La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas

Shelley Cooper's sublime soprano soars to fill this cozy venue at least a dozen times (and could certainly fill much larger ones) as she recreates a late-in-life interview with the PRIMA-donna Maria Callas. She doesn't look like MC, but with a basic black dress and two strands of pearls---and That Voice!---she compels belief for 45 minutes (if she edited the pauses for unheard moderator questions it would be 40 or less). Even opera-phobes (like me) will be stunned and (like me) learn a lot of MC's previously-hidden early history. Thanks, Shelley, for a wonderful, too-brief theatrical evening! ... full review

Not being a big fan of opera (although far from hating or avoiding it) methinks I missed some nuance in this solo show La Divina, But, I'm not at all sure I'm missing that much. All the heart and passion was there, whether I understood those words or not.... full review

Interpreting Maria Callas it's an ambitious and dangerous move. I was worried... Shelley Cooper stepped up on the stage and I understood that "La Divina" was in good hands. Shelley Cooper is a real "Prima Donna". Elegant, powerful, precise and incredibly talented. As a melo maniac and as Italian I enjoyed fully all the Arias proposed by Shelley. I sang with her, hiding under my mask ,and as an Italian soldier told to a young Maria Callas, after she sang one of the most famous arias from " Il barbiere di Siviglia", I felt at home for a moment. ... full review

Shelley Cooper... TERRIFIC Talent. Training. Timing. Tight writing, glorious arias. Direction by Mariangela Chatzistamatiou was spot on. ... full review

I can’t believe how little I paid for this professional concert! I know nothing about Maria callas but I left wanting to. A special talent and a must-see show!... full review

Contributing to Cooper being able to pull off her vocal homage to Callas is the fact that she has a pretty impressive set of pipes herself and manages to quiver the walls of the Hudson Theatre, and probably a good portion of Santa Monica Boulevard, quite nicely with her singing. Read the full review on theTVolution.com... full review

This is one of those shows that is just a seasoned and flawless performance. It is clear that Shelly embodies the character and really transforms into Maria Callas on stage. ... full review

Shelley Cooper's voice could be on opera stages anywhere in the world, and I feel lucky to have gotten to experience it firsthand, live, in an intimate setting! And it isn't just the sheer power and range and beauty of her voice which took my breath away; it is the feeling and emotion in it, as well - it is palpable. The same goes for her grounded, strong, moving theatrical performance which had incredible depth to it. ... full review