MusicWeb International has a second review for the Florentine Opera Company’s world premiere recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players:
“Realism is triumphant on the stage… In the role of Peg Kate Royal is exceptional, having already shown her interest in the music of Carlisle Floyd. Here she produces a beautiful sound while ably portraying the conflicts faced by her character. Keith Phares is a stalwart of new and recent American operas and his portrayal of Kynaston is a case study in character development. His singing is very able, especially given that he sings in more than one voice according to the demands of the story. Special mention must also be made of Alexander Dobson as Betterton and Vale Rideout as Buckingham. Lesser roles are almost all well-performed. The Milwaukee Symphony plays very ably under William Boggs, who gets the utmost effect from Floyd’s score. … In a 2018 interview Carlisle Floyd expressed his gratitude to Florentine Opera for committing to record all of Floyd’s as yet unrecorded operas. Let us hope they do so soon, as Prince of Players is a major addition to contemporary American opera.”
—William Kreindler, MusicWeb International