Ten Questions With…
Elizabeth Hagedorn, soprano
Alma March, Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
I am a Milwaukee native, my dad was a mailman. I went to UW-Stevens Point and got a degree in Music Education, and accidentally ended up singing opera in Germany for 25 years. It’s wonderful to be back in Wisconsin, sharing what I’ve learned with the young singers at UW-Madison.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I‘ve always liked science, that could easily have happened. Teaching is wonderful; I feel very honored to be able to be a potential catalyst for so many people.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
As a teenager, in the chorus of La Traviata for Music Under the Stars in Milwaukee. My dad was assistant choral director for Florentine Opera, so I had an “in.” My first role in college in Boulder, Colorado, was Musetta in La Bohème, and my first professional role was Violetta in La Traviata – in German!
4. My favorite opera is…
Oh no, really? Salome, for sure. No, Tosca. And Ariadne. Wait; Lohengrin. Traviata? Or Don Giovanni.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
At three o’clock, pasta and a boring sauce. Snickers bar in the intermission, if it’s a tough sing, and lots of food afterwards.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
Little Women was a scary book for me as a child. My family called me Beth, I was the little musician in the family, and I’d even had scarlet fever. I cried buckets when the “me” in the novel died, and wondered if my sewing needle would get too heavy someday.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
A novel called Jade by Sally Watson.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
I’m not a headphone fan, no ipod. I listen mostly to standard jazz singers and chamber music.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
There was a time when paper costumes were a fad in Germany, and they were awful! They were stiff, hot, slippery, and rustled with every move.
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
It is like stepping into a time machine. You get to re-live some of the most wonderful and poignant scenes in the novel, filtered through the perspective of Jo. Love, loss, and lessons in accepting change, reconciling with ambivalence.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Are you a published scientist?
A: Well, as a matter of fact, yes! I worked in my brother Henry’s entomology lab – measuring the amount of yolk in unlaid mosquito eggs (I am not making this up) – and was credited in the publication in the Journal of Insect Science.
Don’t miss the chance to see Elizabeth 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…
Chelsea Morris Shephard, soprano
Beth, Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and grew up in Paw Paw, Michigan.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would have to be in music somehow!
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Mozart’s Idomeneo in undergrad. The first day of chorus rehearsal was my 19th birthday, and I remember being overwhelmed by the beauty and volume when they sang “Happy Birthday” to me.
4. My favorite opera is…
It’s a three-way tie: The Marriage of Figaro, Der Rosenkavalier, and Eugene Onegin.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I like to eat something simple before the show (i.e. chicken with pasta), have an intermission banana, and then drink a nice, cold New Glarus afterward.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
My dad owned an independent record store for 20+ years, which also sold Fender guitars.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
I don’t have an ipod, so you’d have to check my history on youtube.
9. What is the best costume you’ve ever worn?
My best costume was the gorgeous handmade gown that I wore for Haymarket Opera’s Gli Equivoci nel Sembiante, designed by Meriem Bahri. It felt like I stepped out of a Baroque painting! On the other end of the spectrum, I did a production of The Magic Flute in which we choristers were all dressed in hazmat suits.
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
The story is timeless and the music is modern but also beautiful and lyrical. You will love it!
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: How do you feel about the future of opera?
A: Incredibly hopeful! There are so many people pouring their hearts into this stunning art form. People are innovating and finding ways to create more for less, operas are still being written, and audiences are still being blown away by their experiences in the opera house.
Don’t miss the chance to see Chelsea 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…
Candace Evans
Stage Director, Little Women
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born and raised in Madison. I’ve directed Carmen and Eugene Onegin for Madison Opera and it’s always a joy to “come home.” Wonderful people, beautiful city, and Friday Night Fish Fry!
2. If you weren’t a stage director, what profession would you be in?
I’d love to do window displays.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Mikado. Opera light, as it were!
4. My favorite opera is…
Much too hard to answer. I am very eclectic in my tastes, ranging from Philip Glass to Puccini.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I don’t eat much before an opening night performance. Though as a stage director I’m not singing, I’m still breathing with everyone and focusing on every set piece, light cue, and costume change. I’m hoping that the supertitles keep perfect pace and that the audience is as delighted to watch the performance as the singers and orchestra musicians are to present it. It’s not the most relaxing experience! I’m usually ravenous a few hours after the performance ends, once I begin breathing normally again!
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I had a featured role on The Guiding Light.
7. My favorite book to read growing up was…
I was a play-reading fanatic. Noel Coward was my favorite.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
I don’t have an ipod. I keep the operas I’m preparing on my iphone, and alternate them. There are usually 4-5 in rotating rep. Constant listening to each of them is my most important method of preparation for directing.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
During my performing days, I was once put into fur boots. Not that unattractive, but they had fur soles as well, and it was like the Icecapades getting around the stage. I actually took a fall during the dress rehearsal and broke my collar bone. My opening night was only possible with a morphine pain pill. I was reviewed as being “a little slow.” Ha!
10. Everyone should see Little Women because….
It’s a beautiful adaptation of a classic book, illuminating the precious quality of time and the inevitability of change.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Would you like to have a free vacation home in the south of France or Umbria and the time to spend several months a year there?
A: Um, YES!
Don’t miss the chance to see Candace’s production of 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…
Eleni Calenos, soprano
Mimì in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would be either an instrumentalist or a music teacher. I can’t imagine myself away from music.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Hansel and Gretel (as the Mother in a college production), but my first substantial role was Mimì in La Bohème.
4. My favorite opera is…
Madama Butterfly.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Before the show I try to have a meal that can sustain me for the performance and is relatively easy for digestion, which is usually some meat and salad. Post-show favorites include warm soups, salads, and tea.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I have a degree / diploma in cello performance.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Mastery by Robert Greene, Spiritual Exercises and Captain Michalis by Nikos Kazantzakis, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Márquez.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists / songs would we see on you recently-played list?
Estrella Morente: Volver
Maria Callas: “Ecco l’orrido campo” from A Masked Ball
Amy Winehouse: Love is a Losing Game
Debussy: Clair de lune
The Beatles: Black Bird.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
Thankfully, I have never had to wear a bad costume. However, I had to be dressed in winter attire (pants, sweater, boots, coat, and scarf) for a contemporary version of La Bohème in an outdoor performance in a New York park in the middle of July!
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
The music is gorgeous and genius, and the story is universal and always current. I believe there won’t be a dry eye in the house. Good enough reasons?
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: One of my favorite quotes is “The heart that gives, gathers” from Lau Tzu, Tao Te Ching.
Don’t miss the chance to see Eleni in La Bohème, one of the greatest operas of all time! Performances are November 13 and 15 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Mackenzie Whitney, tenor
Rodolfo in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born and raised in Janesville, Iowa.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Well, my dad runs a small construction company, so maybe I would do that. I enjoyed working in restaurants when I was in college, so maybe I would try opening my own place called “Karla’s Kitchen,” a restaurant filled with delicious food made from the recipes of my mother Karla. 🙂 Then again, maybe I would just move out to the mountains and live off the land; that could be exciting.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
My first opera experience occurred at the University of Northern Iowa during the sophomore year of my undergraduate degree. I was so green at that time, I didn’t even have an aria to audition with. I ended up singing the role of the scribe, Ezekiel Cheever, in The Crucible. Word has it I sang a killer “hear ye! hear ye!”
4. My favorite opera is…
Oddly enough, I would have to say my favorite opera is La Bohème. It’s very easy for me to relate to the good and bad times of being a struggling artist, and Puccini makes that so accessible for all to see and feel. And the tragic love story doesn’t hurt either.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I’ve done a lot of experimenting with pre-show meals, and I’ve found that a nice piece of chicken with some rice and broccoli or something like that (bland and boring) is best. That usually gives me enough energy without affecting my voice negatively. I’ll usually have an apple in between acts, and then once the show’s over, bring on the hot wings! Or pizza, I love pizza too… or some ribs maybe, or a big juicy burger! Actually, I just love all food.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I alluded to it earlier, but I was a little late to the opera party. It wasn’t until college that I started taking an interest in it. I’ve always been involved with music, but when I was in high school, sports actually took up most of my free time. I was an all-conference point guard on my basketball team and at one point I could dunk a basketball! Sadly, that small window of time where I could slam dunk a basketball has long been closed….
7. A few of my favorite books are…
I think anyone my age has to include the Harry Potter books as some of their favorites. I remember making my mom take me to Walmart the day of the release of the new book so I could stay up all night reading it. Nowadays I enjoy reading crime fiction novels.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
I would have to guess that you would find the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Luciano Pavarotti, and maybe Neil Young. My girlfriend and I recently listened to a Neil Young concert and discovered that Neil and I have very similar speaking voices…. It’s made me think about adding “Harvest Moon” to my audition rep. 🙂
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
I’m going to take the Fifth on the worst costume, but the best costume I’ve ever worn would have to be the two costumes I wore in our production of Così fan tutte at the Academy of Vocal Arts. It was an updated production set in the 1960s. We were Marines in the beginning and returned later in the show disguised as hippies. It was amazing to have such a great contrast and for both of them to be so striking! We had very legitimate Marine uniforms and the hippy costumes were just amazing, fully-equipped with wigs, beards, tattered jeans, leather sandals, pink glasses, and Dashiki shirts.
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
It’s so easy to find a little bit of yourself in all of the characters. We’ve all had moments in life where we are struggling to get by. It’s very important in those times to have great friends to help you find a way through. Some of my best memories are when I had almost nothing to my name. I think many people will remember those times when they see this opera. And they’ll remember their first loves and the passion both in love and hate that fuel those relationships. The music gives such a clear vision to the stories of these characters. It will greatly affect you if you give it a chance.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: What are you watching on Netflix?
A: The best thing I’ve recently finished was Lost, but currently I’m slowly making my way through Lawrence of Arabia.
Don’t miss the chance to see Mack in La Bohème, one of the greatest operas of all time! Performances are November 13 and 15 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
