Among the supporting cast the standout was mezzo-soprano Kelly Birch (a resident artist at Kansas City Opera) as the spinster Marcellina. She excelled as Desiree Armfeldt in “A Little Night Music.” Her stature, sure approach to intonation and tone, and attention to the music’s little details paid off every time she opened her mouth.
Harvey Steiman, The Aspen Times, August 2019
The singers in the central roles, both in their 30s, used their maturity to bring depth to their characters. Kelly Birch as Desiree Armfeldt carried herself with the glamor of a stage star and delivered a perfectly pitched “Send In The Clowns,” the score’s most popular song.
Harvey Steiman, The Aspen Times, July 2019
"...mezzo Kelly Birch gave us a steady Kate Pinkerton, sympathetic to a degree, yet unapologetic in her intent."
Libby Hanssen, KC Studio, November 2018
"Kelly Birch, in the challenging role of Rosmira... carried out valiantly all of the opera’s dramatic heavy lifting... Her ample mezzo-soprano essayed well both coloratura flights and more stately lyrical assignments."
Ken Herman, San Diego Story, August 2018
"Kelly Birch, another powerful mezzo-soprano, displayed her agility and sprightly articulation in “Iris, Hence Away” from Handel’s Semele; appropriately, she will sing Rosmira in Handel’s Partenope for Opera NEO."
Ken Herman, San Diego Story, July 2018