La Traviata, Madison Opera

I’ve been attending Madison Opera performances for more than 30 years, and I don’t recall a more spontaneous or more enthusiastic response to a soprano than Elizabeth Caballero received following Friday night’s presentation of “La Traviata.”The audience was on its feet almost before the curtain was raised, indeed, almost before the curtain fell following her stage death in Act 3.

William Wineke- Cahnnel3000.com 5/02/11

The “top” came in the person of soprano Elizabeth Caballero as Violetta, the courtesan who finds true love, only to, in true operatic fashion, lose it and regain it only to lose her life — all the while singing gloriously. The glamorous coquette was clearly winning the audience’s hearts by the middle of Act I, when an aria that ended with a preciously soft high note swelled and glowed and sank back into a sweet nothing, elicited the first “bravas” of the night.

Greg Hettmansberger, Local Sounds Magazine 4/30/11

Fortunately, this Madison Opera production has a truly wonderful Violetta in Elizabeth Caballero, a Cuban-American soprano who has appeared previously in an Opera in the Park show but not in a full role here until now. With a lovely voice, she has a compelling sense of drama. As she puts the role through its paces, she creates a Violetta of passion and vulnerability, able to move from a conflicted sense of herself, through cruel sacrifices, to profound commitments. Even before her death scene, this Violetta is really heart-wrenching.

John Barker,Isthmus- The Daily Page 4/30/11

Forget the supertitles. When Elizabeth Caballero’s onstage, they’re not necessary.The star of Madison Opera’s shimmering production of “La Traviata,” closing on Sunday, May 1, in Overture Hall, communicates the meaning of each musical line from furrowed brow to restless pacing.From Caballero’s first aria, it’s clear that Violetta is consumed with longing, fear and – improbably – hope…….As the glittering party girl, Caballero commands an easy, lyric soprano, colorful and skilled with ornamentation. Especially impressive are the soft tones high in her range during arias like “Sempre Libera” (“Always Free”); they shimmer.

Lindsay Christians, The Capital Times 4/30/11