Reviews

The King and I

The cast is led by Hannah Louise Fernandes as visiting school teacher Anna Leonowens, who with her stunning soprano voice sets a bar for excellence. A consummate performer, Ms. Fernandes is engaging throughout and provides a strong characterization of a woman ahead of her time.”

— Hamilton County Reporter
Hannah Louise Fernandes, as the feisty, headstrong Anna, turns in an exceptional performance.

— On The Aisle
Hannah Louise Fernandes plays Anna Leonowens, the teacher hired by the King of Siam in the 1860s. She is excellent in the role, filled with passion and a stubborn nature that matches the King’s. She might be frustrated by the clash of cultures, but she also falls in love with the country and its people. She and the King make the most of every inch of the stage in their joyful rendition of “Shall We Dance”.

— BroadwayWorld

Hannah Louise Fernandes as Cinderella, whose ambivalent agony “On the Steps of the Palace” will be wildly entertaining to anyone who has ever — to paraphrase Sondheim — made a decision not to decide.

— Chicago SunTimes
Cinderella (played to perfection by Hannah Louise Fernandes) has some powerful songs and of course her story is one of great complications as she struggles to survive with her step-mother and her two step-sisters.

— Around The Town
As Cinderella, Hannah Louise Fernandes brings a quiet complacency to her character’s suffering—first at the hands of her stepfamily and then at the hands of Fate. Fernandes’ most powerful emotional outburst is saved for the discovery that her mother’s grave has been devastated by the Giant. Cinderella’s connections to the living are nothing compared to the one she has with the dead woman, whose sincere love she has never found anywhere else.

— Chicago OnStage
Cinderella is played by the rich-voiced Hannah Louise Fernandes.

— Window to the World (WTTW)
Fernandes rationalizes their actions intelligently in real time through Sondheim’s syncopated phrasing and honest lyrics.

— New City Stage

"The young woman looking for love is played by Hannah Louise Fernandes, who has a sparkle to her personality that radiates to every corner of the theatre. She has a phenomenal voice that she can manipulate in endless ways – from operatic to bluesy with a hint of sin. I think every open heart in the audience will fall in love with Fernandes over the course of each performance."

— Life and Times
"Fernandes has one of the most beautiful voices in all of Chicago. To get two actors at the heart of this story that have the training to fill houses with language and with music and then to get to put them in this intimate space and ask them to find the truth for two hours is really special in a show that has such a universal theme.”

— Chicago Tribune
"Hannah Louise Fernandes, a gifted actress with a gorgeous soprano, is leading lady Amalia Balash. This lovely, petite actress explodes with passionate enthusiasm and humor in every scene. Hannah’s vocals are luminous, delivering crystal clear lyrics. Together with Ascione, these two actors have wonderful chemistry together and perfectly play off each other."

— Chicago Theatre Review