CRITICAL ACCLAIM
Two other standouts are alone worth the price of admission: Major-General Stanley (Joshua Hughes) and his ward Mabel (Syona Ayyankeril). Hughes executes with dash, verve and aplomb the dizzying musical number and showstopper: “I Am The Very Model Of a Modern Major General.” And just as we are wrung out by the non-stop flood of words, he expands the hilarity. He seems to forget his lines and is prompted by his wards—a refresh that leads us to higher levels of laughter.
-Aisle Seat Review, 2024, "The Pirates of Penzance"
"The duet of negotiation between the two is one in which Joshua Hughes’ Daland secures our admiration for his full-voiced, highly expressive, bass-baritone pipes. Two sonorous voices interact with notes now full of new hope – one for riches, one for freedom from endless misery – with their vibrantly sung optimism bolstered by a new, south wind and parting clouds..."
-Theatre Eddy's, 2023, "Der fliegende Holländer"
"Joshua Hughes, a bass with warm tone and vibrato, portrays Daland. His delight in the transaction is uncontainable in his fine duet with the Dutchman, “Wie? Hört’ ich recht?” (“Did I hear it right?”), which the contrasting voices handle to pleasing effect."
-Cordell Reports, 2023, "Der fliegende Holländer"
"Bass-baritone Joshua Hughes (Fiorello) sounded bright and robust... Everyone was clearly characterized and acted very well."
-The Opera Tattler, 2023, "Il barbiere di Siviglia"
"First thing, we’ve got a gang of street musicians, skulking about as if they’re about to pull a bank heist. Their maestro, Fiorello, is bass-baritone Joshua Hughes, the first of many solid supporting players, which has become an OSJ trademark."
-Operaville, 2023, "Il barbiere di Siviglia"
"As Masetto, Joshua Hughes sports a bass-baritone range that rings with a flavoring of full fun influenced by his peasant, countryside life. Not only does he sing impressively, but his ability to capture in his acting a comical but likable lad brings a palpable energy to every scene he wanders into, especially when he mixes pathos and hilarity as he languishes in exaggerated pain before Zerlina after he is boxed around by Giovanni."
-Theatre Eddy's, 2023, "Don Giovanni"
"Matching her every step of the way is Young Vic veteran Joshua Hughes as Ko-Ko, the feckless Lord High Executioner, a character who has been a comic gold mine for clowns from Groucho Marx to Eric Idle. Hughes proves comparably adept at mining the part for laughs, even as he manages to invest it with far more depth.
I chuckled every time he struggled to wield his oversized headsman’s ax, even though it was obviously only a light-weight facsimile, since his acting is credible enough to convince the prop itself of its heaviness. And he is no less persuasive at melting hearts in the beloved “Tit-Willow” song, not least because, unlike most actors who essay this role, Hughes is a bona fide operatic baritone."
-DC Metro Theater Arts, 2018, "The Mikado"
"Bass-baritone Joshua Hughes plays the unlucky groom with a pugnacious, Bronxian handling of the Italian text, and uses his gangly frame to great comic effect, especially when Giovanni is beating the crap out of him. Hughes also played Anna's slain father, The Commendatore, in a double-casting taken from Mozart-era practices."
-The Almanac, 2023, "Don Giovanni"
"Also of note was Joshua Hughes’s preening King’s Minister, whose fey responses added extra layers of grins in a speaking role."
-Seen and Heard International, 2022, "Cinderella"
"Joshua Hughes upped the camp level in the speaking role of The Minister, and the children chorus delightfully charmed the audience as The Fairy’s elves showing the way to Cinderella’s opera house."
-Parterre Box, 2022, "Cinderella"
"Another fun ensemble is the king, bass-baritone Ben Brady, and his wildly nervous minister, Joshua Hughes. In view of the king’s failing health, the two are working hard to hook up the brooding poet prince."
-Operaville, 2022, "Cinderella"
"Supporting roles are performed with great aplomb as well. Morgan Balfour as Annina, Jackson Beaman as Gastone, and Joshua Hughes as Grenville were in particularly good voice for this performance."
-Berkshire Fine Arts, 2022, "La Traviata"
"Joshua Hughes’ brassy baritone and command of patter made him right at home within this genre. Dramatically, he was engaging and a complete joy to watch as Ruthven in “For Thirty-five Years” from Ruddigore. This number, which tells of a young baron who mourns for the innocent life he used to live, was removed from the original score and is therefore seldom seen. Friday evening was its first professional performance in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."
-Texas Classical Review, 2019, "Gilbert & Sullivan Rarities"
"For this portion of the evening, singing and acting were flawless and captivating; ... baritone Joshua Hughes brought an equally powerful lyricism and ardor as The Fisherman who falls in love with the Banker’s mistress."
-Texas Classical Review, 2018, "Die Flut"
"This half of the program was worth the venture out to the Sammons Center for Opera in Concert. Joshua Hughes, whose neat and bodied baritone portrayed the tender-hearted Fisherman, was delightful in character and interpretation."
-Theatre Jones, 2018, "Die Flut"
"Hughes’ baritone was deep and warm, but flexible, as he threw the ends of many phrases away, presumably to emphasize the exasperated state of mind of his character."
-Theater Jones, 2018, "La Serva Padrona"
"Her companion, Melisso (Joshua Hughes), showed himself familiar with the ways of the world, an indispensable help in helping her navigate the unfamiliar world she found herself in, and his rough and ready vocalism betrayed his familiarity with human nature without descending into farce."
-Schmopera, 2018, "Alcina"
"The excellent baritone Joshua Hughes portrayed King Licomedes."
-Theater Jones, 2018, "Achille in Sciro"
"Hughes had a brilliant vocal range; however, that which truly set him apart was his ability to tackle two such contrasting sides to his character. I was interested in Hughes’ transition from a pleasant farmer to a villain caught in the family curse. He seemed to have fun playing the villain, and the enjoyment he infused into the role made his portrayal of Robin a constant joy to watch."
-DC Metro Theater Arts, 2015, "Ruddigore"
"Catrin Davies, Joshua Hughes, and Mark McGrath were fabulous during "My Eyes are Fully Open from RUDDIGORE... It was very smart to then present Broadway's Tony-winning musical THE MUSIC MAN with "Trouble" sung by Joshua Hughes."
-Broadway World, 2019, "A Salute to Gilbert & Sullivan"
"Achilles in Skyros sticks to the baroque convention of casting major male roles with castrati (none of that here) or women in male drag. The one exception is Licomedes, portrayed as a bit of a rustic — what can you expect on an island? — with a baritone to match, by Joshua Hughes."
-Dallas Morning News, 2018, "Achille in Sciro"
"Joshua Hughes' baritone was persuasive for the Drunken Poet scene."
-Dallas Morning News, 2018, "The Fairy Queen"