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Name:
Sylvia Szadovszki
(Lydia in the
Lincoln Park Zoo performances)
Hometown:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
Pop
Favorite subject in school:
Languages:
French,
Spanish, Latin
First public performance:
I was five years old.
I was chosen to sing a solo at our Christmas
concert about a scrawny Christmas tree that
nobody wanted. Now I feel like I should get a
scrawny tree for Christmas this year.
Favorite zoo animal:
Red panda
Name:
Louise Rogan
(Lydia in the Opera in
the Neighborhoods performances)
Hometown:
Manchester, England
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
Folk
Favorite subject in school:
Music
Advice for anyone who wants to be a singer:
Hard work is key. Find music that excites you
and that you love, and work hard to make it
the best that it can be.
Favorite zoo animal:
Penguin
Name:
James Onstad
(Jake in the Lincoln
Park Zoo performances)
Hometown:
Santa Fe, NM
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
Jazz,
hip hop, rock, blues
Favorite subject in school:
Physics and biology
First public performance:
When I was in the 6th
grade, I sang Amahl in an opera called
Amahl
and the Night Visitors
. The opera is very moving,
and I loved how much people were affected
by the show.
Favorite zoo animal:
Giraffe
Name:
Brett Potts
(Jake in the Opera in the
Neighborhoods performances)
Hometown:
Orwell, NY
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
Progressive rock and metal most recently, but I
have long liked other genres such as jazz, and
classic rock.
Favorite subject in school:
Science—especially
chemistry.
First inspiration to become a singer:
In middle
and high school I sang a lot of musical theater,
and some pop and gospel. But in college
I was exposed to a lot of opera and I was
just fascinated by the incredible sound that
a human voice could make without any
amplification or technology to aid it. I decided I
had to explore that and I became hooked.
Favorite zoo animal:
Ocelot
Name:
Leah Dexter
(Elder Constance)
Hometown:
Detroit, MI
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
Rhythm
& blues and soul
Favorite subject in school:
Science
First public performance:
I was in kindergarten
and it was the spring concert. I got to sing a
solo, “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round” and
also got to dance a little ballet routine. It was
awesome.
Favorite zoo animal:
Spider monkey
Name:
Julie Miller
(Elizabeth)
Hometown:
Sacramento, CA
Favorite kind of music other than opera:
The
Beatles and Queen
Favorite subject in school:
English
First public performance:
I was around 8 years
old. I sang “Oh Holy Night” as part of my school
choir’s Christmas concert.
Favorite zoo animal:
Monkey
Meet the
Second Nature
Cast, Players, and Production Team