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?