Ten Questions With…
Alan Dunbar, baritone
Schaunard, La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
Born in Jefferson, NC, raised in Beaufort, SC.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Woodworking / instrument-making.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Candide (if you consider that an opera, which I do. If not, then singing Alcindoro in La Bohème would be my first.)
4. My favorite opera is…
Whichever one I’m currently performing. Along with a few others – I can’t pick just one. Eugene Onegin, Dead Man Walking, Wozzeck, Bluebeard’s Castle, and Le Nozze di Figaro would probably be my top five. Although I do love Britten – maybe Peter Grimes and Midsummer Night’s Dream, too.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show, something filling but not too rich or heavy. Post-show, something salty and a good beer.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I never finished high school. I have two advanced degrees, but no high school diploma or equivalency.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, The Soul of a Tree by George Nakashima, Language Older Than Words by Derrik Jensen, A Place of My Own by Michael Pollen, Mein Jahrhundert by Günter Grass.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
Paul Simon, Die Fantastischen Vier, Chris Thile, Max Raabe und sein Palast Orchester, and Chet Baker.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if not such costume, what was the best costume?
I had some fairly “blah” costumes, but none that were really horrible. One of my favorites was my first Leporello – it was a new production, so everything was tailored for me. They even spent exorbitant sums on custom-made shoes for my feet – but, sadly, I didn’t get to keep them.
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
The music is spectacular, especially the parts with that musician character, whatever his name is. (Ed. note: It’s Schaunard.)
Don’t miss the chance to see Alan 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…
Emily Birsan, soprano
Musetta in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and moved around quite a big as a child to North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, and a few cities in Wisconsin. I ended up in Neenah, Wisconsin, for middle school and high school, so I feel most connected to Fox Cities in Wisconsin.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I think I would be in a profession involving working with people – a social worker, realtor, or development in a non-profit.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
The Magic Flute (in college!! I was Pamina… totally memorable experience.)
4. My favorite opera is…
Whatever I’m working on. When you deem something your favorite, you want to look at it from all angles and figure out why it’s so great… It’s a good challenge for whatever I’m working on.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show I like chicken and broccoli – something with protein (usually MEAT). I like a good-size meal to sing on. After a show, I crave popcorn and dark chocolate while I’m coming down from my adrenaline high.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I played the trombone in the band, jazz band, and marching band.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
Mostly biographies – lately one about Egon Shiele, and anything by Thich Nhat Hanh.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
The Pandora radio station “Positive Hip Hop” for my workout, some Joni Mitchell, Nancy Wilson, Monteverdi madrigals, and usually a recording of whatever I’m working on.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
I would say the answer to this was the best because it was the worst!! I was the trainbearer in Strauss’s Elektra in a new production at Lyric Opera of Chicago. I had painted white skin, a leather corset, and a bald head with a little tuft of hair (a comb-over!) on top.
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
It has stood the test of time for a good reason, combining amazing music with such a relatable story line about youth, love, and our hopes and dreams.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: What new hobby did you just pick up?
A: Major league baseball – learning about the ins and outs of the game, and picking out rookie players that shine. AND painting! I’ve been learning how to paint with acrylic and watercolor paints – it is quite fun!
Don’t miss the chance to see Emily 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…
Dan Kempson, baritone
Marcello in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born in Washington, D.C., and lived in Arlington, VA until I was 8, when my family moved to Wilton, CT.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I have a dozen other lives I want to live. I want to be a business / box office analyst for film, high school English teacher, management consultant, historical novelist, lawyer, political activities, journalist, restaurant manager, opera agent, film director….
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
I sang Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors when I was 12, in a production that my church did. The stage director told me I wasn’t allowed to hit puberty until after closing night.
4. My favorite opera is…
Tosca! I know that Joseph Kerman called it a “shabby little shocker,” but it’s so much more than that. Political strife, love, betrayal – and Act 2! The cat-and-mouse game of Scarpia and Tosca is all about control vs. freedom, sex vs. love, the many shades of loyalty and courage, and how dirty we all get when fighting for what we believe in.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Before a show, I prefer something simple, like a sandwich. After a show, I’m badly behaved, and will have a glass of wine (or two) and ice cream.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I have a twin sister, Emily – she’s ten minutes older than I am, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a picture of me under the age of 5 that she isn’t also in. She’s getting a Doctorate in Theology at Cambridge University right now. We lead very different lives, as I like to tell people.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
These days I’m concentrated on reading a lot of long-form journalism and current events. I’d rather spend my reading time eating up the entire New York Times than read a novel. I lead my whole life playing characters! So weirdly, newspapers are my escape. Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World was a very important novel for me growing up, however.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
A little bit of everything.
1) Pink, “Just Give Me a Reason”
2) Queen, “Fat Bottomed Girls”
3) a This American Life podcast
4) Patti LuPone, “With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard
5) My little sister Abigail singing “Bel raggio lusinghier” from Bellini’s Semiramide – she’s a soprano in the grad program at Westminster Choir College.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
Not worst, but how about complicated? When I sang Papageno in The Magic Flute at Seagle Music Colony in 2008, I had a 4-foot feathered tail that was connected to me with an elaborate system of clips, belts, and harnesses. I couldn’t easily sit down backstage, so I spent my time leaning on tables. The whole thing took about 12 minutes to get in or out of. Intermission was 25 minutes long, so after Act One, I would walk offstage, a costume assistant would unfasten me, and I’d get a bathroom break of 60 seconds. Then we’d put the whole thing back on and I’d walk onstage just in time for the downbeat!
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because…
The music is among the most beautiful ever written, but what pulls me back again and again is the fact that the characters are young people discovering themselves, the world, and who they are in that world. Bohème is about the fight between “what’s right” and your gut feelings – Rodolfo and Mimi love each other, but they also know that they aren’t always their best selves with each other. It’s also about being an artist and struggling to be a person outside of your art – each of the four friends finds a different way to do that.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Just the important things: My favorite candy is Reese’s peanut butter cups and my favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s Americone Dream. I kid. People always ask, “Where do you live?” I technically live in New York City, but I’ve only slept in my apartment for about four weeks since 2013. I’m looking forward to my home and my bed after this production of Bohème!!
P.S. And I feel like I should mention my third sibling, since the other two got shout-outs – hey, Peter!
Don’t miss the chance to see Dan 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…
Liam Moran, bass
Colline in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, but am now a proud Dairy Stater, living with my wife and two kids in La Crosse.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Professional soccer player, if I were good enough, which I’m not! I’d love to say a chef but would hate the hours. More likely law or education.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Falstaff, in the chorus at Tanglewood when I was in high school. I’ve known that fugue since I was 16.
4. My favorite opera is…
Depends on way day you ask me. Could be… L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Don Carlo, The Rake’s Progress, Eugene Onegin, Nixon in China, St. François... you get the idea.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show, anything spicy. Post-show is the same, except with a Guinness.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
I can’t wink my left eye. The right isn’t so great either.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
The Brothers Karamazov, All the King’s Men, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Thinking, Fast and Slow.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
You’d see mostly podcasts- Snap Judgment, Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, This American Life. As for music you’d see mostly soul and R&B: Otis Redding, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and lots of Tribe Called Quest.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
The answer to both was the Bonze costume from the Sydney Opera production of Madama Butterfly, which involved lots of red body paint and a bald pate. It looked super cool but took several extremely uncomfortable hours to put on and take off.
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
It’s got everything- humor, pathos, soaring music, nuanced drama, all under two hours. (Ed. note: plus intermission.)
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
These days, with an infant and a toddler in our house, the question is would you like some coffee? The answer will always be “yes.”
Don’t miss the chance to see Liam 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…
Evan Ross, bass
Benoit / Alcindoro in La Bohème
1. Where were you born / raised?
I was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. My wife and I moved back to Michigan after grad school in Boston and have been living here ever since.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would be a chef and restauranteur. I have always loved food and love to cook. I also watch a lot of food TV.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
Massenet’s Cendrillon. I was in the chorus in my undergrad. My professional debut was as the Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata with Michigan Opera Theater.
4. My favorite opera is…
Verdi’s Falstaff. You can’t go wrong with Verdi and Shakespeare together. The way that Verdi writes for the voice and the comedy in the score are both thrilling to me. Ending with that fugue was a stroke of brilliance.
5. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
I’m not a big eater before a show, so I am usually ravenous afterwards. I need some protein and carbs to re-charge me after the show, but I don’t have a set meal.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
All of my height is in my torso. I have the same length legs as my wife and she is a full foot shorter than me.
7. A few of my favorite books are…
I like to read mystery novels and biographies.
8. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
I don’t actually listen to music all that often, which I know is surprising. I am more likely to listen to a book on tape or a podcast.
9. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn? Or if no such costume, what was the best costume?
My oddest costume was when I was playing a cat in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. I wore a spandex bodysuit with a full body mohawk made from a dryer vent. I felt very exposed!
10. Everyone should see La Bohème because….
It has one of the most gorgeous scores ever written and really makes you invested in the characters.
Don’t miss the chance to see Evan 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.
