THE TURN OF
THE SCREW
“...Jordan Rutter was riveting as Miles. With his slight frame and piping, vibrato-less vocal production, the countertenor convincingly suggested boyishness. But he brought intimations of adult sexuality that no actual child could convey, and the play between innocence and corruption in his eyes was frightening to behold. This Miles seemed truly possessed by a demon, and when he sang "I am bad" you could thoroughly believe him. In Rutter's performance, the fearsome essence of Britten's music drama, only intermittently apprehensible elsewhere, came through with full force.”
Fred Cohn, Opera News 1/25/20
“Soprano Ashley Emerson and countertenor Jordan Rutter, both adults, embody the mischief of Flora and Miles, respectively, with Addams Family panache … There is anguish in Rutter’s rueful cries of “Malo” …”
Sean Piccoli, NY Classical Review 10/26/19
“The children – Flora (soprano Ashley Emerson) and Miles (countertenor Jordan Rutter) – were a dark delight, the actors convincing even if not age appropriate. Flora's sass and Miles' brooding defiance left one waiting for them to reappear …”
Kurt Gottschalk, bachtrack 10/28/19
THE SCARLET IBIS
“The young countertenor was convincingly boyish and equally credible as the handicapped yet dreamy Doodle. His light, graceful countertenor handled all of the role’s challenges and blended smoothly with Rosen’s mezzo in their climactic tender duet, which earned an ovation from the audience.
Dramatically, Rutter conveyed Doodle’s vulnerability and guileless innocence as well as the boy’s growing assertiveness, as he seems to receive stoic strength from the dying soul of the Ibis.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review 2/17/19
“Rutter accepts the challenge of such a complex role with grace and virtuosic vocal facility; he is the lifeblood of the opera with his soaring tonal purity and evocative stage presence. Shifting between vocal registers with the ease of a flying bird, there are few who could match Rutter’s skill as a countertenor, and fewer who could match the lovable heart he bears without restriction.”
Quinn Rigg, Chicagoland Musical Theater 2/18/19
“And then there’s young counter-tenor Jordan Rutter, whose disabled Doodle, enthrallingly sung and exuberantly immediate, embodies the mind on wings. Doodle’s zest for beauty anywhere radiates in every note. It’s no accident that Rutter gets to sing the work’s most involved and melodious passages. His voice is a gift for every ear.”
Lawrence Bommer, Stage and Cinema 2/17/19
“…as Weisman points out in his notes in the program, all of the female voices in the opera were set lower than Doodle’s, allowing ‘his lines to soar above them all.’ In the hands of Annie Rosen and Jordan Rutter, both fine actors and singers, this approach worked abundantly well, with Rutter managing to convey both the outer fragility and the inner strength of Doodle as well as the sense of ‘otherness’ that hung over him.”
Kyle MacMillan, Classical Voice North America 2/21/19
THREE WAY
“Rutter was particularly beguiling as the insecure, needy Kyle...”
Eli Jacobson, Gay City News 7/20/18
“Rutter gave his postgender wallflower character Kyle some nice shading; his “Why So Shy” aria was another standout.”
Joel Rozen, parterre box 6/16/17
“Countertenor Jordan Rutter’s poignant aria “Why So Shy?” is especially compelling, revealing his character’s nagging sense of uncertainty and isolation.”
Amy Stumpfl, Tennessean 1/27/17
“The best operatic moments arose from the loneliness experienced by one who is left out of group gropes — countertenor Jordan Rutter delivered the evening's best and most affecting singing.”
David Patrick Stearns, WQXR 6/16/17
”Countertenor Jordan Rutter, as half of a postgender couple, gave a gorgeous, contemplative look at the person inside his outward bluster…“
Richard Sasanow, BroadwayWorld 6/19/17
"Countertenor Jordan Rutter and mezzo Melisa Bonetti blend together beautifully to form a single, androgynous voice as they sing, 'Male or female, it's all in flux'... Pure-voiced countertenor Rutter nicely sums up the evening with Kyle's hope-filled waltz envisioning a future free from sexual repression."
Joe Cadigan, Opera News 5/18/18
CABARET SONGS OF WILLIAM BOLCOM
“Clad in skinny pants, held up with suspenders and sporting a fuschia bow tie at a rakish angle, the impish Mr. Rutter employed every ounce of dramatic ability to make each song an operatic story … We might add that Mr. Rutter's clear enunciation of the English contributed to the success of the evening. With text as compelling as Mr. Weinstein's, one doesn't want to miss anything.”
meche kroop, voce di meche 5/17/17
“Jordan Rutter is the perfect combination of incredible voice control and volume, compassionate facial expressions of the lyrics and a stage personality the audience [falls] in love with.”
Riana Rawson, Don411.com
POISON
“I was honestly riveted just watching [Huppuch and Laurence] figure out their lives and, when joined by the beautiful voice of Jordan Rutter, it's a truly poignant show that will bring tears to your eyes...”
Kristin Morale, BroadwayWorld 11/19/16
“Countertenor Jordan Rutter sings “Morgen” by Richard Strauss at the opening and between scenes, but his beautiful, mournful delivery only emphasizes the lack of sound cues under the dialogue and the resulting sense of utter emptiness.”
John Sobel, blogcritics 11/16/16