Central City Opera Podcast

Week Five - Getting to Know You (Better)

Tenor Jonathan Burton is singing the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca this summer at Central City Opera. On this episode, he shares his thoughts on what it’s like doing a role he’s done a number of times with colleagues who are new to their roles, the new idea that he and the director came up with in Act 3, whether or not Mario knows his fate at the end of the opera and how he handles that, and his favorite moments in this production. He also gives advice on how to be a good colleague onstage, and he shares how he got into opera and what keeps him going in this tough career. 

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Five - Getting to Know You (Better)

Brian Cook has been playing viola in the Central City Opera Orchestra for 20 seasons. He loves being a pit musician, and on this episode, you’ll find out why. Brian shares his entertaining take on the different personalities in the orchestra, what it’s like being conducted by his husband, John Baril, and how knowing what’s happening on stage helps him be a better musician. Brian is also a perfect example of “following your bliss” – he shares with us all the different paths he’s taken in life, with the viola always being the constant.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Five - Getting to Know You (Better)

Liz Printz and Stacie Logue are responsible for how the artists look on the stage at Central City Opera. Liz is the Wig & Make-up Designer and Stacie is the Costume Shop Manager. On this episode, Liz and Stacie describe their respective roles, what a typical performance day is like, and how they found their way to their careers. Liz describes the long process of making a wig and why wigs are integral to the performance, and Stacie gets into the details of keeping all those costumes looking and smelling fresh. These two talented and charismatic women definitely have interesting jobs!

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Five - Getting to Know You (Better)

On August 2nd, the Apprentice Artists take the stage as the principals for the Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee Performance of The Ballad of Baby Doe. Only 10 days before their performance, I sat down with the three covers - also known as understudies - for the roles of Horace Tabor, August Tabor, and Baby Doe: Adam Richardson, Alice Anne Light, and Helen Huang. On this episode, these three talented singers share their thoughts on what it's like covering these roles, whether or not they changed their minds about their characters after seeing the principals perform, and the magic of doing this opera in THIS place. They also tell us where they're from, how they got into singing opera, and their different perspectives on audition season. 

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

On this episode, we'll hear from two women in the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program: soprano Ashley Fabian, an Apprentice Artist, and mezzo-soprano Tatiana Ogan, a Studio Artist. The two take the stage together in The Ballad of Baby Doe as saloon girls Kate and Meg, and they're also sharing the role of the Shepherd Child in Tosca.

Ashley Fabian also appears as Betty Braswell in The Impresario, one of the 2016 one-act operas. On the first half of this episode, Ashley describes her various roles in this season's productions – and gives us a sample of Betty’s brassy Brooklyn accent! She tells us where she’s from, how she got into opera, what inspires her, the competition that permeates her chosen field, the uniqueness of living in a Central City Opera historic property – and the ghost that wakes up her and her housemates at 4:00 AM.

Mezzo-soprano Tatiana Ogan is back for her third summer at Central City Opera! She’s also a Colorado native from Fort Collins. In addition to her supporting roles in The Ballad of Baby Doe and Tosca, Tatiana appears as Estelle Ogelthorpe in Later the Same Evening, one of the 2016 one-act operas. She describes her athletic years as a child all the way into college – she competed in both Irish dancing and running – and how she gotten bitten by the opera bug as a kid, performing in a production of The Magic Flute at Loveland Opera Theater. Tatiana also tells us about her role in the one-act opera and her inspirations developing the character of a middle-aged New York woman, as well as how Central City Opera has influenced her as an artist and singer.  

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

On this episode, we hear from the Principal Coach/Diction Coach of Central City Opera, pianist Michael Baitzer. He describes his two positions at the Festival; his love for lyric diction and the flavor that it brings to great storytelling; where he's from and how he got involved in opera; and his job for the other 9 months of the year at Washington National Opera. He also shares advice for young singers - he is a big fan of those 24 Italian Art Songs - and he tells us about his first sleepless day at Central City Opera.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

On this episode, we hear from two men in the Artists Training Program: Apprentice Artist Stephen Clark, a bass-baritone, and Studio Artist Terrence Chin-Loy.

Stephen is performing the roles of Angelotti in Tosca, the Politician in The Ballad of Baby Doe – seen near the end of the opera – and Irving Geltman in The Impresario, one of the 2016 one-act operas. It’s his first summer here, and we sat down in late June to discuss how his summer is going. Stephen describes two of his roles in detail, what it’s like being a young bass-baritone and a young artist in general, his experience of sharing the stage with our principal artists, growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and being introduced to opera there, and why he’s drawn to the villains in every story.

Tenor Terrence Chin-Loy is back for his second summer as a Studio Artist at Central City Opera. He’s in the Ensemble for the main stage shows – as are all of the young artists – as well as several scenes in the Short Works opera scenes programs. He also sings regularly at the St. James United Methodist Church across the street from the Opera House. It was built in 1871-72 by the same Cornish miners who built our Opera House. Terrence describes his busy schedule, what it’s like living in a historic property with a cool backstory, how – as a 1st generation American born to Jamaican parents – he discovered his love for opera, and what inspires him to keep going in this very competitive business.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org. 

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

Michael Ehrman is the Director and Administrator of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program at Central City Opera. He's also the stage director of both the one-act operas this season, Later the Same Evening and The Impresario. On this episode, Michael describes the competitive audition process for the training program and how he and his colleagues choose the singers; the classes that the young artists take during the summer and the rigorous schedule they maintain; his updated concept for The Impresario and what it's like directing comedy; and the story and music of Later the Same Evening. He also shares how he got interest in directing in the first place - going to Broadway musicals starting when he was 10 was a big influence - and his impressions of Central City back in 1981 for his first season as stage director.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

Studio Artists Kaileigh Riess, soprano, and Michael Floriano, baritone, are two of the youngest members of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program. In addition to the Ensemble, you can see Kaileigh as Older Silver Dollar near the end of The Ballad of Baby Doe and also as Rose Segal in Later the Same Evening. Michael appears as a number of supporting roles in The Ballad of Baby Doe and Tosca, as well as Joe Harland in Later the Same Evening. They are also featured in Central City Opera’s Short Works scenes program, performing before every mainstage matinee. On this episode recorded in late June, they describe what their first impressions were of Colorado in general and Central City in particular – including getting acclimated to the altitude – what their experience in the training program has been like so far, their roles in Later the Same Evening and how tricky that opera’s music is, how they landed on the path of singing opera, and what it’s like being at the beginning of an opera career.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.

Week Four - Shaping the Opera Stars of Tomorrow

On this episode, we hear from two people you won’t see onstage – but whose work you’ll definitely see, and who are incredibly important to ensure successful performances. Melinda Sullivan is the Movement Coach and Resident Choreographer, and Erick Wolfe is the Stage Combat Instructor and Resident Fight Choreographer. Melinda and Erick describe the work they do with the young artists as well as the principals and how they collaborate with each other to teach singers how to be aware of their bodies. Erick talks about weaponry on stage and action sequences in movies, and Melinda shares why Renaissance and Baroque dance forms are some of her favorites. They also share what makes Central City Opera special to them.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at [email protected]. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at www.centralcityopera.org.