Reviews
"Gave a riveting and decisive performance in a complex role."
“Leslie Middlebrook …makes a striking entrance in the first act.
She has a commanding presence and a rich confident voice.”
"Seeing a recital by mezzo Magdalena Kozena tomorrow at Tully reminded of the wonderful Norma I saw last week. Coincidentaly during the run, I looked at Classical Singer magazine, and there was Leslie Middlebrook, featured as one of our finest upcoming artists. As Adalgisa (in the original keys), her luscious lyric mezzo voice poured out so beautifully in the difficult music, and she has the proper style for the Bellini music. She never pushes the lows, but they are naturally rich and warm, and this allows the entire voice to remain totally even, with no hint of the register breaks often found in this type of voice."
“With a first rate voice and exceptional acting ability
Leslie Middlebrook was more than effective as part of the madness.”
In a minor, but well performed role, was Leslie Middlebrook (as Berta), a good mezzo-soprano, who played the maid in the doctor's house. Although her role was short, she made sure she was noticed when she was silent and when she sang. A nice ringing voice with a darting pair of eyes made her character take on a personality which would otherwise fall out of memory in another performance.
“Leslie Middlebrook as Mrs. Noye stood out with excellent singing and acting.”
“The grand birthday evening’s revels opened with Booth’s favorite Stephen Foster song, “Beautiful Dreamer,” sung by the statuesque mezzo-soprano Leslie Middlebrook, who in her lush voice hit just the right note of nostalgia to commemorate the occasion.
"Leslie Middlebrook delivered charmingly in a big, rich, textured
mezzo-soprano with assured vocal technique and stage-craft to match."
"Leslie Middlebrook's Mrs. McLean was powerfully sung as she got inside the character's never fully stated need to bring down beauty…"
"Excellent in her important supporting role was Leslie Middlebrook
who portrayed Mrs. McLean, the meanest of the villagers."
"Particularly entertaining and droll was the
domineering and angular Duchess of Leslie Middlebrook"
"Leslie Middlebrook, entering as a 1930's Commère…
was hilarious and totally absorbing!"
Leslie Middlebrook, as Augusta gave an
extremely affecting, heartful portrayal
“And what about the singing? Impressive achievements are turned in by Leslie Middlebrook, a near Wagnerian Katisha. (It was for her that Sir Arthur did for once what he really wanted to do and wrote the serious aria
`Alone, and Yet Alive!' ”
“Leslie Middlebrook is outstanding….
a positive masterpiece of comic character”
"A show this varied requires a cast of uncommon versatility, and several of
the actors in this production display a truly surprising range of talents. For
instance, Leslie Middlebrook, who plays an appropriately constipated Margaret Dumont in Act Two, also does a hilarious impression of Jeannette MacDonald singing to Nelson Eddy in Act One. Later in that act, she extends her range further by playing the baritone saxophone, perhaps the scariest of the wind instruments."