While she was regrettably not able to fulfill her contract as 2nd Lady in Mozart’s MAGIC FLUTE or as Countess Ceprano in Pucinni’s RIGOLETTO (both with Opera North) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Shanelle recently made her debut on a digital stage, having performed the role of Jenny Diver in City Lyric Opera’s ambitious interactive online performance of Kurt Weill’s THREEPENNY OPERA.
Previously, she made her role debut in the titular role of Carmen with GLOW Lyric Theater (Greenville, SC) and appeared in GLOW’s summer festival production of MY FAIR LADY.
Career highlights include having debuted in 2017 with the renowned Glimmerglass Festival in the premiere production of Paige Hernandez and Victor Simonson’s newly commissioned hip-hopera, Stomping Grounds. Thereafter, an engagement with GLOW Lyric Theater (Greenville, SC) marked her role debut as Tituba in Robert Ward’s The Crucible and as Ronnie in the seminal rock musical, HAIR. Ms. Woods made her Spoleto Festival USA debut in the 2016 season, doubly featured as Annie in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and as Kentucky Kate in the world premiere of Edmund Thornton Jenkins’ African Romance, Afram ou La Belle Swita. This was followed by an engagement as Jeanette in the Chevalier de Saint-Georges opera L’Amant anonyme, as part of the 2016 Colour of Music Festival.
Equally at home on the operatic, musical theater, or concert stage…vocalist Shanelle Woods is repeatedly praised as an artist with vocal expressivity, a commanding stage presence, and a range flexible enough to support a breadth of characters.
“Shanelle Valerie Woods lent Jenny due gravitas, wielding a potent mezzo with an expressive vibrato.”
“As {Carmen}, Shanelle Valerie Woods’ rich, emotive mezzo tones and her expressive features and physicality gave her command of the stage.” ”
“Shanelle Woods as Carmen presented not only a beautiful, desirable presence, but a wonderful mezzo soprano with excellent phrasing. At the conclusion, it was evident that the audience also loved the performance.”
““The [HAIR] tribe executes one extraordinary composition after another: the monster acid-pop hit “Aquarius” (led by the splendidly commanding Shanelle Woods, the accomplished mezzo soprano who also sings the pivotal role of Tituba in “The Crucible.””
““The constant shift between operetta-like melodies, witty commentary and good jazzy tunes kept things lively…Shanelle Woods’s song as “Kentucky Kate” was regrettably short.”
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