There has recently been some small debate, going on since the dawn of time, as to what constitutes a “real” opera singer, and I am happy at this time to step in and settle the matter once and for all. The word “real,” meaning “being actually such,” can be confusing and is often mistaken for […]
Category Archives: Opera
Advice For a Traveling Opera Singer
For those of you thinking about the life of a traveling opera singer (or for those of you already immersed in that world), I wanted to pass along a few tips I have picked up over the years that might make your experience a little easier. Certainly everyone has their own ways and habits, so […]
Help Me Pick My New Headshot
Well, I got the results back from my recent photo shoot, and out of over 100 shots, I have narrowed the field down to three. But as anyone who has ever had headshots taken knows, it is very difficult to choose the final shot, especially as many of them look so similar. It can all […]
Billy Budd/Moves Like Claggart
Tonight is the opening of the show that I am in, Billy Budd. Normally I use these occasions to make a parody music video about the opera, as I have done for Rigoletto, Gianni Schicchi, and Die Fledermaus in the past. But this time I wasn’t sure if I should. This time I am contracted […]
The NYIOPS
For those of you who don’t know, NYIOPS stands for “New York International Opera Auditions.” “But wait,” you say, “shouldn’t the acronym be NYIOAS instead?” Yes, it should be, but it is not, because Nigh-Ops is easier to say than Nah-ee-oh-wahs. And anyway, I think we can all agree that it would be far better […]
My Other Life
I live two completely different lives. In one, I am a stay-at-home dad, doing dishes and laundry, taking the kids to school, changing diapers and making dinner. In the other, I am a young opera singer spending my time at rehearsals and the rest of my time reading, going out with friends, and eating a […]
Billy Budd
Billy Budd is a 20th century opera written by English composer Herman Melville, under the pen name of Benjamin Britten, which is only to say that you will not go home humming anything from this opera, if you know what I mean. I suppose technically it was also written by librettists E.M. Forster and Eric […]
The Irrational Fears of an Opera Singer
My rehearsals start in less than a week. I am prepared. I have my music memorized and every day I go over it again anyway. I sing it in the shower. I listen to a recording. I pour over the pages of the score. And I am terrified. Maybe not terrified exactly, but I am […]
Great Female Opera Composers
My original idea was to just leave this post blank, but then I thought that maybe people would think their browsers were messing up and I would get tons of messages saying that my blog was broken, and then I would have to explain my annoying concept, and it would not be funny or clever […]
Opera, Comic Books, and Other Collaborative Art
Gary Friedrich just lost a couple of court cases. If you haven’t heard of him, you may have heard of one of his creations, Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider is a comic book character that was turned into an absolutely hideous movie starring Nicolas Cage, the sequel to which may just still be at a theater […]