In celebration of Black History Month, this episode is Part 1 of a special conversation between operatic legend Harolyn Blackwell and Broadway veteran Robyn Payne! Harolyn is one of America’s legendary sopranos, having made her mark on both the operatic and musical theatre repertory. Her performance career began with singing in Leonard Bernstein’s stage production of West Side Story, and soon after, she began breaking into the operatic realm when she was selected as a finalist in The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Robyn Payne is a singer, actor, and producer here in New York City, known for her long run singing Sarabi in the Julie Taymor production of THE LION KING on Broadway, as well as touring roles in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and SISTAS, the musical. On this episode, they compare musical styles and influences, share insights about their careers, and swap stories of struggles and successes along the way.