embodying the flighty soul of Alcina with her extreme talent for detail and her beautiful sense of timing.

Madeline in THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
Manrico, Parterre

Roberts’ piercing soprano was perfect for the vocally brief part of Madeline. During her long, silent wanderings through the space, her harsh breathing and her hands scraping against the floors resonated in the space, creating a Poeish inequilibrium.

Kitty in ORANGE BLOSSOMS
Victor Herbert Society

... the Guild presented a strong cast in this “play with music”, with Tanya Roberts as Kitty... a standout performer.

Alcina in ALCINA
The Phonograph

The singers were outstanding, especially Tanya Roberts [who] navigated the difficult arias with ease and clarity.

Princesse in L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES
Montreal Gazette

... a whimsical princess.

Paquette in CANDIDE
Mundo Clásico

Soprano Tanya Roberts portrayed a Paquette of complete sweetness in sparkling voice.