Ten Questions With…
Matt Boehler, bass
Rocco in Fidelio
1. Where were you born / raised?
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Publishing, maybe?
3. My favorite opera is…
Right now, at this moment: Peter Grimes. But that will change in five minutes.
4. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show: Something non-offensive and noodly.
Post-show: ALL THE FOOD.
5. People would be surprised to know…
At my height, 6’7″, I’m asked pretty often if I play basketball. I don’t! Believe me, if I had any talent for it, I’d have made my millions long ago.
6. What is your favorite song to belt out at the bar / in the car / for karaoke?
“Copacabana” by Barry Manilow
7. What is your pop culture guilty pleasure?
Since True Blood is finished, the only program that I really follow now is RuPaul’s Drag Race. But if it’s true that Twin Peaks is coming back, I’ll be there in a flash.
8. A few of my favorite films are…
Airplane! is at the top of the list. Others, in no particular order: The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Best in Show, Critters 2.
9. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
Fidelio, Fidelio, Fidelio, Fidelio, and… Fidelio.
10. What is the worst costume you’ve ever worn?
Many, many years ago in summer stock, I was in a production of Harvey. It was up to the cast to change the set, and the scene changes were all choreographed… to “The Bunny Hop.” We were all wearing little bunny ears and had little Peter Cottontail puffs snapped onto our rumps. I remember thinking that wearing bunny costumes while hopping around and moving furniture was pretty lame at the time, but now I hear this is the whole concept for a new production of Don Carlo somewhere in Germany.
Don’t miss the chance to see Matt in Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera! Performances are November 21 and 23 at Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Liam Moran, bass
Don Fernando in Fidelio
1. Where were you born / raised?
Brookline, Massachusetts
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I’d love to teach history.
3. My favorite opera is…
Hard to say! Often the one I’m currently working on. If I had to pick, today I’d say… Eugene Onegin.
4. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
The answer to both is cooked vegetables with plenty of sriracha – add a Guiness post-show!
5. People would be surprised to know that…
I can’t wink my left eye… I can hardly wink my right eye either.
6. What is your favorite song to belt out at the bar / in the car /for karaoke?
None! Once I leave the theater, I leave the singing to others.
7. What is your pop culture guilty pleasure?
These days, Homeland. Miss you, Brody.
8. A few of my favorite films are…
Annie Hall, Dr. Strangelove, Best in Show.
9. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
Anthony Hamilton, Kendrick Lamar, Joao Gilberto, Otis Redding, and Bill Evans.
10. What is the worst or best costume you’ve ever worn?
The best and worst was one I wore as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly. I was painted red and wore a bald pate, so to get out of costume every nitght, I had to remove the pate (which rips out all the tiny hairs on the back of your neck) and scrub off the paint in the shower. It took over an hour. But it sure looked cool.
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: Would you like an Altoid?
A: The answer is always “yes.”
Don’t miss the chance to see Liam in Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera! Performances are November 21 and 23 at Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
Alisa Jordheim, soprano
Marzelline in Fidelio
1. Where were you born / raised?
Appleton, Wisconsin
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Medicine / healthcare – a nurse or nurse practitioner (see my answer to #5).
3. My favorite opera is…
Nixon in China by John Adams.
4. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show: A light combination of protein and carbohydrates, candied ginger, and always an apple!
Post-show: Ice cream and/or french fries!
5. People would be surprised to know that…
I danced ballet and en pointe for seven years. I also became a State-Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA or CNA) in 2008. I worked as an STNA with a healthcare company giving in-home care for nearly two years while I was in school at the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music. I couldn’t keep up both my work as an STNA and my work as a traveling singer, so I chose to focus on singing. However, I miss my work as an STNA very much and still have my scrubs!
6. What is your favorite song to belt out at the bar / in the car /for karaoke?
I have no shame. Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
7. What is your pop culture guilty pleasure?
I am a big fan of the Food Network, HGTV, and TLC.
8. A few of my favorite films are…
Some Like it Hot, The Seven Year Itch, Casablanca, Catch Me If You Can, 500 Days of Summer, The Shawshank Redemption, any of the Muppet movies (but especially The Great Muppet Caper), and so many more. My favorite TV show was / is Breaking Bad.
9. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
Fidelio (!), Maroon 5, Imogen Heap, Edvard Grieg (Norwegian Dances for Piano – Eva Knardahl), Beyonce.
10. What is the best costume you’ve ever worn?
One of my favorite costume wardrobes was for Albert Herring with Florentine Opera, and I was Miss Wordsworth. The style was 1950s retro, and I had pink cat-eye glasses with rhinestones and a blonde wig curled in a flip. It was like the whole cast stepped right out of Mad Men!
11. Bonus question:
Q: Do you sing in genres/ styles other than opera?
A: I enjoy singing all different genres and styles of music – opera, oratorio, art song, musical theater, cabaret, jazz, chamber music, electronic music, etc. I am also passionate about singing diction and Scandinavian vocal music (my heritage is Norwegian and Danish, and that is the inspiration for my interest in Scandinavian music). My cognate field for my DMA degree from CCM is Scandinavian song and diction, and I recently completed studies in Scandinavia on the subject, thanks to grants from the Fulbright Foundation and the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Don’t miss the chance to see Alisa in Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera! Performances are November 21 and 23 at Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Ten Questions With…
David Blalock, tenor
Jaquino in Fidelio
1. Where were you born / raised?
Chapel Hill, North Carolina / Burlington, North Carolina
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
I would absolutely love to be a sports writer. I am an avid sports fan, and writing about sports for a living would be a dream job.
3. My favorite opera is…
Peter Grimes, although the answer to this question changes about every 2 or 3 weeks.
4. My favorite pre/post-show meal is…
Pre-show: Something light: either a salad or a small sandwich.
Post-show: Double whatever I had pre-show.
5. People would be surprised to know that…
My brother is also a professional opera singer.
6. What is your favorite song to belt out for karaoke?
“My Funny Valentine,” in the style of Frank Sinatra.
7. What is your pop culture guilty pleasure?
Going to see movies. I absolutely love the experience of going to the theater.
8. A few of my favorite films are…
The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men, Twelve Angry Men, Some Like It Hot, The Deer Hunter, Unforgiven.
9. If we were to turn on your ipod right now, what five artists/songs would we see on your recently-played list?
Kurt Elling, definitely Jonas Kaufmann, Lake Street Dive, probably some other young tenors like Bryan Hymel or Michael Fabiano.
10. What is the best costume you’ve ever worn?
A marionette costume for the world premiere of Oscar at Santa Fe Opera during the summer of 2013. There was a scene that took place in a nursery and all of the toys came to life. My character was a marionette dressed as a pirate. I had giant strings attached to my limbs that were hooked to a handle above my head. It’s hard to describe, but I looked amazing. Plus I got to walk around like a puppet, which was fun.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q: What is your dream role in any voice type?
A: My dream role is Rigoletto. I would love to sing the role, but also it would be a fun challenge dramatically.
Don’t miss the chance to see David in Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera! Performances are November 21 and 23 at Overture Hall. Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.
Six Questions with…
Robert Orth, baritone
Voltaire / Pangloss, Candide
1. My favorite thing about being a singer is: Getting to live inside the greatest pieces of music ever written, and then getting to share them with enthusiastic audiences.
2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is: Exercising the self-discipline involved to learn the score, and always living with the insecurity of getting future jobs.
3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is: Chanticleer’s Christmas concerts are unforgettable.
4. My favorite American operas are: Candide, Nixon in China, Moby Dick, Dead Man Walking, The Grapes of Wrath, and too many more to mention.
5. People would be surprised to know that: When I was 3 years old, I memorized the Old Testament story of Jonah and the Whale, and recited it while standing on a chair behind the pulpit at a Sunday School convention. I was adorable.
6. Describe your favorite moment on stage: One of my favorite moments on stage was doing Nixon in China as part of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the composer John Adams conducting.
Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
Q: How is it that you are and always have been the hottest baritone in the business?
A: I would answer modestly, “moisturizer.”
Come hear Robert sing Voltaire / Pangloss in excerpts from Candide as part of American Kaleidoscope at the Overture Center this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets at overturecenter.org or 608.258.4141.
