Reviews

Encore!  Broadway Favorites of the American Songbook

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". . . Compliments must be paid to individual performers for their work as vocalists and actors.  A huge shout-out goes to Janine Mercandetti, who nailed “Bali Ha’i” from South Pacific and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. The woman has a solid, strong voice and confident stage presence." - Debbie Waltzer, Democrat & Chronicle Newspaper, NY



Susan in [title of show]

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"The show needs, and has at Blackfriars, a strong cast. Dan Howell (Jeff), Matt Liptak (Hunter), Janine Mercandetti (Susan), Elizabeth West (Heidi) and Andy Pratt (Larry) were phenomenal and beyond deserving of the standing ovation the full house gave them. . . Mercandetti and West played secondary characters, but were so entertaining you couldn’t wait for them to get back onstage. The always powerful Mercandetti brought the house down several times, most notably with her prowess in “Die, Vampire, Die!,” a ballad about the fears that haunt artists ." - Caurie Putnam, Democrat & Chronicle Newspaper, NY



Lucille Frank in Parade


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The written and audience reviews for Parade have been absolutely incredible!  Thank you.  However, something very special happened to me for the first time in my career during the run of this show and that is the only review I am choosing to share here.

After one of my performances, I walked into the lobby like I always do to greet my family and  friends. Much to my surprise, I was greeted with a rousing second round of applause by the 150 - 200 people left in the lobby.  It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my career.  I will cherish it for always.  The written review of one person's opinion is always a fun thing to share.  But this, to me, is the review that really counts.  Reaching the entire audience is what truly matters to me as an artist.  Thank you.  I will never forget this exceptional honor.  - Janine Mercandetti



Mrs. Walker in The Who's Tommy


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“The "Tommy" cast is filled with excellent actors and singers, [with some of the biggest pipes in Rochester], all of whom acquit themselves well...Janine Mercandetti and J. Simmons play Tommy's parents...they absolutely cooked on the duet "I Believe My Own Eyes" and in Mercandetti's solo, "Smash the Mirror."                                                                                                         - Eric Rezsnyak, City Newspaper, NY



Lisa in Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical


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"Janine Mercandetti really impresses as Lisa, the cheerleading Salieri to Debbie's Mozart, cackling maniacally as she sets about stealing Debbie's man and possibly even her dreams. She rips into her big, bluesy number "God Must Love a Fool," and lacks even a hint of self-consciousness in her performance."
                                                                                                       - Eric Rezsnyak, City Newspaper, NY



Rhoda in A New Brain


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"...the cast is stellar...Janine Mercandetti is a well-sung, heartfelt Rhoda..."
                                                                                            - Mary Hanrahan, broadwayworld.com, NY

"Hilarious, deeply moving, and relentlessly entertaining."
                                                                                                       - Eric Rezsnyak, City Newspaper, NY

"A New Brain at Blackfriars [Theatre] is Rochester’s must-see musical of the season." - Ralph Meranto, Democrat & Chronicle, NY



Woman 2 in Edges


'Woman 2
"...we meet the gregarious life-of-the-party girl (mezzo Janine Mercandetti)...In “I’ve Gotta Run” the jazzy belter Mercandetti sings her laundry list of men she couldn’t commit to with a fierce comic knack."- Michael Dale, broadwayworld.com, NYC



Bonnie Paisley in The Paisley Sisters' Christmas Special


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"In the burlesque strip tease “Mrs. Santa Claus Blues,” Bonnie (Janine Mercandetti) provides the perfect showstopper as she breaks from the show’s FCC-palatable material for a closer look at Christmas “on the pole."
                                                                                         - Matthew Murray, talkinbroadway.com, NYC



Woman 1 in Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well & Living In Paris


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"My favorite of all his songs, the heartbreakingly beautiful cri de coeur, "Marieke"... Ricci and especially Mercandetti portray the characters and emotions each song created. Mercandetti sang with great conviction, especially in "Marieke" and "Brussels." - Michael Lasser, City Newspaper, NY



Woman 1 in Shipwrecked!  An Entertainment 
                                The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself)


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"In the roles of Player #1 and Player #2, Janine Mercandetti and Jason Mincer get to literally put on a variety of hats, playing everything from a sea captain...to a dog. Both of them are at their best in the scenes where De Rougemont is grilled by a phalanx of supposed scientific experts, although they have many wonderful moments throughout the show...Toward its end the play takes a somewhat unexpected turn, and what started out as a cheerful distraction takes on a very real heaviness. It's not that the tonal shift doesn't work - it does, thanks mostly to the excellent acting and directing that leads us to the point..." - Eric Rezsnyak, City Newspaper, NY




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