“The doctor’s own quest against his lesser half would not be nearly as engaging if it were not for his fiancé Emma Carew. Though Shelby Young makes her LTA debut in her portrayal as the innocent Carew, her experience as a performer at notable venues such as Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall makes her a perfect fit. As her character vies for her fiancé’s focus and displays her fear for his own wellbeing in song, LTA patrons are entranced by the raw emotion of her voice.”
— Thompson Eskew, Alexandria Times
“Shelby Young is not your average ingénue. Not only is she a classically trained soprano with a breathtakingly chilling voice that soars over the ensemble in just the right places, but she also possesses serious acting chops.”
— Matré Grant, DC Theater Arts
“As [Henrik’s] counterpart, Anne, Shelby Young has the pure, high soprano needed for her ingénue role, first on display in “Soon.” Young handles well Anne’s second act awakening to the fact that she has real feelings to act upon, beyond the frivolousness she has used to keep them at bay.”
— Bob Ashby, DC Theater Arts
“Betrothed to Drood was Rosa Bud, portrayed by Shelby Young. Young was an operatic songbird with a crown of curls, her quivering vibrato engulfing the room, hitting every note with precision and delicacy. [Young and Gumina] meshed wonderfully in “Perfect Strangers,” a giddy song about the realization that you feel the same way about a situation.”
— Helen Ganley, Maryland Theatre Guide
“In Ludwig’s adaptation, the final suspect also comes to Poirot’s aid by combining the married Countess Andrenyi with the doctor who can examine the murder victim[...] Shelby Young effortlessly portrays the Countess, and her scenes with Padilla’s Poirot add an unrequited romantic twist to the mysterious journey.”
