Untitled Document

"In the leading role Darius de Haas transformed himself into the emotional center of the quietly volcanic musical Running Man."

"Daydreams are often regarded as those stolen moments of mystical reflection when one steps outside of time and plays in the world of imagination. And so it is with Day Dream, a stunning tribute to Billy Strayhorn, stylized by the vocals of Darius de Haas, a veteran of the theater."

"In Darius de Haas, Strayhorn's musical poems find an interpreter of uncompromising integrity who brings imagination and supple style to every lilting phrase."

"De Haas is blessed with a gorgeous voice and a keen theatrical sophistication... he transforms his first solo album, day dream, into one of the finest Strayhorn salutes ever captured on disc."

"De Haas' interpretations are driven by an astonishingly versatile voice. Switching his intense vibrato on and off at will, soaring up into piercing head tones, dropping into deeper chest sounds, De Haas applies this rich vocabulary of sounds to the job of telling Strayhorn's compelling musical stories."

"With a voice like velvet, de Haas can stretch a note out forever, but it never feels like he is showboating - he wields his voice like an instrument, soaring and swooping alongside the accompanying sax, upright bass, and piano."

"An astonishing vocal acrobat, Mr. de Haas combines the timbre of a pure wind instrument with a fearless but disciplined theatricality and the swinging authority of a jazz powerhouse. Working with a jazz ensemble led by the pianist Deidre Rodman, Mr. de Haas created a show that transformed familiar and obscure tunes alike into something electrically thrilling."

'Mr. de Haas gives one of the best musical performances this season. Assured and impassioned, his running man is a figure of mystery and pathos, his failure to thrive the stuff of modern tragedy.'

"If you're interested in jazz, the American songbook or just an incredible male vocalist, don't overlook Darius de Haas."

" 'I can't think of any young man who is in a better position to receive my mantle -- not that I'm retiring,' Andre De Shields says. "

"de Haas' voice can range from a low, velvety baritone up through a resonant falsetto so rich it could be a contender with Irish tenors."

"A performer comfortable with every spectrum of music theater, be it the classic works of Rodgers and Hammerstein or the current writings of Adam Guettel and Ricky Ian Gordon"

"The actor proves to be a singer with an amazing vocal range and dexterity, and a performer who can reveal the sorrows, pains and joys of the composer's richly layered repertoire with an intensity and honesty that easily envelops and mesmerizes the listener. De Haas has found the key to making jazz a theatrical experience."

"de Haas is a standout in the dual roles of Cain and Japheth."

"The cast is strong, especially Darius de Haas as Gregory, who is in great voice and seems to grow up before our eyes"

"Even more impressive was Darius de Haas, a jazz and Broadway singer who sang "Heaven" simply but with burning fire."

"The big cheers went to Darius de Haas, a tenor who broke through to the countertenor range on 'Heaven.' "

"Schele Williams’ direction is as smooth as de Haas’ performance. Indeed, de Haas is such a magnetic marvel standing on the platform of Michael Wartofsky’s endlessly inventive score that we can easily see him as much more than The Man in My Head."

"As Cain, Darius de Haas rages with energy and righteous indignation and the desire to see the world and fills the theater with his powerful voice that communicates all his hunger, pain and rage."

“Darius de Haas does well by all the numbers he sings and dances, and he decisively stops the show with his deliciously lugubrious rendition of The Viper’s Drag.”

“Darius de Haas moves like a panther. Fantastic! He has that rare ability to make each person in an audience of hundreds feel as if they are being sung to directly and specifically by him.”

"Darius de Haas was perfect as the loving but conflicted C.C. White, leading the heartfelt ballad "Family" with vocal tone so gorgeous as to make the angels weep."

"I was particularly taken with Darius de Haas, who gives the show its anchor of emotional reality"

"Running Man becomes a confused, lost, destroyed adult whose downfall is dynamically and wrenchingly played out by Darius de Haas."

"Darius de Haas as Cain is singing notes in Lost in the Wilderness I had never thought of, but his great voice and intensity make the song doubly exciting."

"de Haas elicited the same sense of awe produced by Stevie Wonder's best records. The earth opened up and released a torrent. The seasons flashed by; passions flared and died; new life took root."

"Audra McDonald gets strong support from Darius de Haas as her wastrel brother."

"When he sings, it's like the equivalent of watching silk ribbons being unfurled across the sky."

"de Haas is never less than vocal perfection."

"Among the varied delights were de Haas's sublime treatment of Ellington's In a Sentimental Mood."

"Day Dream is an extraordinary piece, rich in smoky harmonies and a snaking, elusive line. With his sinuous tenor, Darius de Haas conjured up an air of weary and battered glamour."

“Audra McDonald is joined by the marvelous Darius de Haas for Love Song for Lucinda, rendered by Ricky Ian Gordon as a jazz waltz. De Haas and McDonald are also skillful actors: Given Gordon’s sterling settings, they interpret these compelling texts for all they’re worth. Darius de Haas gets the whole disc off to a promising start with yet another Hughes lyric, Heaven. His soaring performance sets the bar early, and the rest of the record is just as heavenly.”

"Darius de Haas (David, the preacher) and Audra McDonald (Consuelo, an illegal alien), deserve special mention. De Haas has an extraordinary vocal range that is clear and forceful. And McDonald possesses a voluptuous sound that is always sensitive to the musical phrase."

"At the root of the singer's artistry, beyond his stunning vocal instrument and immaculate control, is his intrinsically theatrical way with a song."