THE GLASS MENAGERIE at 5th Wall Theatre Co., Richmond, VA
“Amanda Wingfield is one of the truly great roles for women, and Holmes carries it with a mixture of grace and madness. She is desperate to hold onto her memories of the way things used to be in the old south, and she can’t reconcile that with the harsh circumstances of her current reality. Holmes moves around the stage with the grace of a butterfly, flitting from place to place delicately and also like a charging rhino about to gore its prey. It is a bravura performance and one that should not be missed.”
-VPM (Virginia Public Media/NPR)
“Lian-Marie Holmes, who I first remember seeing in 5th Wall’s recent production of Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods is once again playing someone’s mother, but this role is meatier and juicier and has more dimension. And Holmes, who appears to be quite petite in stature, has an enormous presence that commands the stage, even when she is speaking quietly.”
-RVArt Review
“Departing a bit from Amanda’s traditionally-played pitiful style, Lian-Marie Holmes creates a character with more pluck than woe.”
-TV Jerry
LOST BOY FOUND IN WHOLE FOODS, at 5th Wall Theatre Co., Richmond, VA
“As Christine, leading lady Lian-Marie Holmes carries this show. Her portrayal is tender, relatable and her final monologue brought tears to my eyes.”
-Style Weekly
“The cast is quite good, with Lian-Marie Holmes playing both confusion and commitment as Christine”
-Broadway World
“Lian-Marie Holmes, who brings New York and regional credits to her Richmond debut as Christine, plays the role with great earnestness and heart…”
-RVArt Review
“Lian-Marie Holmes is a welcome new addition to Richmond’s theatre scene. She’s an accomplished actor and the strength of this show.”
-TV Jerry
CRIMES OF THE HEART at the 2nd Story Theatre, RI
“The cast is so invested in “Crimes” that the three leads — …as Lenny, Meg and Babe — are convincing as real sisters. (LMH) especially takes the audience on a special journey into the heart of her mother’s suicide and her interpretation of that moment of clarity is genuine.”
-The Providence Journal
“(the three leads) give extraordinary portrayals of the quibbling siblings. Anyone who has a sister will recognize and relive moments from their childhood as they witness how each sister dredges up old hurts from the past to defend her behavior and current circumstances. All three actors understand instinctively that humor in dark comedy comes from playing the roles straight.”
-NewportRI.com
DANGEROUS CORNER at the 2nd Story Theatre, RI
“The ladies played by (….LMH), manage not only those gowns but their flighty -- and harsh – dialogue with aplomb.
-The Public’s Radio (NPR/RI)
UNDER THE GASLIGHT at the Metropolitan Playhouse, NYC
"while in the busy company that doubles and triples, LMH's perky Blossom and Richard Cottrell's kindly signalman are especially authentic."
-Backstage
"Peachblossom (LMH), a spunky girl coincidently hiding from Byke's partner-in-crime...Holmes and Rosoff milk the wackiness of their characters"
-The Village Voice
"J. M. McDonough as the villainous Byke and LMH as Peachblossom play the earnest two-dimensionality of their characters forthrightly"
-NYTheatre.com
"The cast may be uniformly strong, but it's the contributions of the supporting players that will keep a smile on your face. ...As Peachblossom, Lian-Marie Holmes is a staunchly loyal servant to Laura, throwing words and her body into attack."
-TalkinBroadway.com
"Sarah Hankins is most amusing as is Lian-Marie Holmes as the street urchin Peachblossom who is eternally swearing devotion to Laura in her new life in the underclass."
-TheatreScene.net
And go here for the NY Times Review: http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/theater/reviews/30undergaslight.html
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FAUST at Classic Stage Co./Target Margin Theatre, in NYC
"a circus of operatic scale, a fun house, a tango of poetry and theatrical and sonic wizardry whose virtuosity renders the work in all its surging strangeness, power and extravagant beauty. Seeing both [parts] is an unforgettable experience, the production of a great masterwork whose fidelity and excellence are unlikely to be repeated anytime soon."
- The New York Times
“Of the remaining cast members, all of whom play multiple parts, LMH and Wayne Alon Scott distinguish themselves.”
- CurtainUp
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TOP TEN at the Sanford Meisner Theatre, NYC
"LMH (as Pris) is spunky"
-New York Times
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MEMORY RIVER with the Emerging Artists Theatre, NYC
“excellent performances given by …Holmes”
-BroadwayWorld.com
“Caiola and Cowling make an amazing team as H.M., as do Fulves and Holmes as the older and younger Dr. Nebbens.”
-StageBuzz.com
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A VISIT TO THE BRONX with the Milk Can Theatre Co., NYC
"LMH and Michael McGuirk play Adele's grandparents lovingly. It seems as though they've been brought to life from a yellowed, cracked photograph."
-nytheatre.com
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AN IDEAL HUSBAND at the American Theatre of Actors, NYC
"LMH is charmingly irreverent as Sir Chiltern's younger sister, Mabel Chiltern. She clearly understands the subtle humor of Wilde's text, scoring many laughs and even creating a believable chemistry with St. John's … Lord Goring."
-offoffonline.com
"LMH is a witty Mabel."
-Backstage
"LMH, a promising young actor who plays Miss Mabel Chiltern, has a good presence and poise on stage"
-curtainup.com
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MACBETH with the Trinity Rep. Co. Summer Shakespeare Festival, Providence, RI
"...Director Sutch's main device to pull the story together is his use of the "weird sisters," the three witches we and Macbeth meet in the opening scene and who predict subsequent events. Sutch uses the same actors (...LMH) as the thuggish killers who do Macbeth's bidding. As Macbeth instructs the murderers, the director has them break from realism and hiss their lines into Macbeth's face, letting us see them not as Macbeth does but as the witches they secretly are, in this version."
-Providence Phoenix
"The three witches (...LMH) are not crones, but flirtatious, mischievous beings reveling in the evil they're creating."
-Providence Journal
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM with the Trinity Rep. Co. Summer Shakespeare Festival, Providence, RI
"Lian-Marie Holmes gives her Hermia a delightfully perky horniness that, morphs into a spitfire of vengeance."
-Providence Monthly
"Since Holmes is very short, when her Hermia gets furious at Helena supposedly making fun of her height, it's especially funny."
-Providence Phoenix
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Trinity Rep. Co., Providence, RI
"Look especially for Trinity Conservatory student Lian-Marie Holmes who, dressed like a Christmas star, does a tap dance straight out of a big time musical production number. Later she jokingly claimed the right to call herself the "star of the show."
-Providence Journal
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SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the Trinity Rep. Co., Providence, RI
"Others {cast members} are quite strong...including Lian-Marie Holmes's supercharged servant."
-Providence Journal
"and Trinity Rep. Conservatory student Lian-Marie Holmes shines as the maid. It's a thankless role, but Holmes makes it a surprisingly delightful addition to the ensemble."
-The Cowl
"You'll love Lian-Marie Holmes' servant, ready to perform whatever her master(s) need(s) at the moment, feisty and fast, the recipient of a Cinderella fantasy at the beginning of Act Two."
-East Side Monthly
"Special mention here goes to Lian-Marie Holmes, a Trinity Conservatory student who is in almost every scene and adds just the right spice throughout."
-Providence Journal