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"Bass Kevin Burdette arrived as the devilish Nick Shadow, who brings news that a forgotten uncle has left Tom a fortune. Bent on claiming Tom's soul, Shadow offers to show him the ways of the world in London, and Mr. Burdette, singing with earthy power and flair, was slyly demonical." -New York Times
"Best of all, however, was Kevin Burdette as Nick Shadow. His first appearance, appropriately enough, was as just a silhouette (a nifty trick of Norman Coates's lighting design), but upon his actual entrance, he commanded the proceedings. Burdette's Nick cut a fiendishly dashing figure, everything about him sharply delineated - his diction, his gestures and his penetratingly pointed bass. At times, Burdette dominated scenes merely by observing the goings-on with a wryly arched eyebrow. In Shadow's final aria after Tom has defeated him at cards, Burdette's bemused detachment turned to magnificent fury." -Opera News
"At the other end of the moral spectrum was Kevin Burdette’s Nick Shadow, charismatically cynical yet terrifying. The brief scene near the end after Nick loses out on Tom’s soul was easily the highlight of the performance. Burdette’s baritone flashed forth as Nick Shadow tore off clothing, hair, and all semblances of charm, promising vengeance and gnashing teeth as hell dragged him back into its flames." -Opera News
"As the demonic Nick Shadow, Kevin Burdette had a commanding baritone juxtaposed against dramatic points effectively made with glances, nuances, and a restrained physical vocabulary." -Philadelphia Inquirer
"Kevin Burdette was a smooth operator as Nick Shadow. His bass voice was clarion and penetrating. When Tom bests him in a card game, Burdette’s performance turned chilling. Stripping off his vest, shirt, and wig, he sang a terrifying 'I burn, I freeze,' while rubbing blood all over himself." -Boston Classical Review
"With respect to acting, [Tom] was as convincing a sympathetic anti-hero as was Kevin Burdette a devilish arch-villain. Having sung roles with BLO in recent seasons, Burdette returned to Boston as Stravinsky's heavy, Nick Shadow. A superb all-around actor, he has appeared in several contemporary operas in the interim; so he was completely at home with Stravinsky's idiom. His sturdy basso was in excellent form, and his nimble, fluid stage movement made for an unusually suave Shadow." - EDGE Boston
"Kevin Burdette’s
wily, quick-silver, comprehension manifests even before he opens his mouth
to sing the bass and base tones that Igor Stravinsky’s musical score
prompts. Nick’s very double-takes turn to satanic comprehension on
the instant. His bearing is subtly modulated to the fears and hopes of
each character that he addresses and each world that he inhabits...Lingering
skepticism that virtue could neatly, if not absolutely, trump vice was
banished, for me, by Nick Shadow’s horrible dissolution. Once so
devilishly dominant a player in this game of ultimate stakes, Kevin Burdett’s
Nick Shadow, countered, evokes a pity so irrational it almost reaches
out a hand to a villainy blasted by its own slick machinations."
-Artscope Boston
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