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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
16
|
February 11 - March 25, 2017
What are some of your greatest
challenges?
VINCE WALLACE
The most challenging aspect for me
is finding the line between being an
individual while working with others as a
large unit.
SHARON GARVEY COHEN
,
Soprano,
Regular Chorus, 29th season
We never have the same day twice. We
could meet at 11 one morning or rehearse
until 10 p.m. the next night. Our lives are
dictated by the rehearsal schedule from
August until March, requiring us to be at or
near the opera house for up to 12 hours in
one day. We work many weekends during
the season, of course. Yet sometimes we have
a random day off or we need to come to
work for only 3 hours in a given day.
RON WATKINS
,
Baritone, Regular
Chorus, 25th season
Memorization can be a challenge,
especially early in your career because
every production is new to you. Keeping
the musical integrity as rehearsals move
to the stage is also a challenge. Staging
can make a complicated phrase even more
difficult. Also challenging is the offstage
work required for certain productions. You
have to know where to be for your costume
changes and props, and these areas may
change with each entrance.
ROBIN BRADLEY
One challenge that is somewhat unique
to opera ensemble pieces is how strict one
must be with every note. It is absolutely
necessary to adhere to what’s written so the
collective sound is clean, precise, beautiful,
and expressive.
CARLA JANZEN
The most challenging part is the stamina it
takes. I’ve been in more shows this season
than ever before and have learned to pace
myself when singing
Troyens
one day,
Quichotte
the next, then having
Norma
,
Carmen
, and
Onegin
rehearsals in between.
It’s a juggling act!
KIMBERLY McCORD,
Soprano, Regular
Chorus, 10th season
It’s all about checking your individuality at
the door and serving a common purpose
in great detail. That takes patience and
dedication. A large part of our many musical
rehearsals is devoted to memorizing not
only the notes and words but also the
“right” vowels, cutoffs, rests, dynamics,
and articulation. Accurate muscle memory
is crucial because there are countless
distractions when we’re onstage. We need to
be able to react correctly even if something
unexpected happens. And it always does!
SHERRY WATKINS
It’s a physically demanding job, so it’s
important to maintain good health,
physically and vocally. A show gets
cemented in my brain during staging
rehearsals. I’m a kinesthetic learner, so it
helps to coordinate my movements/actions/
motivation with the words and music.
KEN DONOVAN
Operatic chorus members are expected to
sing all different types and styles of opera.
Some voices sing bigger repertoire better
(Verdi, Puccini, Wagner), while others are
more suited for Mozart. It’s important to
know what your voice does well and what
it doesn’t, and always be mindful of your
vocal technique. Choristers need to be
constantly aware of how they fit into the
fabric of the sound.
How do you prepare for operas
you’ve sung before, or are singing
for the first time?
LAUREEN JANECZEK WYSOCKI
It’s like riding a bike…you just get right
back to it. There’s some portion of the
brain that has it stored.
CARLA JANZEN
One. Step. At. A. Time. Looking at the
whole season, it’s easy to get overwhelmed;
I break it down as much as possible. We
had a lot of rehearsals for
Les Troyens
, since
it was new for everyone and had so much
music. For the other pieces that the regular
chorus has done relatively recently, I have
to learn it quickly.
SHERRY WATKINS
We’ve done it before, but
Eugene Onegin
is more difficult because we don’t sing in
Carla Janzen (left)
and Kimberly
McCord (right)
offstage; and Janzen
and McCord, ready
for the party scene in
Romeo and Juliet
(2015-16 season).
DOUG WHITE
BRIAN McCONKEY
James Odom
out of costume
and backstage
during
The
Rake’s Progress
(1994-95 season).