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Nero in The Coronation of Poppea
"Vocally, the company's firepower was in the two main mezzo-soprano roles.... Cherry Duke’s Nero was this Poppea’s perfect match. Ms. Duke sang the music of this top-drawer historical creep with a regal bearing, even as he reveled in the destruction of his foes."
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"Cherry Duke was an effective Nero, her voice blending exquisitely with Chinn’s especially in the great closing duet. Duke played Nero’s (troubled) masculinity with conviction and, like Chinn, did not overact Nero’s unpleasant traits; she let the actions, words and music speak for themselves. In their musical assurance and beautifully understated acting they were the finest Nero and Poppea I have encountered in the theatre."
"Cherry Duke as Nerone and Hai-Ting Chinn as That Girl had a fascinating chemistry rooted in Ms. Duke's physical take on the role, honestly about the most forget-what-you're-actually-seeing travesti turn I can think of just now."
"Cherry Duke made a fine, unusually masculine Nerone... [Poppea's] final duet with Ms. Duke’s Nerone was the perfect conclusion to waft us into the night in a cloud of erotic reverie: Ah yes, back in 1641, this is why opera caught on."
"Cherry Duke, as Nero...was very appealing. Ms. Duke['s Nero] was also a complex character: weak, vindictive, heroic and a pawn for Poppea."
"Mezzo Cherry Duke as Nero had a darker, more vibrant sound that created a masculine, hormonally-driven character who only bows to his own desires and sees people as a disposable means to his own ends."
"Cherry Duke's Nero was as hot and cold and impetuous and disgustingly regal as we'd expect a young Nero to be."
"I’ve known Cherry Duke’s work from her lustrous work as Jo in Virginia, in Tokyo, and at the Cabrillo Festival, but still her Nero was surprising: forceful, elegant, startlingly masculine."
Hansel in Hansel & Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel, played respectively by Cherry Duke and Danielle Talamantes, infuse their characters with such playfulness that it's easy to believe they are children. Their voices also blend gloriously, placing their duets among the show's highlights."
"Both [Cherry Duke as Hansel and Danielle Talamantes as Gretel] are excellent with clear, crystalline voices that play to the poignancy of Humperdinck's writing without forced theatricality or blurred vocal purity."
"Phoebe [Fennell]'s Gretel and Cherry Duke's Hansel were well portrayed, vocally and theatrically. Their animated expressions and child-like physicality engaged [the audience]."
"[Cherry Duke's] reactions are honest and childlike… [she] tackles probably the most difficult role...with ease and energy, promptly quelling any suspension of disbelief problems that can arise as woman plays man."
Jo
in Little Women
"Mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke was a standout as Jo. In a vital, shapely vocal performance, she caught both the character's headstrong determination and the reservoir of tenderness underlying it."
"Duke is a singer who communicates both the music and the text impeccably... it takes 'heroic diction' to do that and Duke surely has the helden-delivery."
"Duke was superb! She created a vibrant, strong-willed woman who knows her own mind and her own place in the world. Her singing proved crystal clear, beautifully consistent and always true to the meaning of the text. Her striking voice-acting and stage movement set a high standard for the entire work."
Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia
"The rich, beautiful voice and regal bearing of Cherry Duke made her Lucretia a memorable performance. Her poise and the intensity of her acting caused the entire audience to become increasingly involved in her plight. Here is a singing actress about whom we should hear more and more over the next few years."
Meg in Falstaff
"[Emily Pulley] and the two mezzo-soprano 'Merry Wives,' Cherry Duke and Susan Nicely, were the epitome of three women with a mission to destroy Falstaff. Their voices complemented their roles and each other."
Suzuki in Madama Butterfly
"Cherry Duke como Susuki [sic] y Alessandro Magno como Sharpless, revelaron ser cantantes profesionales completos, poseedores de notables condiciones, que contribuyeron al alto nivel logrado."
Smeraldina in The Love For Three Oranges
(New York City Opera)
"Among the large and quite competent cast, standouts were Matthew Chellis…Linda Roark-Strummer…Kathryn Day and Eduardo Chama…and Cherry Duke as a cute and wily Smeraldina."
Opera in Blue Jeans Concert, Nevada Opera
"[Cherry] Duke and [John] Pickle were magnetic duetting together projecting a radiant 'Almost Like Being in Love' to a large crowd of listeners so entranced they hoped it just might be true."
McCammon Vocal Competition
"Mezzo Cherry Duke recalled Anne Sofie von Otter with her reserved but passionate aria from Handel's Giulio Cesare..."
Bach's B-Minor Mass (Hartford Symphony Orchestra)
"The most remarkable of the five [soloists] was mezzo Cherry Duke, who stepped in at the last minute...Duke learned the piece in a day or two, but her radiant, confident performance gave no hint of any of that."
Kern & Friends Concert (Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra)
"Mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke took command of [Climb Every Mountain] delivering its inspirational message with power."
Pitti-Sing in The Mikado
"A wonderful bright spot throughout the show is Cherry Duke…She has a gorgeous alto voice, round and clear even in the lowest range. She has charm and strength without dominating, presence without a hint of strain."
Nellie Forbush in South Pacific
"Nellie Forbush, played by Cherry Duke, is spunky and exuberant and sang and danced her way into our hearts."