Vytautas Juozapaitis: Audience

“With Vytautas Juozapaitis as a perfectly evil Don Giovanni, the Teatro Lirico d'Europa seduced an audience of about 850 at the Garde Arts Center Monday night. Juozapaitis, a singer with the Lithuanian National Opera, stood out as the despicable title character of this most famous of Mozart operas. He took over the stage with both his supple and strong voice as well as a stage presence that seemed so natural it was hard to look at him without thinking he was Don Giovanni.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Lee Howard, "'Don Giovanni' Delights Opera Fans at the Garde". The New London Day (April 1, 2004)

Art , Nature , Thinking , Strong

“Vytautas Juozapaitis' Don Giovanni filled the performance. The singer won the audience not only with his impeccable impersonation of the gallantly vicious philanderer, but also with his vocal rendition that didn't leave any of the listener's desires unfulfilled.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Stephan Thomas, "Laue Sommernacht für Don Giovanni". Solothurner Zeitung (July 16, 2005)

“Equally up to the task was baritone Vytautas Juozapaitis who's tortured characterization of Rigoletto was near flawless, strong and acted with intelligence and emotional depth. Mr. Juozapaitis has a full baritone that displays nice range and clarity, and coupled with the ease with which he commanded the stage, provided just the right measure of appeal that communicated to the audience the conflict and suppressed rage the character, no doubt, felt toward those who used and mocked him. Nicely done!”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Paul Walkovski, "If the rest of the season matches this production in artistic quality, it's going to be one hell of a good season for opera in Boston". operaonline.us (October, 2006) http://www.jennykellyproductions.com/prod_teatro_review_rigoletto.htm

Intelligence , Communication , Strong , Rage

“The Mozart Festival Opera's production of Don Giovanni made the three hours fly. The miming between Stefano de Peppo and Vytautas Juozapaitis as Don Giovanni was great physical comedy that had the audience laughing out loud. Juozapaitis possessed the voice, swagger and stage presence to match and dominate Leporello, and his costumes are among the best I've seen. I think Mozart would have approved.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Christopher Hyde, "Mozart would have approved", Portland Press Herald (March, 2005) http://www.jennykellyproductions.com/prod_mozart_review.htm

Thinking , Flying

“Charismatic Lithuanian baritone Vytautas Juozapaitis was a spirited, energetic Don Giovanni who held the audience's rapt attention whenever he was on stage. He had an authoritative sound that could be romantically enticing in an attempt to seduce a lady, but could change instantly into a commanding tone when anyone attempted to thwart his will.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Maria Nokin, "Mozart's 'Don Giovanni'". Ensemble (November 26, 2006) http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/2006/11/don-giovanni3.htm

Change

“Bad boys have long fascinated audiences as well as storytellers, whatever the medium. Such rebels, often without causes beyond self-gratification, have been at the center of much of contemporary popular culture. One of the paradigms for such dramatized morality tales is Mozart's magnificent "Don Giovanni," whose musical and theatrical turns evoked awe and laughter and terror from the more that 1,500 music fans who on Saturday night flocked to Lawrence's Lied Center for the Mozart Festival Opera production. The libertine is thoroughly disreputable. Nonetheless, we look on in fascination because of his devilish smile, dashing good looks, ready wit, and the audacity of his hyper-inflated ego. If you can imagine a young Jack Nicholson with mustache, cape and a flair for sword play, you've got it. Lithuanian baritone Vytautas Juozapaitis gave the Don appropriate swagger and voice. He also brought a comic twist that gave the roué a touch of the trickster. Stepping out of character for a second in the midst of a briskly paced recitative, he paused, turned, and looked up at the supertitled English translation as if to check his lines. It was a joke shared by all. The pleasure of performing, even in the opera's most dramatic moments, was evident.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis

Chuck Berg, "Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' triumphs", Topeka Capital Journal (February, 2007) http://www.jennykellyproductions.com/prod_mozart_review.htm