Meet the Artists – Katherine Pracht

Katherine Pracht

Countess Charlotte Malcolm

1. Where were you born and raised?
   I was born on a military base in Bellevue, Nebraska, and raised from the age of one in Davenport, Iowa.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
   I had originally thought I’d be an English teacher, but…meh. Professional political-TV watcher? Professional sleep-study participant? Ooh, wait, I want to teach people how to parallel park… now *that,* I can do!
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
   Amelia Goes to the Ball (a one-act opera by Menotti) in college. I played a maid. When I was encouraged not just to sing, but to *act* while singing, I was hooked.
4. My favorite opera role is…
   The title role in Elizabeth Cree by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, which is a modern American mezzo’s tour-de-force dream role. But in the years leading up to Cree, Jo March in Mark Adamo’s Little Women held that space in my heart.
5. My favorite food to eat is…
   Chickpeas? I try to be as vegan as possible but when I’m on the road and on a budget, simplicity is essential. Chickpeas, olive oil, good salt and pepper: I’m happy.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
   I played flute for 10 years (in our award-winning high school marching band, go Blue Devils!), and I will probably “bust a move” if I hear early-90’s hip-hop/rap… ’twas my jam back then.
7. If I could spend a ‘weekend in the country’ anywhere, real or fantasy, I would visit…
   …Derbyshire to visit Lizzy and Mr. Dahhhhhhhcy at Pemberley.
8. I like to binge-watch…
   Well, now I’m reminded of my Pride & Prejudice obsession, so I’ll start with my quarterly viewing of the 6-hr BBC P&P. And then I would re-watch all of the Arrested Development seasons. Schitt’s Creek has been great, too… and let’s not forget all of Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries.
9. What four people (living or deceased) would you like to invite for a dinner party?
   Oof, this is hard… I like a LOT of people. Rachel Maddow, President Barack Obama, Anthony Bourdain (he would cook, ‘cause nobody else wants to eat my above-mentioned scraggly chickpeas), and my friend Angela Gilbert, who would be a star conversationalist in such smart company! My boyfriend, Keith, and I would sit at the countertop to eat and just listen to all of them talk. ☺️
10. Everyone should see A Little Night Music because….
    This witty, effervescent, classically-clever Sondheim piece is being expertly directed and warmly presented by some very talented folks!
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
    Q: Hey, Katy, could I pay you to build a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle in 6 hours or fewer?
    A: It would be my greatest joy. (Note: in the above question #2, amend my answer to include my favorite pastime… puzzle-building.)

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Find out more about Katherine and our other artists, and don’t miss the chance to see her perform Countess Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music. Performances are February 8 and 10 in Capitol Theater.  Tickets start at $25!