Matt Boehler
Osmin,
The Abduction from the Seraglio
1. Where were you born and raised?
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Recording engineer. Or a fishmonger. I’m not sure, this is a hard question.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Marriage of Figaro. I was Antonio, the gardener.
4. My favorite opera is…
Today? Salome. This answer will be different tomorrow.
5. My favorite food to eat is…
This is intensely bougie, but…my favorite breakfast food right now is avocado toast. (IT’S PERFECT.)
6. People would be surprised to know…
With a height of 6’7″, you’d think I play basketball, right? I don’t – if I had any talent for it, I’d have made my millions already.
7. If I could travel anywhere, real or fantasy, I would travel to…
Xanadu.
8. I like to binge-watch…
Chopped.
9. What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?
Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters. (I’m assuming this is a potluck.)
10. Everyone should see The Abduction from the Seraglio because….
Abduction has some of Mozart’s most extreme, ridiculous, and beautiful music.
Don’t miss the chance to see Matt in the upcoming production of The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s first major success. Performances are February 9 & February 11 in Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.Alison Moritz
Stage Director,
The Abduction from the Seraglio
1. Where were you born and raised?
St. Louis, MO.
2. If you weren’t a stage director, what profession would you be in?
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of being a story editor or script consultant for television. I think it would challenge my imagination and empathy in a lot of the same ways directing operas does.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Thunder of Horses, a children’s opera by Cary John Franklin, at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. I vividly remember playing a scared squirrel in one scene (I was nine years old).
4. My favorite opera is…
It’s hard to nail down just one, but Peter Grimes and The Rake’s Progressare pretty high on my list! I’m also a sucker for Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, and I’m itching to do my own production soon.
5. My favorite food to cook…
…anything breakfast related! Last summer, there was a period when Anshuman Bhatia (scenic and lighting designer for Abduction) and I were having a series of morning meetings. Every time he called, I was just taking a frittata out of the oven! He says I owe him a frittata now. 🙂 I’m definitely more of a cook than a baker – my former roommates can all attest to some pretty “creative” baking disasters in my past.
6. People would be surprised to know…
I’m an avid fan of the New York Times crossword. I’ve been doing it on and off since 2006, and Fridays are my favorite puzzles.
7. If I could travel anywhere, real or fantasy, I would travel to…
I’m a big fan of museums, and I’ve never been to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, so I think a cultural tour of Russia would be pretty amazing. I’m also increasingly curious about non-Western forms of theatre and music, which will likely inspire a lot of travel in my future!
8. I like to binge-watch…
Twin Peaks, The Wire, The West Wing, Broad City, and The Great British Bake-Off.
9. What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?
Oh gosh! This one is hard – I’d honestly probably choose four of my close friends from grad school, because we don’t get to see each other enough. One of the perks of being in this business is that you are constantly making new friends, but nothing beats reconnecting with the people who know you best.
10. Everyone should see The Abduction from the Seraglio because….
In my opinion, the best reason to see a new production of The Abduction from the Seraglio is to feature an ensemble cast of wonderful singing actors. And, yes, we will absolutely have some fantastic talent in Madison!
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you.
Oh, let me turn this around for our Madison friends: what are the not-to-be-missed places in Madison? Recommendations for coffee, cocktails, and culture appreciated! 🙂 Thanks!
Don’t miss the chance to see Alison’s production of The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s first major success. Performances are February 9 & February 11 in Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.Eric Neuville
Pedrillo, The Abduction from the Seraglio
1. Where were you born and raised?
Waupaca, WI
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would LOVE to have my own bakery! I’ve been hobby baking for more than a decade now, and my wife tells me my chocolate chip cookies are a force to be reckoned with 😉
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
A student-composed chamber opera titled The Binding of Isaac. Composed by the brilliant Matthew Peterson (Fort Worth Opera, Washington National Opera) and performed with fellow classmate and phenomenal soprano Laura Wilde (Lyric Opera of Chicago, English National Opera).
4. My favorite opera is…
Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd.
5. My favorite food to cook or eat is…
Ratatouille.
6. People would be surprised to know…
I know all the words to The Little Mermaid.
7. If I could travel anywhere, real or fantasy, I would travel to…
Paris during La Belle Époque.
8. I like to binge-watch…
The Great British Baking Show!!!! On your mark, get set, BAKE!!!!
9. What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?
John Adams, Craig Hella Johnson, Maya Angelou, and George Lucas.
10. Everyone should see The Abduction from the Seraglio because….
Mozart’s writing possesses an incomparable ability to affect its listeners.
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you.
Q: What is your dream role?
A: Pretty much anything Benjamin Britten wrote for Peter Pears: Albert Herring, Captain Vere in Billy Budd, Peter Grimes, etc.
Don’t miss the chance to see Eric in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s first major success. Performances are February 9 & February 11 in Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ashly Neumann
Blonde, The Abduction from the Seraglio
1. Where were you born? Where were you raised?
I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Well, Metro-Detroit but everyone from Detroit just says Detroit. Specifically, I was born in Rochester, Michigan (where Madonna grew up) and raised down the road in Royal Oak, Michigan.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I always thought I would go into medicine and become a doctor. Realistically though, I’d probably be a real estate agent since I already have the license in holding.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
…an operetta, The Pirates of Penzance.
4. My favorite opera is…
Maybe it’s cliché, but my favorite opera is La Bohème. I cry every time!
5. My favorite food to cook or eat is…
I’m actually a pretty good cook, and my specialty is the ability to make something delicious out of whatever random ingredients are in the pantry. My favorite thing to make is soup (you can’t really screw it up, or at least there’s nearly always a way to save it!). I LOVE to eat cold treats, especially ice cream, smoothies, and SLURPEES! They’re my guilty pleasure! So, I guess I like really cold and really hot food!
6. People would be surprised to know…
I am the oldest of six children. My youngest sibling is 17 years younger than me. (And I’m 4 inches shorter than one of my little sisters!)
7. If I could travel anywhere, real or fantasy, I would travel to…
I’d love to travel to all the International Dark Sky Places with a big telescope and see the Milky Way and the planets!
8. I like to binge-watch…
Parks and Recreation and Forensic Files.
9. What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?
My mother-in-law, who I never got to meet; my deceased grandmother, who wanted to be an opera singer and passed away before I became one; my deceased Uncle Mike, who was hilarious and a great cook; and maybe my other grandmother’s father who I hear was the best gentleman that I never got to meet. I love my family and I always want more time with them. (I can invite my husband, too, right?!)
10. Everyone should see The Abduction from the Seraglio because….
It contains some of Mozart’s most beautiful music and it is very fun!
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you.
Q: What do you listen to in the car?
A: If I am by myself, about half the time, it’s nothing! I love having regular time to myself to quietly reflect.
Don’t miss the chance to see Ashly in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s first major success. Performances are February 9 & February 11 in Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Aleks Romano, Mezzo-Soprano
Carmen – Carmen
1. Where were you born? Where were you raised?
Born in New Haven, CT, and raised in Hamden, CT. Now live in Greenville, NC.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
My childhood dream was to be the first woman archaeologist on Mars … Opera is close. If I weren’t a singer, realistically, I’d be some sort of physical therapist or sports therapist.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
…the chorus of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg during the summer after my freshman year of college at the Bard Music Festival. I don’t remember a single note of the opera. So sad!
4. My favorite opera is…
Carmen, of course! No, really, it’s Carmen. Tied with Werther. #mezzodreams
5. My favorite food to cook or eat is…
I’m fully Italian, so I love all things pasta, but I can’t eat all of that while I’m singing. My favorite thing to cook is lasagna, with homemade meat sauce, béchamel, and homemade noodles. But that happens about once a year.
6. People would be surprised to know…
I was a college volleyball player for three of my four years at Bard College before I had to quit because I was yelling too much. Turns out that is incompatible with singing. Who knew?
7. If I could travel anywhere, real or fantasy, I would travel to…
REAL OR FANTASY!? It’s like you know me. Hmm. I would definitely go wiz around Fantastica on Falkor, and then I’d find myself somewhere in the Star Wars universe, and I’d probably end up back on earth on the Zimbabwe coast or Santorini.
8. I like to binge-watch…
Everything? Is that fair? Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who are my repeat offenders. I love crime shows and anything about superheroes.
9. What four people (living or deceased) would you like to invite for a dinner party?
Leonard Bernstein, Michelle Obama, Marilyn Horne, and Leo Tolstoy
10. Everyone should see Carmen because….
Because your leading lady says to, and she always get what she wants… But also because you already know almost all of it from all sorts of places, and you probably didn’t even realize it was opera. And we have bull fighters. Who doesn’t love bull fighters?
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
Q: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
A: Bring food, art, and love to every person on the planet. And then find a way to get to Mars, because childhood dream
Don’t miss the chance to see Aleks in Carmen, Bizet’s breathtaking opera. Performances are November 3 & November 5 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
