Odessa American
“The villain Gaston (James Anest) is big, crude, arrogant and totally charming. He has a fine, virile voice with biceps to match -- and displays them at the slightest provocation.”
Santa Barbara News-Press
“The real bad guy, Gaston, is played to perfection by James Anest...the tall, handsome Mr. Anest really gets into character as he struts, swaggers and flexes his biceps. But he also has a powerful operatic voice to add some depth to the caricature.”
The Lompoc Record
“A welcome new face (and body) to the PCPA Stage is equity artist James Anest as Gaston, who truly embodies the boisterous, vain buffoon...and is absolutely made for this role.”
Santa Maria Sun
“Muscle-clad...Gaston (Anest) is unabashedly chauvinist...rich baritone singing voice.”
CASA Santa Barbara
“A shining star of this production (Anest)...outrageous, over-the-top, egotistical, and hilariously played..."ME" is one of the outstanding musical numbers...”
Santa Ynez Valley News
“James Anest brought the audience to laughter multiple times wth his performance as the arrogant, cardboard villain, Gaston...over-the top machismo [and] handsome face.”
Santa Barbara Independent
“James Anest's Gaston is full of witty touches: you feel like he's a friend up there, even though he's the bad guy.”
As Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew
The Daily Breeze
“Tall and handsome, he strides across the stage in his oversized boots, angrily slapping his servants around and depriving his wife of food and sleep to get her to comply and conform.”
As Emile de Becque in South Pacific
North County Times
“Yet the castmate who steals the show is Moonlight newcomer James Anest, a talented opera singer from Los Angeles…From the second Anest opens his mouth and his full-bodied baritone melts over you like a sip of fine Chardonnay, you can see why Nellie falls hook line and sinker for the mysterious Frenchman…The problem is with opera singers performing show tunes is that they can come off bombastic…but Anest’s voice slides smoothly into the role…he plays the role with a sophisticated tenderness that’s very French and very endearing.”
News-Journal
“James Anest makes a stunning Moonlight Ampitheatre debut as Emile De Becque in the Vista Theatre’s production of South Pacific…Anest, who comes to Moonlight from the operatic stage wowed last night Friday night’s audience from the first notes of “Twin Soliloquies” through “Some Enchanted Evening”, and “This Nearly Was Mine”…excelled in acting and singing.”
North County Times
“…if you go for no other reason than to hear the classic baritone voice of James Anest in the role of Emile De Becque, you time will be well-spent. Emile has one of those voices that bring tears to your eyes—Ezio Pinza would be proud.”
The Star
“James Anest is quite a bit younger than the role he’s playing, Emile de Becque, but that’s totally forgotten when he embraces the show’s superb ballads with his classically flavored baritone.”
San Diego Jewish Times
“…beautiful operatic voice…”
As El Gallo in The Fantasticks
North County Times
"Heading the cast is James Anest in the dual roles of El Gallo and the narrator. The Los Angeles baritone, who stole the show in the Moonlight's South Pacific last summer and Lend Me a Tenor in November, provides the show's best musical moments - particularly his moving rendition of "Try to Remember." He's a confident and eloquent narrator, a goofy ham in the abduction scenes, and gentle and persuasive in his romantic scene..."
Backstage West/Drama Log
“A perfectly cast El Gallo, James Anest possesses qualities requisite to the seductive,dangerous magical charmer. Employing his rich baritone beautifully, he is the show’s ace.”
As the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance
Back Stage West “Critic’s Pick”
"As the Pirate King, James Anest both looks and sounds like Kevin Kline, who played it in the Papp revival (and the subsequent film version), displaying a fine flair for pratfalls as the bungling leader of the soft-hearted pirates."
The Star
“First among many good points is the singing. Audiences could probably be enthralled at hearing James Anest sing anything; even the alphabet…Anest puts his strong, vibrant voice to supple use as the Pirate King. He is vigorous, funny, and remarkably agile, leaping, somersaulting and tumbling his way around - and off - the stage with aplomb.”
As Max in Lend Me A Tenor
North County Times
“Anest fits the role of Max like a glove, both as the nerdy, nervous apprentice and finally as the confident conqueror…pulls off an exhausting tour de force performance, ably meeting the verbal and physical demands of the role.”
New-Journal
"Max, played by James Anest, is convinced to take the famous tenor’s place…both on and off the stage, with some hilarious results.”
As Masetto in Don Giovanni
Goleta Valley Voice
"…dashing and full-voiced…"
As Schaunard in La Bohème
Santa Barbara News Press
“…delightful camaraderie and solid singing.”
Complete opera, musical theatre and concert resumes available upon request
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