Rachel Cetel
2018 Summer Opera Festival ROLE: The Monitress in Suor Angelica What are you looking forward to most about preparing your role? Not only is Suor Angelica a one-act, but it also has an all -female principal cast. I have never been a part of anything like this before! It will be really fun to have a “girl power” type of opera experience this summer. In addition, I have sung with several of the members of the principal cast before in other venues. I am definitely looking forward to collaborating with these talented ladies, many of whom are my friends! If you had to choose a pop song that best describes the character you are portraying, what would it be? Rockwell’s Somebody’s Watching Me- This sounds very silly, but the first thing that came to mind when I read this question were the lyrics “I always feel like somebody’s watching me”. (I am probably showing my age with this song! ) The Monitress is a disciplinarian, and her eyes are everywhere. She is constantly calling the sisters out on their transgressions. What do you think will be the most challenging part about preparing your role? Figuring out the nuance of each particular character I speak to in the opera. A lot of this will come once I get to know my cast-mates better. Why do you love to sing opera? Singing is just pure joy and magic to me. I can think of very little else I would rather do! I am a voice teacher who also truly loves performing. Singing makes me a better teacher, and teaching makes me a better singer. Opera is such a rewarding discipline because so much goes into it. It’s not all about singing correct notes and rhythms; it’s about exhibiting true artistry. Aside from singing, name a talent/stupid human trick/hobby others might not be aware of .... A guilty pleasure of mine is reading cheesy “chick-lit” fiction. I also am told that I am an amazing cook.
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Jessica Rose Nelson
2018 Summer Opera Festival ROLE: Novice in Suor Angelica What are you looking forward to most about preparing your role? The first time I sang this opera, I was the Mistress of the Novices. Now I'm the Novice. It is quite entertaining preparing the other side of the conversation. If you had to choose a pop song that best describes the character you are portraying, what would it be? Backstreet Boys - Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely What do you think will be the most challenging part about preparing your role? Having done the opera twice in Italian, it is a bit of a challenge relearning it in English. Why do you love to sing opera? Opera is so expressive, and singing opera is truly a full body experience. It's fun, fulfilling, and you get to work with many wonderful people. Aside from singing, name a talent/stupid human trick/hobby others might not be aware of .... I enjoy reading ridiculous cozy mysteries and sci-fi books while I'm at the gym. Julie Smith
2018 Summer Opera Festival ROLE: Suor Dolcina in Suor Angelica What are you looking forward to most about preparing your role? I look forward to discovering how this character fits into life at the abby. I also get to sing beautiful Puccini music! If you had to choose a pop song that best describes the character you are portraying, what would it be? I'm not sure of a pop song, but the first song that comes to mind is "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical Oliver. What do you think will be the most challenging part about preparing your role? Fleshing out a woman who only sings about food. Why do you love to sing opera? I love how emotional and colorful the music is. Aside from singing, name a talent/stupid human trick/hobby others might not be aware of .... I love reading web comics and drawing house plans. Summer Opera Festival Roles: Frugola in Il Tabarro, La maestra della novizie in Suor Angelica
What are you looking forward to most about preparing your role? I have sung the role of Frugola in two different productions in the past in New York City, one with small instrumental ensemble, the other with piano. The last time I did it was at least 8 years ago. I'm looking forward to reviewing the role and thinking more about my Italian, my phrasing and dynamics. I understand the character pretty well. Il Tabarro is one of my favorite operas, either to watch/listen or perform. There is so much emotion and passion in this one act piece. The music sets an atmosphere--there is a lot of tone painting in the score, and I find that Il Tabarro is extremely exciting in the music itself. When you add nuanced acting it can be a phenomenal operatic experience for the performers and the audience. If you had to choose a pop song that best describes the character you are portraying, what would it be? This is a very interesting question. I rarely listen to pop music so I can't answer it though! What do you think will be the most challenging part about preparing your role? Il Tabarro is a challenging musical score to begin with. Even though I've sung it before it is very tricky, so I will have to work hard to bring back what I remember and make sure that it is accurate musically. Why do you love to sing opera? I am attracted to opera because of the acting aspect. I acted before I sang and it is fun to be in character and portray someone else. I love music, and the instrument that I've trained the most is my voice. I also like musical theatre but I made a distinctive choice to go into opera because of the typing in musical theatre--I would have had a hard time since I didn't fit the typical casting. Aside from singing, name a talent/stupid human trick/hoby others might not be aware of .... I am also a visual artist. My favorite medium is soft pastel and I am learning to do portraits of humans. TERRY D'ANDREA
2018 Summer Opera Festival Role: La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica What are you looking forward to most about preparing your role? Creating the character and delivering an excellent performance. If you had to choose a pop song that best describes the character you are portraying what would it be? I can’t think of anything! What do you think will be the most challenging part about preparing your role? Making sure it's musically perfect Why do you love to sing opera? It's a great way to vent Aside from singing, name a talent/stupid human trick/hobby others might not be aware of… I have the challenging task to work with puppy mill breeder dogs at Main Line Animal Rescue, teaching and rehabilitating them to find forever homes. I am a rescue mom to four beagles. Laurice Kennel's 2018 Summer Opera Festival Role: Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica
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Delaware Valley Opera CompanyBlog Master <3 Archives
June 2019
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