Suzanne Carrico

"With a program more than artfully arranged by Don Rebic, and played by Tedd Firth at the piano, Sean Harkness on guitar, Jim DeMatteo on bass and Dan Gross on drums, and who more than beautifully kicked off the proceedings with a fluid jazz-rock arrangement of "Joy to the World," Carrico assumed her rightful place center stage as an abject star-to-be, and was home before she began, with a coupling of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Aside from proving her gift for being both utterly elegant and strangely grounded to earth from start to finish, she managed to trump two longtime favorite holiday recordings of the modern cabaret genre, namely "What Child is This?" as done by jazz vocalist Gail Wynters in '94, with an arrangement by Paquito D'Rivera, and the chestnut "My Favorite Things," which was long associated with Thos Shipley. "Because It's Christmas" was given a humorous buildup, before Carrico transformed it into a piece vocally outstanding, which gave way to a completely profound "Some Children See Him," especially provocative in the modern climate that rightfully promotes understanding between people of all colors and orientations. And her rendering of "Gesu Bambino" was, in a word, heavenly, besides proving herself a marvelous swingstress on "The Man With the Bag."
- ANDREW MARTIN
12/10 - Nitelife Exchange

"Ms. Carrico’s first album is quite obviously a labor of love. Entitled What Christmas Time Means to Me, it is a gorgeously packaged (Hector Coris’ design, Heather Sullivan’s photos) and lush affair with arrangements by Don Rebic"
- DARRYL GLENN
11/23/10 - Nitelife Exchange

"Working with a four piece combo, including pianist and arranger Don Rebic, Carrico offers up a fizzy, champagne-like holiday cocktail with this 11-track CD. Carrico's breeze-y style beautifully suits such songs as "The Man With the Bag" as well as a medley of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Let It Snow," which she delivers along with Booth Daniels. Additionally, her delicate vocal touch gives surprising weight to her delivery of more solemn selections, including "What Child Is This?," "Gesu Bamino," and the disc's closing track, a hauntingly solemn medley of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
- ANDY PROBST
12/07/10 - Theater Mania

"Once again her unique vocals were captivating.Suzanne, along with her co-producer Booth Daniels and associate producer, arranger and musical director Don Rebic have given us a Christmas-time treasure meant for listening - year after year.

The timeless song list is packed with favorite gems for the season, and each served with refreshing new wrapping of creativity and glistening with ribbons and sparkle."
- STU HAMSTRA
11/23/10 - Cabaret Hotline Online

"With her long curly blonde locks cascading down to a full-length red dress, her look and sound gleam with casual elegance, as her lovely and confidant vocals are matched with attention to lyrics that make even often-heard standards like "Silver Bells" and "What Child Is This?" pop with interesting story-telling. And you don't need to understand Italian to savor the solemn purity of her "Gesu Bambino."
- MICHAEL DALE 12/16/2010 - Broadway World

"Suzanne Carrico... definitely has pipes to wake Rip Van Winkle from a sound slumber — especially when she tears into final notes on big numbers."
- David Finkle - Backstage

"I predict, in not too long a time, she could be winning awards as a major contender in the cabaret arena. Certainly she appears to be heading in the right direction."
- Jan Wallman - Cabaret Exchange

"Carrico is a promising performer with a pleasing voice and an engaging manner."
- Peter Leavy - Cabaret Scenes

"Ms. Carrico colors what is essentially a legit sound by judiciously straightening her tone and utilizing a sexy mix; musically, her performance was admirable, and refreshingly appropriate to her material. A tall, slender, very attractive blonde in an elegant strapless dress, she displayed a poise and a seriousness of purpose."
- Jennie Litt - Cabaret Exchange

After accepting her MAC Award for Female Debut on May 6, Suzanne Carrico, dressed in a strapless white dress, was all smiles and attended both the after-Awards parties to celebrate. At the Laurie Beechman Theatre in the West Bank Café on Theatre Row (where Jonathan did his act and recorded it), both she and Jonathan were asked to come up on stage and sing a song for the attendees. The second party was at The Metropolitan Room on West 22nd Street, the site of her first and upcoming shows. It was there that we began our interview, despite the late hour. Of course, the question at hand was how it felt to win the coveted award. “I am thrilled that, after so much effort, I finally made my debut. If it weren’t for Sundance and The Mercer Foundation, I never would have done cabaret.” She paused. “It took so long, but that’s OK,” she smiled, “because I got here.” She’s clearly gratified, but I asked her what she hopes having won the MAC Award will lead to. “Essentially, what I’m hoping is the MAC Award will be the gateway to the regional circuit.” Suzanne is eager to perform in other cities on a regular basis. “I want to wear more pretty gowns and sing my face off. It makes me happy.”
- Rob Lester - Cabaret Exchange

"You simply must head downtown to catch singer Suzanne Carrico in her dazzling performance of her new show ART OF THE CAHN: Music from the Sammy Cahn Songbook. With Tedd Firth on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, the show is one of the best I've seen so far this year - the performance was perfection and Ms. Carrico's vocals are unbelievable. Direction by Mary Cleere Haran must be given some of the credit, since the show is perfectly crafted and executed."
- Stu Hamstra - Cabaret Hotline Online

“I learned a great lesson from a talented (but fairly new) performer the other night. The lesson: pauses are just as important as the written lyrics when performing a song. Suzanne Carrico proved that to me in her new show THE FRIENDLIEST THING at the Metropolitan Room. With the amazing Tedd Firth at the piano (providing some spectacular arrangements) & Steve Doyle on bass, Suzanne proved again why she fully deserved the 2008 MAC Award for female debut. Some truly incredible & unexpected song pairings gave the performance an attention-keeping spin... "Do It Again" (Gershwin/DeSylva) never sounded so sexy. A triplet of songs from Harold Arlen ("Dissertation on the State of Bliss" [Gershwin] "I Had Myself a True Love" [Mercer] "Hooray for Love" [Robin]) near the end of the show almost sounded like a romantic film score - such beauty, such class! Only thing missing was the violins! Ms. Carrico is just beginning in the cabaret world, & yet she shows a poise & confidence that even some longtime cabaret icons have yet to achieve! Impeccable phrasing, lovely vocals, physical beauty, inspired song choices & nearly perfect timing all came together to make this performance (and this performer) a true delight."
- Stu Hamstra
- Cabaret Hotline Online

“When you’ve worked hard on your first cabaret show & end up winning the MAC Award for Outstanding Female Debut, what do you do for an encore? Well, if you’re Suzanne Carrico, you simply do a brand new act & do it quite well. And, if you have a mind for joy & a boy & your ploy is being a bit coy, you make your theme “Sex” & do it with charm rather than smarm, it’s class instead of crass. Yes, the act is done in a way that won’t make your Aunt Mildred blush. Suzanne has too much elegance & is too smart---she knows a wink can be more effective than a leer. She’s singing well: with a light & lovely tone but judiciously using her belt voice when passions build.”
- Rob Lester - Cabaret Exchange

Suzanne Carrico is a lovely performer. Poised. Confident. She has the looks and the voice. It would be wise to catch her now before she becomes a major cabaret presence. See her. Support her. She has the potential to become a major force in cabaret and musical theater...I can’t wait to see what develops with Suzanne Carrico... With her beauty and a voice that could charm a snake she has to come out on top.
- Oscar Moore - Talk Entertainment

"This is either the smartest show about sex or the sexiest show about smarts in town... In outstanding company both offstage (Mary Cleere Haran is her director) and on (she's got music director/arranger Tedd Firth on piano and Steve Doyle on bass), Carrico has the kind of sunny, uncomplicated voice that can fill "Hooray For Love" with perky glee, matched with the kind of acting skill that can explore the dark dramatic longings of Arlen and Johnny Mercer's "I Had Myself a True Love," climaxing in an anguished belt that is far more about the woman she portrays than her ability to vocally shine."
- Michael Dale - Broadway World