Here’s what’s sublime about the production...Bloody Mary (Yvonne Strumecki) closing the mesmerizing “Bali Hai” with a single note that seems to hover in the air like a jewel.
- Catey Sullivan (Chicago Sun-Times)
Additional amazing singing comes from Yvonne Strumecki as the aspirant Tonkinese merchant Bloody Mary, who casts a vocal spell with the song "Bali Ha'i."
- Scott C. Morgan (Daily Herald)
The hypnotic and exotic “Bali Ha’i,” passionately performed by Yvonne Strumecki, as a likable, but determined Bloody Mary, is staged with haunting allure. It’s unlike anything theatergoers will have seen in other productions…And Ms. Strumecki’s Bloody Mary is more than simply a comic caricature with two great songs. She’s a real mother desperate to secure a better life for her young daughter, Liat. Her deep, resonant voice caresses the melody and attacks the lyrics of “Happy Talk” with the ferocity of a desperate car salesperson needing to make a sale.
- Colin Douglas (Chicago Theatre Review)
A Standout Performance
- Emily McClanathan (Broadway World)
The musical…includes perhaps one of the strongest supporting casts in any production of “South Pacific” I have ever seen. Yvonne Strumecki is absolutely stunning as “Bloody Mary”. Strumecki’s vocals are rich and impressive and she is able to both hit the high notes and get the laughs in this role, which can be heavy handed if not approached just the way she did, with more warmth than anger. Strumecki’s voice is simply beautiful during my favorite song from the show, “Bali Hai,” and both desperate and wry during “Happy Talk,” as she tries to talk the Lt. Joseph Cable into staying with her beautiful native daughter, Liat.
- Kimberly Katz (Buzz Center Stage)
As Bloody Mary, the colorful Tonkinese entrepreneur, Yvonne Strumecki is utterly sterling and to the manor born.
- Jonathan Abarbanel (Windy City Times)
Yvonne Strumecki, who plays Bloody Mary, is a fabulous singer