Ten Questions With…
Robert Goderich, tenor
Spalanzani, The Tales of Hoffmann
1. Where were you born / raised?
Born in Miami, Florida… raised mostly in Deer Lodge, Montana.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Chef, a singing chef.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Tender Land by Aaron Copland.
4. My favorite opera is…
Sweeney Todd, Dead Man Walking.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I try not to eat too soon before a show, but post-show… anything gluten-free.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I just started taking voice lessons about a year ago. I also tend to tap dance when I’m nervous.
7. One of my favorite books is…
To Kill a Mockingbird.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod / music listening device right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
Hoffmann, Chicago the musical, La Cage aux Folles, Spamalot, and Sweeney Todd.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
I once wore a Pan costume with faux fur pants and walked around on golden paint cans. I know, right? Best and worst….
10. Everyone should see The Tales of Hoffmann because….
The music is beautiful. Also a singing and dancing doll… How can you say no to that?!
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Who would play you in a Lifetime movie of your life?
A: Me!
Don’t miss the chance to see Robert in The Tales of Hoffmann, an extraordinary work that is equal parts fantasy, realism, and genuine passion. Performances are April 15 and 17 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Thomas Forde, bass
Luther / Crespel, The Tales of Hoffmann
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born on the northwest side of Chicago in a very residential neighborhood.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I’ve always wanted to be a TV news anchor or to host a morning show on the radio. I love WGN and the morning talk radio show in Chicago – in fact, I listen to the podcasts every day no matter where I may be in the world.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Tales of Hoffmann! It was my first opera during my freshman year of college. It solidified for me that being a performer was the path I wanted to choose.
4. My favorite opera is…
Eugene Onegin. I sing the role of Prince Gremin, which is one of those roles that appear at the very end of the opera. He gets to sing a beautiful, lyric aria. He actually “wins” in the opera, but the meatier character for me is the title character of Onegin. Sometimes, I’ll just go through Youtube and watch various scenes with different singers and stagings of the pivotal scenes to dream about singing the role.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I eat pretty normally ever day, but after show, I’d have to go with a burger and fries. In Madison, I’ll go with cheese curds or poutine and a beer (after the show, of course).
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I’m a pretty good student. I took most assignments in school pretty seriously. I will say, though, that there are a couple of subjects I just have an insane amount of trouble comprehending. I got mostly As and Bs in high school and college, but I had to switch out of Geometry, because I could never get a grasp on the concept of “proofs.” Go figure.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
The Hunger Games trilogy, My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler, Moby Dick.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
1) 5 recordings of The Tales of Hoffmann
2) 3 recordings of me talking to myself (to memorize scripts for commercials, tv, etc.)
3) 90s energy pop music (for the gym)
4) The Broadway Channel on Spotify (think Legally Blonde, Newsies)
5) Downtown (Macklemore)
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
I can’t think of a really horrible costume. I’ve been pretty lucky with that. I had a custom-made beautiful Don Carlo costume as one of the deputies at Opernahaus Zurich. It was tailored exactly to my figure for the premiere, and I think it’s cool that my name will always be inside the costume for the future singers who wear it.
10. Everyone should see The Tales of Hoffmann because….
It is a look through love gained and lost. It is a story that many people can connect to while looking back at parts of life gone by. There are tragic and comedic elements, and the music is just insanely beautiful. You will probably never hear the same exact version of Hoffmann at two separate locations, as the score has so many incarnations. You will see a doll come to life and get to witness magic through staging and vocalism.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: How did you know you wanted to be a performer / actor / singer?
A: My parents took me to a PG-13 movie when I was about 10 years old, and I asked them what would make it different from the PG movies that I was used to seeing. They said there might be swearing and kissing in the movie and that it was okay, because it was make-believe. From this point onwards, I wanted to be an actor.
Don’t miss the chance to see Thomas in The Tales of Hoffmann, an extraordinary work that is equal parts fantasy, realism, and genuine passion. Performances are April 15 and 17 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Heather Johnson, mezzo
Jo in Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Go Bears!
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Gosh, this is difficult, because I have several different interests, but probably at the top of the list would be a teacher. I have done a tremendous amount of teaching artist work throughout my career and really miss working with kids. They truly are my favorite audience. I also happen to be the daughter of two music educators!
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Le Nozze di Figaro at St. Olaf College (I’m an Ole).
4. My favorite opera is…
…oooh, that’s a toughy! I never get sick of Madama Butterfly or Carmen (two of my favorite roles to sing are Suzuki and Carmen). But two of my favorite productions that I’ve been a part of are The Long Walk, a world premiere I did this summer at Opera Saratoga, and Lizzie Borden at Boston Lyric Opera. The Long Walk was thrilling, as I was part of the birth of an opera, so to speak… I love working with living composers. It didn’t hurt that the role was written specifically for me, which is such a luxury! Lizzie Borden was one of the most difficult pieces I’ve done both dramatically and musically (next to Jo, that is), but boy was it rewarding and fun to play a crazy lady.….
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre: Something bland. Let’s just say I don’t want to be reminded of what I ate while on stage.
Post: Glass of wine… or two… or possibly even a Manhattan and a burger.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
1. I was basically asked to stop playing in 8th grade band because I was so terrible at the oboe. In my defense, I was already studying piano and violin, so it was my third instrument. I sounded like a sick duck!
2. Even though I’ve lived in New York for almost 20 years, I’ll always be a Minnesota girl at heart.
3. My Norwegian is pretty darn good.
4. I fulfilled a dream of mine three years ago and was on A Prairie Home Companion.
5. I have a nearly 2-year-old son.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
Charlotte’s Web and The Pet of the Met.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
1. LITTLE WOMEN!
2. Pharrell Williams – Happy
3. Anne Sofie von Otter singing the “Laudamus Te” from Mozart’s Mass in C minor. My son loves to dance and “sing” along!
4. Swedish children’s songs.
5. The study midi for Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus, which I just finished in Dallas.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
Hands down the worst costume I’ve ever worn was as the Page in Salome. Uff-da, it was not flattering! A close second was as a Flower Maiden in Parsifal at the Met. While it was an incredible production of which I’m so proud to have been a part, I didn’t love the white nightie I had to wear.
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
It is a beautiful, human story. We can all relate to wanting to hold onto the past and resist change, and yet know that we must let go and move on. It speaks to the richness of family and sisterhood in such a touching way. It has quickly become a classic in the canon of American opera.
Don’t miss the chance to see Heather in Little Women, as this beloved American classic comes to vivid musical life! Performances are February 5 and 7 in the Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Laura Muller, mezzo-soprano
Quartet, Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
Cuba City, Wisconsin.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
If being a singer in a rock band still counts, then I’d do that. If I can’t sing at all, then I’d be an astronaut (seriously).
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
I played the role of the Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul my freshman year of college. Definitely a memorable experience.
4. My favorite opera is…
The ones that are the darkest and most disturbing. Salome is a good one – it doesn’t get much better than a chick making out with a dead dude’s severed head.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
My favorite pre-show meal is ice cream. My favorite post-show meal is ice cream. Always ice cream.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I will be a licensed massage therapist in May 2016.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings. Yes, I was / am a fantasy geek.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
Quiet Dog – Mos Def; Could I Be – Sylvan Esso; Ideal Husband – Father John Misty; Sister – She Wants Revenge; Suck My Kiss – Red Hot Chili Peppers.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
Probably the itchy, bright-orange 70s-era polyester shift dress I had to wear for a production of Gianni Schicchi. I think my whole body broke out in a rash.
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
It tells a wonderful story that is near and dear to my heart. (Jo March was totally my idol as a kid.)
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Wanna go to a dance party?
A: Heck yeah.
Don’t miss the chance to see Laura in Little Women, as this beloved American classic comes to vivid musical life! Performances are February 5 and 7 in the Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Eric Neuville, tenor
Laurie in Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
Born and raised in Waupaca, Wisconsin.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Although it’s not too far a departure, I’d love to be a music history professor. I have always loved and appreciated the music I knew the most about, so naturally, my studies in music history have expanded the boundaries of the music I love.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
A student-composed opera at St. Olaf College called The Binding of Isaac by Matthew Peterson. The work went on to win the National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition. It was a fun introduction to the operatic stage.
4. My favorite opera is…
Billy Budd by Benjamin Britten.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Oatmeal.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I am a published author. I wrote a book on the English World War I-era song composer Ivor Gurney. I combed through his many unpublished song manuscripts in the Gloucestershire Archives and went on to edit and record the ones I liked. It was a fun project.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
Jurassic Park.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
Kings of Convenience – The Weight of my Words
Fritz Wunderlich – Live on Stage (Deutsche Grammophon)
Gerald Finzi – Till Earth Outwears (John Mark Ainsley, tenor)
Conspirare – The Poet Sings: Pablo Neruda
The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
For me, a costume is only as good as it is comfortable. So… without question the worst was the hipster ultra-skinny jean-wearing Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos. The best… was definitely the Zandra Rhodes-designed Magic Flute which was basically a pair of linen pajamas!
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
No matter how well you know the story, the musical lens through which Mark Adamo realizes this tale offers a million unique facets. His writing is brilliant in the truest sense of the word.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: What got you started in music?
A: My Grandma is prodigiously gifted on the piano, particularly at realizing songs without music. She has fantastic ears and used to play for us all the times as kids. My first real venture into singing, however, came thanks to my high school choir teacher, Dan Wolfgram. He too was prodigiously gifted at getting his young students excited about singing. I credit my career in music most directly to his initial encouragement and the opportunities he provided me as a young singer.
Don’t miss the chance to see Eric in Little Women, as this beloved American classic comes to vivid musical life! Performances are February 5 and 7 in the Capitol Theater. Tickets start at $25; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
