The Vocalist in The Burial at Thebes – Brava Theatre Center, Quixote Project:

    “He highlights the easygoing passivity of the citizens with a sultry  Ariela Morgenstern (of Rococo and the trio Girlkulture) crooning bluesy standards and new songs by musical director Pat Moran, who leads an accomplished on-stage quartet.”      

                             - Robert Herwitt, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/17/06

The Title Role in Bizet's Carmen – San Francisco Lyric Opera   

“The truth must be told: Opera goes better with such beautiful, fiery singing actresses as Ariela Morgenstern in the title role (Carmen)”            

                                - Janos Gereben, SF Classical Voice.org, 11/8/05

Jenny in The Threepenny Opera – Westy Bay Opera 

"This was a production excellently sung from beginning to end, with the dramatic down-and-dirty element captured particularly by Ariela Morgenstern, who, as a modern-day incarnation of Lotte Lenya's Jenny, burned up the stage with her cabaret-smoky persona.  Morgenstern's electrifying performance seemed to inspire the rest of the cast, and, after her entrance, the show just kept getting better and better."

                                 - Kirk Alburger, 21st-Century Music Journal, 7/2006

 “Jenny Diver is played by Ariela Morgenstern, with a smoky, cabaret mezzo soprano sound that was perfect for the role.”          

                                 - Mort Levine, The Almanac, 6/6/05

“...Ariela Morgenstern slams it out of the park. She's the ultimate sultry good-girl-gone-bad, prostitute with a heart, practical and lovelorn at the same time. As many times as I've seen "Threepenny," I've seldom seen this role better sung or acted -- she's a knockout.”          

                                - Jeanie Forte, Palo Alto Weekly, 6/3/05

Rococo Risque’s Liberties Taken

        “‘Some people have said, 'What gives you the right to talk about what's going on in the war?' Ariela Morgenstern relates, and emphasizes that the company brushes off such criticism. ‘That's  what satire is; that's what everyone should be talking about.’”   

                                - Hiya Swanhuyser, SF Weekly, 2/16/05

Set of Weill Pieces -  SF Conservatory’s Blueprints concert    

“Morgenstern successfully captured the full range of styles, shifting effortlessly from her deep and husky chest voice to more-operatic lyrical passages and on to quasi-spoken cabaret. Most importantly, she was an actress through and through… She had panache and charisma that were infectious and the audience could not help but applaud after each of the numbers.”

                                    - Jonathan Russell, SF Classical Voice.org, 11/6/04

Punk Rock Orchestra        

“…you might hear…voluptuous mezzo-soprano Ariela Morgenstern, middle finger riding up her black vinyl dress to teasingly flip the audience off, belting the Buzzcocks' "Orgasm Addict," her high wails         threatening to shatter every cocktail glass in sight.”

                                - Joe Jarrell, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/26/04

SF Weekly Music Awards

"Ariela Morgenstern…receives a standing ovation (the first in SF Weekly Music Awards history) for her spine-tingling rendition of George Bizet's “Habanera” from Carmen. "

                                - Silke Tudor, SF Weekly, 11/22/03

Weill/Vamp - Café Proust

“During a recent Kurt Weill tribute…I found myself unexpectedly overcome by the vocal prowess of mezzo-soprano Ariela Morgenstern. Having already awed audiences in Austria with the same repertoire, she toyed with us, emphasizing her theatrical training and lusty good humor, as well as the ribald nature of the songs. During the encore, however, our jaws dropped…Her voice alone would be worth the price of admission to "Unkle Paul's Dark Kabaret.”            

                                - Silke Tudor, SF Weekly, 11/27/02

The Title Role in Bizet's Carmen – Bay Shore Lyric Opera

“Carmen's bewitching aura is immediately evident. Morgenstern is striking. Morgenstern is spellbinding. Above all, Morgenstern is Carmen. With a hands-on-hips bravado that would make Joan Collins proud, this woman could captivate a corpse. And when she sings, it's pretty heavenly. To gush about Morgenstern's resilient vocals is a valid reaction. "            

                                - Greg Archer, Santa Cruz Weekly, Good Times, Oct. 26, 2000