ARTISTS CORNER: Bass Ricardo Lugo

Ricardo Lugo

With a “resonant” bass sound Puerto Rican bass Ricardo Lugo is a versatile international artist in demand on the operatic and concert scene.  Mr. Lugo makes his Sarasota Opera debut this season in two roles; the Sacristan in Puccini's Tosca and as Bartolo in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Having made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Un Barnabotto in La Gioconda, Ricardo has since sang the role of Hans Schwarz in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and has been involved in productions of Ariadne auf Naxos, Khovanshchina, Billy Budd, La fanciulla del West, Adriana Lecouvreur, Macbeth, The Gambler and Salome. 

Continue reading to learn more about how Mr. Lugo got his start in singing as well as why he enjoys the opportunity to sing two different roles at the same time. 

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. I’m originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, the second largest city in Puerto Rico. It is located on the south bordering the Caribbean Sea. In 1998 I moved to New York City to complete a masters degree at The Juilliard School. I live now in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my Wife and my four-year-old son.

Mr. Lugo in Don Pasquale

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. What drew me to become a singer was pure luck and taking all the opportunities that were presented to me at the beginning. My original plan was to become a choir conductor and work with kids. I was inspired when I was a kid so I wanted to do the same thing for other students. When I applied to the conservatory in Puerto Rico, I did it as a voice major instead of as an education major due to the fact that at the moment I applied, I was not completely musically ready. In other words, it was easier to enter as a voice major than an education major. However, one thing led to another and here I am. I can’t complain. It has been a fun journey so far.

Q. What sort of singing did you do while you were growing up in Puerto Rico?

A. I started singing with a young chorus at my local church. I wanted to sing more so I joined the chorus at my middle school. I continued while I was in high school where my chorus teacher encouraged me to continue with music.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you settled on singing?  

A. To be honest I did not have any other career aspirations before deciding to take music more seriously. Once I started I knew I wanted to continue a career or work in something related to music.

Mr. Lugo as the Sacristan in
the current production of Tosca

Q. You have two assignments at Sarasota Opera this season; The Sacristan in Tosca and Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro. What are the challenges in alternating between two different roles at one company? How do you avoid suffering from character identity crisis?

A. To tell you the truth I love playing different roles at the same time. In a way it gives me the chance to be very alert, fresh, and stay very focused as a singer-actor. In regards to singing, the two roles are very different, even though they are both character roles, that they don't give me any problems when it comes to singing. The key, in both the acting and the singing, is to keep it fresh and always give more. It is very important to always listen to the instructions but also give more of your talent. That is the key.

Q. You have sung the role of Bartolo before. What do you enjoy about performing this role?

A. I love it because it is a role of in opera that could be played in so many ways. From traditional productions to the more contemporary. Because of that it gives me the chance to expand and elaborate my interpretation in any direction. And it has also a short but very well written aria that showcases many vocal and histrionic qualities.

Q. Unlike many of the other roles in The Marriage of Figaro, Figaro and Bartolo are two characters who carry directly over from The Barber of Seville without much change. In your opinion, how does he evolve as a character from one opera to the other?

A. I think Bartolo has a lot of resentment towards Figaro. He resents that Figaro was the reason Bartolo couldn’t end up with Rosina, who becomes the Countess in Le nozze. That is why at the beginning of the opera he is trying to make Figaro’s life impossible. This is until Bartolo discovers that Figaro is both Marcellina's and his son.

Q. Are there any famous Bartolo’s from the past whose interpretations you admire?

A. They are so many great basses that have sung Bartolo from, Kurt Moll, Paul Plishka, Enzo Capunao to the most contemporary like Ildebrando D’arcangelo. I like to listen and admire all of them because they are or were incredible singers and also great actors.

Mr. Lugo in Fidelio at Michigan Opera Theater

Q. Beyond the musical work, what other kind of preparation/research work do you incorporate in the learning process?  Historical?  Character study?  

A. I start with the libretto. I then like to read the score to know what the composer has done with the words and what instructions he has suggested. Particularly what are the rhythm choices, especially with recitatives. Obviously with the advantage of the Internet and YouTube, I love watching and seeing what other conductors and singers have done with the roles and the music. Not to copy but to have another idea.

Q. In your career thus far, are there any performances or productions you sang in that particularly stand out to you or hold a special place in your heart??

A. I would say any chance or opportunity that you have as a singer should be treasured and should keep a special place in your heart. It is such a blessing and privilege to be able to offer your art to other people that in my opinion all of them are special. However, I just finished a run of Die Meistersinger at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by James Levine. The cast also included James Morris as Hans Sachs and other incredible collegueas. That was a magical experience, not only because who they are but how incredible their minds work and the admirable qualities as colleagues. That I would say was part of my tiny bucket list that by a miracle or talent I can cross off.

Q. What is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. I personally have not had that many dramatic experiences on stage. However, I have to say that I have experienced some others while in rehearsals or on stage. They range from fighting between directors, conductors, and singers. In most cases that was “the clash of the egos”. We are so passionate for our art that we sometimes can't find compromises.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. Yes, I do have some rituals before singing. Just before my entrance either in concert, recital or a full opera, I like to take few minutes to think and thank all or most of the people who have made it possible for me to be here. Both people that are with us and the ones that have already departed. After that I kiss any part of the theater three times just for luck. At the end of the performance, I like to kneel down and with my hand rub the floor of the theater to smell the dust. It is like an homage to the sweat and tears that we and many other singers have left there. It is kind of bizarre but those are my rituals. Also I have a tiny elephant that a very important lady in this business gave me a long time ago and I carry it everywhere I sing.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I love this job because it gives me the opportunity of discovering new places and knowing new people. Every time I go back to a place that I have visited previously or a new place, the first thing I look for are a library, a zoo, cultural attractions happening, farmers markets, and of course places where to eat and enjoy what the city have to offer. At home I love working with wood and creating things. Also I must say I love being a “home handy man.” It so gratifying being able to fix things in your house. From pipes, floors and anything I try to fix or destroy. Like my father use to say, “better to do it yourself and keep that money for fun”.

ARTISTS CORNER: Soprano Kara Shay Thomson

Kara Shay Thomson

Soprano Kara Shay Thomson returns to the Opera House stage this season as Floria Tosca, a role for which she won popular and critical acclaim in 2009. Since that time, Ms. Thomson has performed the role of the jealous diva at opera companies such as Portland Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Dayton Opera. You will remember Ms. Thomson's glorious performances in previous productions at Sarasota Opera both in the title role of Samuel Barber's Vanessa and as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana. 

Continue reading below to learn more about this artist who is so quickly establishing herself as one of the leading ladies of the next generation of great opera singers.

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. As a PK (Preacher's Kid), I moved around the Midwest quite a bit during my adolescence.  I was born in Cininnati, OH but made my home in Rock Port, MO, Fairbury, NE, Terre Haute, IN, and Warrensburg, MO.  I returned to Cincinnati 11 years ago and love living there with my husband and 10 year old daughter. We love our neighborhood and having my Dad close by to support us when I am travelling.

Ms. Thomson as Santuzza in the
2010 production of Cavalleria rusticana

Q. What was your first moment performing in front of an audience on stage?

A. Well, as a PK, I was on stage from a very young age.  Our family offered an evening of song and scripture and it is where I learned how to communicate my message to a congregation. My parents continued to foster my musical talent and I was lucky to perform in various venues throughout my childhood and early adult years. Opera was not a part of my upbringing so my first moment on stage in an opera was as Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi at The New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. It was my first opera – EVER!  

Q. What drew you to become a professional singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. I was working in Lynchburg, VA as a Minister of Music and Youth  for Fairview Christian Church and I decided I wanted to find a community chorus so that I could continue singing.  That was a great decision as I met my husband in that chorus and the conductor introduced me to a wonderful soprano, Carol Gutknecht, a soprano with the former New York City Opera soprano with whom I started studying. She gave me "Marietta’s Lied" from Die Tote Stadt and I fell in love with the German Language and the sweeping lines of the piece.  She encouraged me to enter the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for my region.  I prepared my pieces and went to the audition.  I had a terrible audition and was so out of my element but I stayed to hear my comments from the judges.  One judge in particular told me that if I was happy with my life in ministry that I should embrace it and go back home but if I felt like this music was a part of my soul, then I needed to go get the tools necessary for this art form.  So, Carol  helped me choose The New England Conservatory and I entered the intense Opera Program under the direction of John Moriarty.  In two years I quickly acquired language skills, stage craft, and hours of endless vocal coachings and lessons, working with Patricia Craig, to prepare me for my apprenticeships. I thank Carol, my husband, and the nameless judge who made me realize this what I was created to do.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?

A. I had many aspirations other than singing opera for a career.  I started with the idea of Music Therapy and then migrated to teaching music.  I received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education K-12  and thought that I would lead the next  Mid-West High School Show Choir to the State Championship.  But, after I realized that teaching was not right for me, I returned to my roots in the church.  In all honesty, if I had not found Opera, I would have sought out a career as an Activities Coordinator in a Retirement Village.

Q. You have become very well known for singing the role of Tosca, especially in Sarasota. Is it challenging singing the same role over and over again? 

Ms. Thomson as Floria Tosca in
Sarasota Opera's 2009 production.

A. Everytime I arrive for a production of Tosca I know that it will be full of new experiences.  The music is always constant but my colleagues, directors, production teams, and conductors bring something to share. Each one of us arrives with our own interpretations and it is our job as artists to meld those ideas together to fit our own production.  I have carried the same score with me to each production and I like to put in Maestro's comments,  artist choices, and directors notes so that I can call on those ideas in other productions.

But, I will say that for this season, I put away my treasured score and have made a "VDR Only Score!" I have been working from a clean score and putting in only Maestro DeRenzi  notes. This does not mean that I don’t bring my own interpretation and experience to the role, but I really feel that coming back to Sarasota gives me a chance to completely break down the role, get rid of bad habits, focus on the text and Puccini’s stage direction so that we give this audience the most authentic performance of Tosca ever!

Q. Through the many productions you have done, I imagine you have gotten to know the character of Tosca very well. Have you learned everything there is to know about her at this point? 

A. If I thought I had learned everything about this role I would not continue to pursue this character. We are constantly evolving in our daily lives and all of the events that happen to us as people affect us as artists.  I am a different person than I was when I sang here this role in 2009. I have experienced so much personal loss and also amazing moments filled with unbridled joy in my life since then and all of those events color my performance.

Floria Tosca is so much a part of me that I am able to take risks both vocally and dramatically to challenge myself so that I can find the most honest performance each and every show.

Ms. Thomson in Act II of Tosca at Sarasota Opera

Q. What do you want the audience to know about the character of Tosca after the curtain comes down?

A. That I can’t wait to sing it again!!!! I love this role!!! Every performance is unique and alive and the energy from the audience feeds the performance on the stage! So, if they happen to be seeing it for the first time or the 50th time, it will never be the same! I sing each performance as if it may be my last, so I don’t hold anything back. My hope is that they do the same by coming back again and again to Sarasota Opera.

Q. I imagine you are looking forward to performing this role again in Sarasota.  What do you enjoy about singing at Sarasota Opera?

A. What do I not like?! Singing in Sarasota is a gift to every performer. The audience is so supportive, excited, and filled with passion for Opera.  Sarasota Opera offers a place where artists can grow and explore new or familiar roles and multiple performances to fully embrace your characters. But for me, it all comes down to the fact that Maestro DeRenzi and the entire Sarasota Opera Association believe that Opera is not a dying art form.

Baseline:  I love working with everyone here in Sarasota and spending 3 months away from my family is only made better by the gorgeous sunshine and the mutual respect we all have for each other in this company!

Ms. Thomson in Schoenberg's Ewartung at New York City Opera.

Q. So, to sum it up, how many performances of Tosca have you done so far?

A. When I last added them all together, I have done 89 performances in at least 19 different productions.

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. I had a rehearsal for Korngold's Die tote Stadt where I was dancing around like crazy and crawling on the floor and my rehearsal skirt, shall we say, flew off my body.  Luckily, it was not a performance!

In performance, the majority of my mishaps have happened in Tosca.  I have been thrown to my knees and ended up sliding on the gown having to stop myself from saying "hello" to the pit.

In Sarasota, I tripped on a ground cloth and flew into the air where my fabulous colleague, Grant Youngblood,  turned over a chair and rushed to grab me in mid-air.  Everyone thought that it was so exciting but my Dad was in the audience and after the performance said he knew something had happened because for a brief moment he saw scared Kara Shay and not Tosca.

I have had the candles blow-out before I place them at Scarpia’s head and had to go back and relight them. ( it was also a photo night so I was not going to mess up that great final moment in Act II)

During a Student Matinee, I had a young woman who was so involved in the show that when I stabbed Scarpia, she yelled out “Oh No She Didn’t!!"  I loved that she had gotten so caught up in her first opera! It was fantastic!

Probably one of my favorite moments that the audience never saw was when I went to jump in one production, I ran up the stairs, did my quick check of the jump pad and saw that the crew had drawn a dead body outline on the black jump pad.

Ms. Thomson in the title role of
Samuel Barber's Vanessa in 2012

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. I like to be the first one in the Make-up chair.  The calm energy of the being first helps me focus and then it allows me time to say hello to all of my colleagues before down-beat.  I usually don’t eat very much before the show but I always eat a banana before Act II of Tosca!  I don’t know if it helps but it gives me the extra “uumph” to wield my deadly knife!

Also, I always wear my Jade Elephant Necklace that my mother gave to me.  I wear it in rehearsal and always have it with me at each performance in my dressing room.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I am a huge fan of the television show "NCIS" so if there is a marathon on the USA channel then I am ready to get out my needlepoint, a bottle of wine, and sit back and say hello to my friends on the television: Gibbs, Ziva, Tony, and McGee!

When I am home I spend most of my time being involved with my family.  I have been known to throw a few good parties for our neighborhood as well as top-notch sleepovers  for my 10 year old daughter and her friends.

I miss being able to cook in my fabulous kitchen.  Right before I arrived in Sarasota I purchased a brand new professional series range and a Vitamix. I couldn’t bring my oven but I packed up my Vitamix and a couple of my favorite knives and brought them with me.  I find cooking so relaxing and it makes me so happy when I can bring people together for a wonderful meal.

Q. I’m sure work/life balance takes on a whole different meaning being a professional singer who travels.  How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road?  

A "Welcome Home" sign from
Ms. Thomson's neighbors in Ohio

A. Facetime has been a life-saver for our family. Sometimes we just connect through Facetime while we are doing everyday chores.  I will come home from rehearsal at 3pm and call my daughter Emma Shay. We will do her homework together or just talk about her day. My husband uses Facetime to have me help him re-create a favorite recipe I have left behind for him to cook or just to look into each other’s eyes and say how much we miss each other. Sometimes the days don’t go by very fast and Facetime makes it seem like we aren’t that far apart.

As someone who has been on the road for a few years, I would tell all of the Studio and Apprentice Artists to make sure that you connect with your loved ones at least once a day.  Even if you think that you don’t have anything exciting to tell your family, sometimes it’s just enough to hear that person say “hello”.  We can become so involved in our “Opera World” that we forget to share it with those outside the inner-circle. Connect, share, and make your family a priority because they are the most important support system you have in this career.

Q. As we have people that travel from around the United States to attend performances at Sarasota Opera, are there any towns or cities that you have a strong connection with whether from growing up or attending school?

A. I have had the opportunity to live in many different parts of the United States and would love to connect with them again here in Sarasota.  So, if we lived in these cities together:  Lynchburg, VA, Boston, Ma, Terre Haute, IN, Cincinnati, OH, Rock Port, MO, Warrensburg, MO, Maryville, MO,Enid, OK, or any of the many cities I have had the opportunity to perform in,  please don’t hesitate to reach out and say hello!

After writing down all of the cities I have lived in, I realized that it must have been a grand plan for me to move around so much in my formative years. I never knew that I would be in a career where I spent more time on the road than I did in my own home. Perhaps all of those moves gave me the ability to make a home wherever I go.

Don't miss a note of Ms. Thomson's performances in Puccini's Tosca opening February 7th and running through March 28th. As an added bonus, here is Ms. Thomson singing Tosca's famous aria "Vissi d'Arte" from the Sarasota Opera production of Tosca in 2009.

ARTISTS CORNER: Tenor Rafael Davila

Tenor Rafael Dávila has quickly risen to be one of the most sought after tenors of his generation. The 2015 Winter Festival Season will mark the tenors 10^th season with Sarasota Opera and the return to one of his most celebrated roles with the company; Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca. With almost 60 roles already under his belt, Mr. Dávila just completed performances as Des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut conducted by Maestro Plácido Domingo in Valencia, Spain. Other recent appearances include the historic Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy, Washington National Opera, Kansas City Opera, Opera de Puerto Rico, and Minnesota Opera. This season, Mr. Dávila will make his debut at the Chicago Lyric Opera in the world premiere of the opera Bel Canto. 

Continue reading to learn more about this dynamic artist. 

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?
A. I was born in Chicago, Illinois but my parents moved back to Puerto Rico when I was still a baby. I grew up in Puerto Rico and that’s where I have been living since I finished my Master’s degree in Opera at the University of Texas in Austin.

Rafael Davila at Cavaradossi in 2009
at Sarasota Opera

Q. What was your first moment performing in front of an audience on stage?
A. Because of my choral experience I was invited to sing in the male chorus for the opera Rigoletto and that was my first encounter with opera.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?  
A. When I was invited to sing in the local opera productions in Puerto Rico in the chorus I was pursuing a doctorate degree in Optometry. As I began my Optometry practice with patients I realized I could not see myself doing that for the rest of my life and that would rather prefer to devote my life to music.


Q. You have sung many of the great leading tenor roles here in Sarasota. Do you have a favorite production?
A. I am so grateful to Sarasota Opera for all the opportunities it has given me over the years to try so many different and new roles. I have many favorite productions but I would definitely have to say Tosca is one of them along with the beautiful production of Madama Butterfly, Otello, and Cav/Pag.

Q. What do you want the audience to know about the character of Cavaradossi after the curtain comes down?
A. I want the audience to know that Cavaradossi is a man of principles even if it means sacrificing what it is most important in his life.

Q. I imagine you are looking forward to performing this role again in Sarasota.  What do you enjoy about singing at Sarasota Opera?
A. Sarasota has been my second home for the past decade but professionally it has been my first home. It has been the perfect place to try so many new roles in a very friendly atmosphere. A beautiful theater so comfortable to sing and try new things and all the time spent preparing the production with the opportunity of singing so many performances until you feel as a singer you own the role.

Rafael Davila as Des Grieux in
Manon Lescaut in Valencia, Spain

Q. You just performed the role of Chevalier des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut in Spain with Placido Domingo conducting. Was this your first time working with the great tenor? 
A. This invitation from maestro Domingo came after I worked with him for the first time in 2013 when I was hired to cover Cavaradossi with Los Angeles Opera. I had to do most of the rehearsals because the tenor who was singing the performances would arrive late due to other engagements. Immediately after the first rehearsals Domingo offered me the Des Grieux which he knew would fit perfectly in my voice.

Q. What is it like being lead by such an iconic figure in opera like Maestro Domingo?
A. Imagine being conducted by someone you admired growing up and whom I have seen singing this type of repertory. He offered many recommendations on all sorts of different topics; vocally, musically, personal, and professional which of course I will follow coming from somebody who has being as successful in this profession as him. But what really touched me about maestro Domingo is his kindness, his energy and how, with all the things he must have in his mind, he could remember every person and every single detail.

Rafael Davila with famed
tenor Placido Domingo

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal and/or a performance anywhere?
A. The stage is a place where many things can go wrong with catastrophic results. There are many anecdotes in a performer’s life but for me, so far the worst experience happened as I was singing my opening night of Pagliacci last summer at the San Carlo Theater in Naples. It was a kind of Cirque du Soliel production where the stage was filled with water and they brought a new soprano at the last moment who didn’t have much time to rehearse on stage under those circumstances. Almost at the end of the opera I was supposed to push her and she slipped on the water and fell on her face breaking her nose. Yet she was able to stand with her face full of blood and finished the performance.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?
A. Not really, just rest well, eat well and warm up as much as possible, often singing the whole opera in the dressing room before going onstage.

Rafael Davila in the title role of
Otello at Sarasota Opera

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. Because of all the demanding roles I have been singing in the past years, the time between performances are used to rest and recover for the next performance. So I end up watching a lot of TV when I am on the road or going to the movies to catch up with the latest releases I haven’t seen. When I am in a new city I like to explore the city and go to the museums. When I am home I just try to forget about everything and enjoy the most with my relatives and friends.

Q. I’m sure work/life balance takes on a whole different meaning being a professional singer who travels. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road?  
A. Now with the internet everything is so much easier. I remember all the money I spent on calling cards on my first trips to places like Italy and New Zealand. I have to talk daily with my wife and daughter to be able to relax knowing they are fine. Now with Skype I can talk with them for hours while seeing each other. I always try to bring my family with me whenever they are free to join me. I try to always schedule my engagements so I can go home in between. Now that my daughter is going to University I will try to bring my wife with me as often as possible.




Q. As we have people that travel from around the United States to attend performances at Sarasota Opera, are there any towns or cities that you have a strong connection with whether from growing up or attending school?
A. As I mentioned before, I was born in Chicago but don’t know the city at all. I was able to go back two summers ago to audition for the Chicago Lyric Opera Company and will be making my debut with them this year, so I am really looking forward to get to know the city where I was born, even if it will be during the cold winter. Apart from that, Austin, Texas where I studied my Master’s degree in Opera Performance and also where I started my career as a young artist for the Austin Lyric Opera. I was then invited as a guest artist for the next three seasons to do my debuts as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, The Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, and Alfredo in La Traviata.

Don't miss seeing Mr. Davila's performance as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca opening at Sarasota Opera on February 7th and running for 12 performances through March 28th. Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300. 

As a special treat, here is a clip of Mr. Davila singing the aria "E lucevan le stele" from the 2009 production of Tosca at Sarasota Opera. 

ARTISTS CORNER: Baritone Sean Anderson

Sean Anderson, one of Sarasota Opera's favorite baritones, returns to Sarasota Opera this season as The Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In previous seasons, Mr. Anderson has won critical acclaim for his performances as von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, George Milton in Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men, and Iago in Verdi's Otello.  

Recent performances have included Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore at Knoxville Opera, Zurga in Pearl Fishers at Opera Southwest, and Dandini in La Cenerentola at Intermountain Opera. Continue reading to learn more about this dynamic and versatile artist. 

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you base yourself out of today?
A. Born in Manhattan (New York, not Kansas), raised in Mississippi and Ohio. I am currently based in South Carolina with my wife, Erika and our 6 year old, Naomi.

Sean Anderson as von Eisenstein in
Sarasota Opera's Die Fledermaus

Q. Why Opera?  What drew you to become a singer? 
A. My father, Alfred Anderson, was an opera singer. He also taught voice and opera at University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Akron in Ohio.  I first became truly aware of what he did for a living around 7-yrs old during a production of Man of La Mancha in which he played the role of Cervantes/Quixote. I made myself a spear out of a broom stick, armor out of cardboard, and a helmet out of aluminum foil, and marched around the house singing “I am I Don Quixote!” at the top of my lungs. I’ve been hooked on theater ever since.

Q. What singing did you do as a teenager?
A. During my awkward years, I was in marching band and performed Shakespeare with a community theater company. After my voice changed, I was in several high-school choirs, including one that met every morning at 7:10am. I was also in a local show choir, and, of course, nearly every opera Dad’s students performed at the University. I made my operatic debut as Harry in Britten’s Albert Herring when I was 10. 

Q. What are you looking forward to most about performing the role of Count Almaviva in this season’s production of The Marriage of Figaro?
A. The Marriage of Figaro may very well be my favorite opera. Whenever I see it, I hear and experience something new. While I’ve performed just about every section of the role (in concerts, auditions, etc.), I have yet to perform it in a full production. I’m very excited to finally debut Il Conte (the Count), a role that, in my opinion, plays right to my wheel-house.  

Sean Anderson as The Pirate King in The Pirate of Penzance. 

Q. You have sung the role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville but now you are playing the role of Figaro’s employer. Are you afraid of suffering any kind of character identity crisis?

A. Who wouldn’t enjoy getting to be the loveable Figaro? That said, I don’t think I’ll have any problems. It’s always fun to play the antagonist.

Sean Anderson (left) as George Milton in Sarasota Opera's 2013 production of Of Mice and Men. 

Q. What do you find most challenging about this role?  What do you enjoy about it?
A. Without doubt, the recitative. Effective acting while singing so many foreign words is a great challenge. I’m striving for as much accuracy and character as I can achieve. My goal is for the audience to understand the text without having to look at the supertitles.

I enjoy that the Count has so many different moods and colors. Throughout the opera, the character displays a wide spectrum of emotions, perfectly reflected and enhanced by Mozart’s music.

Sean Anderson as the villainous
Iago inVerdi's Otello

Q. You have sung both wonderful comedic and tragic serious roles at Sarasota Opera. Do you have a preference of one over the other?
A. Not particularly, but the variety is nice. At other companies, I’m only regarded as appropriate for one or the other. Maestro DeRenzi has gently pushed me in many directions I wouldn’t have thought to go on my own, for which I’m grateful.

Q. Are there any famous Count Almavivas of the past you admire or enjoy listening to?

A. My father, Alfred Anderson

Q. You have been a steady presence at Sarasota Opera for several seasons.  You must enjoy singing here? 
A. Of course! Any artist wants to work with the best, and the best are consistently found at Sarasota Opera!

Q. What do you think makes Sarasota Opera so special from other opera companies?
A. The rapport we have with each other and with our audience. Seeing so many familiar faces over the years creates a family-like atmosphere that is wonderful to work in.

Sean Anderson as Marcello in
Puccini's La boheme

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?
A. Experience has shown that a light meal (usually a smoothie of some sort), plenty of water, and a quiet hour reviewing my score makes for good performances. I am not superstitious.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. I exercise and read. At home, my hobbies consist of taking care of a 6 year old. On the road, I love to get friends together for board games. 

Q. As you have been to Sarasota Opera for several seasons now, what do you enjoy doing in the area while you are not in rehearsal or performing?
A. Actually, I am not really a beach person, but I do enjoy the many wonderful restaurants in the area. I also frequent the FST (Florida Studio Theater) when I'm in town.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog?  Website? Facebook?  Twitter?
A. I Facebook a lot, and my family and I like to talk via FaceTime on our phones. I can’t imagine what life was like for my mother and father while he was on the road during his performing career. He would sometimes only get to make one call to her a week – from a payphone! Unbelievable.

I’m in the process of creating a new website, but you can keep up with my performance antics by liking my profession Facebook page: SeanAnderson, Singer.

Don't miss seeing Sean Anderson as the Count Almaviva in Mozart's most charming comedies The Marriage of Figaro opening Valentine's Day, February 14th and running for 9 performances through March 27th. Visit sarasotaopera.org or call (941) 328-1300 for more information and tickets. 

Ruggero Leoncavallo - Opera's "One-Hit Wonder"

Ruggero Leoncavallo

In his 1889 essay “The Decay of Lying” author Oscar Wilde wrote, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” This was certainly the case with opera’s most well known one-hit wonder, Ruggero Leoncavallo, as he was forced to defend the source of his idea to create the opera that finally secured his place in operatic notoriety: Pagliacci. 

Leoncavallo was born to the Neopolitan elite. His father was a judge and his mother was from a prominent aristocratic family in Naples. He began his musical studies at age 11. Records differ if he ever received a degree but he left the conservatory at the age of 18 regarded as a very competent pianist and possessing thorough musical training.   

Leoncavallo traveled to Bologna after high school in 1877. Although it is not clear whether he was actually enrolled in University, he began working with Giosuè Carducci – Italy’s most famous poet, writer, and a dominant figure in the city life of Bologna. It was then Leoncavallo began to shape his musical ideals and started to see himself as a composer.  

It was Carducci who encouraged Leoncavallo to embark on his most ambitious composition project: a historical operatic trilogy of the Italian Renaissance modeled after Wagner’s Ring. Unfortunately, he only completed one of the three operas, I medici, which was not well received by audience and critics when it premiered 15 years after its inception. 

The Teatro Dal Verme in Milan where Pagliacci
had it's premiere in 1892.

Suffering from years of rejection and false promises, Leoncavallo was forced to support himself and his family working as a rehearsal pianist, vocal coach, and voice teacher. He had reached a point of desperation when he conceived of creating Pagliacci. Well aware of the run-away success of Mascagni’s one-act Cavalleria Rusticana which had debuted to great acclaim in 1890, he abandoned his trilogy and dove into the creation of a one-act opera meant to rival Mascagni’s success. 

He composed both the libretto and music for Pagliacci in only five months. He submitted the work to Edoardo Sonzogno, a music publisher who had established a one-act opera contest in 1883 and was responsible for launching Mascagni and Cavalleria Rusticana to fame. Sonzogno accepted the opera immediately and presented it at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan on May 21, 1892. The opera received mixed reviews critically but was an immediate success with the audience. Productions quickly spread across Italy and Central Europe finally earning Leoncavallo the fame and wealth he greatly desired.

Catulle Mendès

Despite the success of the opera, controversy remains over the source of the composer’s libretto. When the French version of the opera was published in 1894 in preparation for a production in Brussels, Catulle Mendès, a well known French playwright, accused Leoncavallo of plagiarism. His claim states Leoncavallo had plagiarized the plot of his opera from his play La femme de Tabarin, an extremely popular play which premiered in Paris in 1887. Mendès’s play centers around a clown named Tabarin who, during the course of a speech to the audience in the final scene, discovers his wife, Francisquine, in the arms of a soldier. Tabarin is provided with a sword from the audience and kills his wife in front of the crowd who initially take it as part of the show until it is revealed she is truly dead; very much in line with the course of action in Pagliacci. 

Leoncavallo rejected Mendès’s claims stating he had never seen his play. He claimed the story was based on an episode he had overheard sitting in his father’s court when he was a young boy. In addition, Leoncavallo made the point that Mendès’s play itself was based on another play entitled Un drama Nuevo by the playwright Manuel Tamayo y Baus, another story depicting a love triangle amongst a group of actors as they prepare a play for performance, which had premiered twenty years earlier. Mendès dropped his suit but questions lingered around the true genesis of Leoncavallo’s idea for Pagliacci.    

Still plagued by Mendès’s assertions of plagiarism five years later, Leoncavallo offered a more detailed explanation regarding the source of the storyline for Pagliacci. He now claimed that he had in fact witnessed the murder in his own household. He explains the character of Silvio was modeled after a man named Gaetano Scavello, a servant who worked in his family’s household, who was murdered by the D’Alessandro brothers, Luigi and Giovanni, with a knife. Court transcripts from the proceedings suggest that Giovanni and Gaetano were romancing the same woman, resulting in a murder spurred by jealousy and revenge just as in Pagliacci. 

Tenor Enrico Caruso (left) as Canio at the turn of the century and 

Michael Robert Hendrick (right) as Canio at Sarasota Opera. 

Despite Leoncavallo’s claims of ignorance to either of the two works, scholars find it difficult to believe that a man so well educated, traveled, and a proud aficionado of the theater would have never seen or at least been aware of the two plays in question. You also can’t help but notice the use of the play-within-the-play structure in which the characters portray actors on stage, and, in all three instances, mimic their “real life” circumstances.

Marco Nistico as Tonio, Veronica Mitina as Nedda, and Michael Robert Hendrick as Canio
in Sarasota Opera's production of Pagliacci. Photo by Rod Millington.

Regardless of controversy, Pagliacci was an instance where Ruggero Leoncavallo illustrated his mastery of words and music. The musicologist Matteo Sansone stated the following in his essay “The Verismo of Ruggero Leoncavallo: A Source Study of Pagliacci”:

His single-handed, earnest efforts to achieve success in the fiercely competitive world of late nineteenth-century Italian opera deserve full recognition… Leoncavallo could shape libretto and then versify the text according to his own musical requirements – an ability that none of his colleagues possessed. He was able to research on a chosen subject… and insert authentic material, such as songs, poems and historical details, into his librettos… he was… an ingenious craftsman… a deft manipulator of literary sources and a perceptive observer of current trends.  

Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci opens at Sarasota Opera Friday, October 31st, and will run for six performances through November 15th. Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling the box office at (941) 328-1300.

- Samuel Lowry, Director of Audience Development

Can You Sing in Elvish?

Youth Opera members sing in several different languages including Italian, French, Russian, and English. But this fall they will try a new one - Elvish - when Sarasota Youth Opera re-mounts it's production of Dean Burry's The Hobbit in November.

Sarasota Youth Opera 2008 production of The Hobbit

The Hobbit is a classic story of an unwitting hero on a journey. Author J.R.R. Tolkien began The Hobbit as a story for his own children. When he wrote it in book form, it became the mark against which all modern fantasy is measured. It is the first book of Lord of the Rings and the inspiration for most of the genre ever since. As in most adventures, our hero must have companions and a wise guide, encounter many hardships, meet more than a few villains, and finally have the chance to triumph. All of these adventures are spiced with magic, colorful characters, terrifying creatures and, of course, music. Even for those who are not familiar with Tolkien's story, the adventure and characters will become old friends by the end of the opera.

Dean Burry, Canadian composer and librettist, has crafted an operatic fantasy through Middle Earth, which Sarasota Youth Opera will perform May 9 and 10. Last fall, the singers were delighted to meet and sing for Burry. His rapport with the chorus members and willingness to answer their many questions were inspiring. Burry wrote the opera in English, adding phrases in Elvish to set the mood.


To help color this fantasy world, Burry has drawn on a variety of musical styles to represent the various groups of characters: English folk songs for the hobbits, madrigals for the elves, Russian folk songs for dwarves, a little bit of Kurt Weill for goblins, and a habanera-tango for the dragon.


Youth Opera members are excited about bring this piece back to the Sarasota Opera stage for everyone of all ages to enjoy!

Performances of Dean Burry's The Hobbit are Saturday, November 15th at 7:00pm and Sunday, November 16th at 1:30pm. Tickets range from $12 - $55 and are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300. 

Opera is Alive and Well!

For those of us who are opera lovers and follow the comings and goings in the opera world, we might feel that there is cause for despair. Recent tales of doom include one failed company (New York City Opera) and another that was saved from the brink (San Diego Opera.)  In addition the leader of the largest opera company in the world has been complaining that opera audiences are dying, the art form is moribund, and without significant union concessions, his company will go bankrupt in a few years.

James Buckhouse of Twitter presents to more than 500 attendees at the 2014 Opera America Conference.
Photo by Jerry Placken/Meyer Sound

I’ve just returned from the Opera America conference in San Francisco where representatives from most of the opera companies in North America met, shared best practices, and worked on strategies for the future. I believe that we all returned from that experience with renewed positive energy and a certainty that opera is not only alive and well, but thriving.

First let me just say that the situations in New York and San Diego were unique. New York City Opera succumbed after years of board and management missteps, well documented in the press and to the despair of many of us who grew up with that company. San Diego Opera on the other hand was saved by explosive community involvement that wouldn’t let the agenda of a few in the management and board close a company that had seen 28 years of surplus budgets.

As for the dilemma of the Metropolitan Opera, I won’t comment on a union negotiation, about which I don’t have the full details. I will, however, dispute Peter Gelb’s claims that opera is a “dinosaur of an art form.” Unlike that extinct species, opera is alive and breathing and more vital than ever.

At Opera America were many great stories to tell. Companies like San Francisco Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Houston Grand Opera have seen an increase in subscription sales. In an informal poll taken amongst General Directors of opera companies, most reported ending their fiscal years in the black. Performances have increased, the repertoire has widened, and many companies are finding interesting ways to innovate to attract new audiences.

One of the most heartening examples of the broad based appeal of operas is the reaction to the stadium or park simulcasts. Initiatives in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, and Houston to broadcast a live opera to a broad-based audience in baseball parks and public spaces far exceeded expectations, generating thousands of new opera lovers, many of whom turn into opera goers in the opera house.

The news here in Sarasota is positive as well. This past year we’ve seen an increase in subscriptions. And the response of our patrons to the Patterson Challenge to eliminate the Nadel clawback debt generated an overwhelming response that not only closed the appeal within a month of its announcement, it brought us a significant number of new donors, reversing a trend that has held since the outset of the recession in 2008.

And for the second year in a row, we closed our fiscal year with a substantial surplus, this year nearly $300,000.

And if some claim that our audiences are too old, I invite you to attend one of our Youth Opera events. This year’s enrollment included 80 young people and our summer camp exceeded 70 for the second year in a row.

To report that all is perfect in the opera world would be insincere. Like all non-profit arts organizations we face challenges. We are all recovering from the 2008 recession and we have to find a way to overcome the high cost of producing opera and to keep ticket prices at a level that are affordable, especially for new audiences. We have to bring the art form more to the public consciousness and eliminate stigmas (remember when opera singers were regularly on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show) and we have to find a way to expose even more of our youth to the glories of opera, since availability in schools have decreased.

But, as Mark Twain purportedly said, “reports of my death are exaggerated.” Opera lives on and will continue to stimulate, excite, and entertain audiences for many years to come. I’m excited to be part of that, and I hope you are too.

- Richard Russell, Executive Director