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Ten Questions with Wesley Rogers

April 18, 2013

Ten Questions with…

Wesley Rogers, tenor
Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:

Is that the learning never stops. Whether it be working on technique, learning languages, or working on a new role, it is really always a work in progress. It really allows me to enjoy the journey and not the destination.

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is:

Traveling, and being away from my family, especially because my children are young. I don’t want to miss out on the little things, and I know it’s a heavy load for my wife to carry on her own.

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:
I saw Michael Hedes in a small bar in Oxford, MS. He was a pioneering New Age guitarist, and I had been a huge fan since I was young. He passed away shortly after, so it made it all the more significant for me.

4. A few of my favorite films are:

Midnight Express, The Empire Strikes Back, Lost in Translation, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Anchorman.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:

Family, friends, water.

6. My number one hobby is:

Playing the guitar.

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?
Giuseppe Giacomini.

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?

I would most likely be a contractor or a farmer.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?

Wotan.

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage.When the overture begins. It’s like a starting pistol for me. If I’m not ready, I better get there, and fast.

See Wesley in Madison Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni April 26 & 28 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at just $18– why wait?

Ten Questions with Angela Mannino

April 17, 2013

Ten Questions with…

Angela Mannino, soprano
Zerlina in Don Giovanni

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:

Figuring out how to do something vocally (in a lesson, a coaching or while I’m practicing) that I either couldn’t do before or was struggling to do.

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is:

Not getting a cold!

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:

August 2002 when Cher came to New Orleans as part of her Farewell Tour. She sounded and looked amazing and had around fifteen wig/costume changes.

4. A few of my favorite films are:

The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and Legally Blonde.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:

Tough one! There’s nothing I can’t live without except for my Faith…but if I had to choose 3 “things” I’d say my iPhone, coffee, and water.

6. My number one hobby is:

Cooking.

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?

Beverly Sills.

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?

Communications/television.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?

Gianni Schicchi.

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage.

Stepping in as an understudy at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio. It was exhilarating!

Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask (and the answer).

Would you like me to write you a check to pay off your student loans?
Yes!

See Angela in Madison Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni April 26 & 28 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at just $18– why wait?

Ten Questions with Nathan Stark

April 12, 2013

Ten Questions with…

Nathan Stark, bass
Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:

I love the challenge of combining music, drama and text into one creative and artistic outlet. I also love the opportunity to collaborate with other singers, conductors and stage directors. You learn so much from working with talented colleagues.

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is:

Keeping the voice healthy & functioning well during heavy months of traveling… especially during the colder seasons. Also, being away from loved ones can be really emotionally challenging.

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:

It has to be the first professional opera I ever saw – La Traviata at LA Opera. I was spellbound afterward. I knew I wanted to have a career in opera after that experience.

4. A few of my favorite films are:

I’m a HUGE fan of the movie The Princess Bride. I also love The Lord of the Rings movies, Glory, Finding Nemo, Forrest Gump and The Devil Wears Prada.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:

Facebook, my cellphone, and fried chicken (sad, huh?).

6. My number one hobby is:

Cooking! I love to cook. Not saying I’m a great cook, just saying that I love to cook. I can just as easily burn down my kitchen as I can whip up a gourmet dish.

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?

For opera, it would be Marilyn Horne. She’s been my friend & mentor for several years and I just adore her. Outside of that, I would love to perform with (don’t laugh) Dolly Parton. She’s always been one of my favorite performers, knows how to connect with her fans & audiences, and keeps reinventing herself after all these years… and not just with plastic surgery!

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?

A school teacher. Young minds are a beautiful thing and I’ve always thought being a teacher was such a noble profession. Teachers are heroes.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?

Carmen, because the characters I always tend to play are never, ever sexy… so that would be an interesting challenge.

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage.

Singing the National Anthem and God Bless America for the President of the United States, two former First Ladies, members of the US Senate and US Congress during the nationally televised opening ceremony of the Ronald Reagan Library Air Force One exhibit in 2005. That was pretty awesome.

Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask (and the answer).

If you had a motto, what would it be?
It’s not a matter of if… it’s when!

See Nathan in Madison Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni April 26 & 28 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at just $18– why wait?

Ten Questions with Josh Sanders

January 11, 2013

Ten Questions with…

Josh Sanders, tenor
Ensemble in Acis and Galatea

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:

Being able to serve my art and share it with an audience. I don’t feel like I sing for myself, but rather, I sing to the world. There’s no better feeling than stepping off of the stage after sharing your heart and soul with an audience. Through music, you can speak to anyone- regardless of what language they speak, or where they come from.

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is:
Not judging yourself too harshly. How you sound in your head isn’t how you sound in the space you’re singing. It’s hard to let go and just sing without criticizing yourself.

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:
Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Lyric Opera of Chicago my freshman year of High School. It was the first live opera that I had ever seen. Also, the set made absolutely no sense…chairs floating in the middle of the stage, and some strange cloud motif that popped up in every scene.

4. A few of my favorite films are:

Anything that has to do with Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, or Disney has my heart.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:
Singing, naps, and air conditioning

6. My number one hobby is:
Singing. What a shock!

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?

Leontyne Price or Eileen Farrell.

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would probably be a lawyer. I’m stubborn and argue a lot.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?
I would most definitely want to sing Aida.

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage.
My favorite moment on stage was my debut with Madison Opera in La Traviata my senior year of high school. It was my first time in the chorus, and I sang the little role of the gardener. It was amazing and inspiring to work with a professional company for the first time, and sing on the stage in Overture Hall. And I’ll never forget the wig I wore: it looked exactly like my own hair…

See Josh in Madison Opera’s production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea January 10-13 in The Playhouse at Overture Center. Tickets start at just $20, but they’re going fast!

Ten Questions with Angela Mortellaro

January 9, 2013

Ten Questions with…

Angela Mortellaro, soprano
Galatea in Acis and Galatea

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:
My favorite thing about being a singer is the singing! Is that too obvious? I truly mean it, though. I love everything about singing: the music, singing music I’ve sung forever, singing new music I’ve just learned, the physical sensation of singing, the individuality and beauty of each singing voice, the challenges of mastering technique, the personal reward of executing something musical with my voice. It is so beautiful and so hard. I love it!

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is:
The greatest challenge of being a singer is that it is a lifestyle, not just a career.

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:
The recent premier of Kevin Puts’ opera Silent Night with Minnesota Opera was so exciting, musically, dramatically, and the production was fantastic. It was a heart-wrenching story told so powerfully.

4. A few of my favorite films are:

The Birdcage and The Lord of the Rings, and I really love documentaries.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:

My husband, Jeff.

My imagination.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk.

6. My number one hobby is:
Buying myself flowers.

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?

There are so many singers that I adore of all voice types, but Maria Callas is a special inspiration to me.

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
It is difficult to imagine not being a singer. If I wasn’t a singer, or couldn’t be a singer, I would probably be in the non-profit world. It would be very rewarding to work for arts organizations, or charity organizations.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?
I would love to be a villain! Sopranos have some really awesome music, but there are other characters that would be really fun to play. Musically speaking, Charlotte in Werther is a beautiful role. The music is so beautiful it is almost unbearable.

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage.
During a recent production in the Mad Scene of Lucia di Lammermoor, Lucia kills herself with a sword drawn across her neck. To make this extra bloody and gruesome, we used a “blood pack” coordinated with the sword for a very dramatic end to the scene. During the performance, the blood pack didn’t work out the way it was planned. When I squeezed it to release the blood, a large clump of fake blood flew through the air and landed on a chorister. It did not end up on my neck where it was intended. This could not be seen from the audience, but it was hilarious to all of us on stage.

See Angela in Madison Opera’s production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea January 10-13 in The Playhouse at Overture Center. Tickets start at just $20, but they’re going fast!