Singer Spotlight: Rachel Stewart

HMS Pinafore Singer Spotlight Rachel Stewart

Name: Rachel Stewart

Voice Type: Soprano

Role: Josephine

Hometown: Abbotsford

Is this your first time performing with DD?

This is my second time. Last year I played Naomi, one of the stepsisters in Cendrillon.

Favourite thing about the role you are playing?

Josephine has a personality. She has actual human conflicts and dilemmas. She wants to follow her heart, but she wants to please her father. Also, she has more high notes than some of the other G&S roles I’ve played ;)

Where did you find inspiration for this role?

The Simpsons’ Sideshow Bob of course, from his one-man show of H.M.S. Pinafore, performed as Bart’s ‘last request’..

Favorite part of this opera?

It changes all the time. We just staged the trio “Never mind the why or wherefore”, and I think this is now my favourite part to do. I get to dance and act just a tad sloshed.

What are your rituals before a performance?

I like to run through any spoken dialogue or any tricky lyrics in my head a few times, stretch, take a walk if possible. Hang out by myself for a bit. Also, I am pretty picky about what I will or won’t eat in the day or hours leading up to a performance.

What is your favourite opera?

That’s a hard one… I don’t know that I really have a favourite opera. Favourite arias and PARTS of operas perhaps. At the moment, if I had to choose I would say either La Boheme or La Traviata.

Ever been asked to do something strange onstage?

I don’t know that I’ve been asked to do anything super strange. Some things were strange in the moment, or perhaps a little awkward at first, but not really strange compared to some things I have seen or heard of other singers/actors being asked to do.

What's the most difficult thing you've done onstage?

I was supposed to shuffle cards during the ‘card trio’ in Carmen. I Tried. I practiced. But, to this day, I still can not shuffle cards without flinging them haphazardly.

Favourite role you've ever played?

Probably Adele from Die Fledermaus.

(NOTE: She was a fantastic Adele... I happen to have been conducting that performance)

What is your favourite activity that has nothing to do with singing classically?

Probably reading. Or hanging out with animals. Both at the same time is great.

Coffee or Tea?

I am english. I drink a lot of tea. I even wrote an essay about tea in English 101… I do drink coffee when I am out though.

Do you have a secret talent other than singing?

I can say things backwards. Words. Short sentences etc. I saw someone do this on Ellen once… she totally stole that talent from me…

You're trapped on a deserted island. What three luxury items do you hope you have with you?

A dilemma that I have actually put waaay too much thought into at various times. What constitutes a luxury item? What about a luxury yacht? Can I have a magical book that turns into a new novel every time I reach the end? A camera with a never ending battery supply and memory would be wonderful.

Tell us a joke.

I would, but it doesn’t work unless I do the bad scottish accent.

Any upcoming performances you want to share?

I will be playing the role of Adina in Donizetti’s L’eslisir d’amore this November with Vancouver Island Opera.

(NOTE: I happen to be conducting that performance as well, in fact three of our singers, Rachel Stewart, Harout Markarian, and Jason Cook will all take lead roles in the Vancouver Island Opera production of L'Elisir D'Amore. It's a fully staged opera with a wonderful professional orchestra to back up these singers!)

Rachel is a beautiful Josephine, great singer, great character, and the fact that she's British is icing on the cake! Come see this wonderful performer - only three performances left!

Singer Spotlight: Nickolas Meyer

HMS Pinafore Singer Spotlight Nickolas Meyer

Name: Nickolas Meyer

Voice Type: Bass

Role: Carpenter/Boatswain

Hometown: Courtenay, BC

Is this your first time performing with DD?

Yes!!

Favourite thing about the role you are playing?

Getting to experiment & play with different characters that a bass normally wouldn’t do.

Where did you find inspiration for this role?

I definitely have multiple personalities in this show. My obvious inspiration comes from Bubbles (Trailer Park Boys), Blanche Devereaux (Golden Girls), Lorraine (Mad TV, and Patsy & Eddie (Absolutely Fabulous)

Favourite part of this opera?

Being with my Lass, Miss Lady Pasty aka Carolyn Barker.

What are your rituals before a performance?

Not much, just watching what I eat and drink that day. Avoiding anything super flem inducing or full of caffeine.

What is your favourite opera?

Anything with a great Bass role!

Ever been asked to do something strange onstage?

Ummm wear coke bottle glasses and expect to dance! To see if I am successful, come see the show ;)

What's the most difficult thing you've done onstage?

Having to do an extremely choreographed dance routine in West Side Story.

Favourite role you've ever played?

The more I get to explore and develop the character, the more I enjoy playing Sarastro (The Magic Flute)

What is your favourite activity that has nothing to do with singing classically?

I love photography, cooking (NOT baking) & spin class!

A lot of singers have day jobs…do you?

I do! I am a waiter

Coffee or Tea?

Both and ALL. I love anything coffee and every type of tea.

Do you have a secret talent other than singing?

I am pretty handy with my tools! I’ve had to fix our washer twice and the garbage disposal three times!

You're trapped on a deserted island. What three luxury items do you hope you have with you?

Fishing Rod, Scissors, and my partner Riley. Pretty sure I would only need those three things to live a happy life in the middle of nowhere

Tell us a joke.

I don’t know any so I googled one and laughed the hardest at this one …

Q: What is the difference between a Wagnerian soprano and an All-Pro offensive lineman?
A: Stage makeup.

Any upcoming performances you want to share?

I have an exciting engagement with City Opera Vancouver and will be returning to UBC Opera this Fall. Stay tuned @ www.nickolasmeyer.com for more details!!

Nickolas is a VERY talented young bass - a fantastic singer and a very very funny man. Don't miss your chance to see Nickolas in action - just four performances left!

Singer Spotlight: Kayla Matzen

HMS Pinafore Singer Spotlight Kayla Matzen

Here at DragonDiva Operatic Theatre, we have ensemble members that are absolutely of soloist quality. Kayla Matzen is one such talented individual!

Name: Kayla Matzen

Voice Type: soprano

Role: Sir Jospeh Porter's cousin (certainly NOT an Aunt!)

Hometown: Williams Lake

Is this your first time performing with DD?

No, I was lucky enough to sing “Celia” in the 2009 “Iolanthe” with Dragon Diva

Favourite thing about the role you are playing?

I Love the costume!! Dora Brooks is a genius!

Where did you find inspiration for this role?

Well… I think from Katy Perry’s “I kissed a girl”… I’ll leave it at that…

Favourite part of this opera?

The Ladies entrance! Any entrance involving balloons HAS to be my favourite!

What are your rituals before a performance?

Light dinner, warm water, and a dance party with Caroline Barker!

What is your favourite opera?

Anything Puccini, every time I want to have a good cry I’ll put it on.

Have you ever been asked to do something strange onstage?

Besides falling on my face every night? Nope.

What's the most difficult thing you've done onstage?

Dancing a version of “swan lake” while singing like a ‘dainty fairy’… Thanks Johanna Goosen!

Favourite role you've ever played?

Elsie in “Yeoman of the Guard”, Not the typical Gilbert and Sullivan ingénue, and the role is just lovely to sing!

What is your favourite activity that has nothing to do with singing
classically?

Knitting! At least right now, it changes al the time. Next week it might be sewing!

A lot of singers have day jobs…do you?

Not yet… hopefully once I finish my BEd in June I will be a Elementary teacher

Coffee or Tea?

Tea! You don’t want to see me on coffee!

Do you have a secret talent other than singing?

Secret? Probably not, but if you want me to make anything crafty I will make it! Or at least give it my best shot!

You're trapped on a deserted island. What three luxury items do you hope
you have with you?

My unlimited juiced IPod, my lulu lemon sweater, a library of books.

Tell us a joke.

Why is the tomato red? Because it saw the “salad dressing!”

Any upcoming performances you want to share?

Sadly, this is the last show for me as I finish my degree, but I couldn't imagine going out with a more fun show!

Don't miss the chance for Kayla to make you laugh out loud in HMS Pinafore. Opening night is tonight!

John Arsenault, Music Director/Production Manager

Singer Spotlight: Jennifer McLaren

HMS Pinafore Singer Spotlight Jenny McLaren

Name: Jennifer McLaren

Voice Type: Mezzo-soprano

Role: Buttercup

Hometown: Richmond, BC (originally from Calgary, Alberta)

Is this your first time performing with DD?

It is – DragonDiva has long been on my radar as a company I’ve wanted to work with, but it’s often difficult to fit productions into my current schedule, so things had to wait for a while. I’m THRILLED to have the opportunity now!

(NOTE: We are glad she did. Jenny learned her role in about 2 weeks, and is exceedingly good!)

Favourite thing about the role you are playing?

This is a “full-circle” experience for me; my very first stage performance ever was as Buttercup in an elementary-school version of Pinafore when I was 10. The experience brought me from being a shy kid to being absolutely certain that I wanted to pursue the performing arts as a career. To now take on the full role as a more seasoned performer is just really cool. (I’m shocked by what I remember – and how different this Buttercup is from the 10-year-old version!)

Where did you find inspiration for this role?

Ah, Buttercup. She’s quite the cougar... I mentioned to Riley McMitchell in rehearsal the other day that I saw my version of Buttercup as being a slightly more no-nonsense version of Betty White (but with all the requisite sweetness-slash-dirtiness) by day, and who held tarot readings, read gothic novels, and taught striptease-dancing classes by night. Riley said, “So…equal parts Betty White and Bettie Page, then?” I said, “Exactly!! And maybe a smidge of Betty Ford in there, too…”

Favourite part of this opera?

Whenever Nick Meyer tiptoes and sings the line “at half past ten”, I giggle uncontrollably. And anything and everything our fabulous Dick Deadeyes do just cracks me up. Favorite aria: Josephine’s ‘The Hours Creep on Apace”.

What are your rituals before a performance?

It depends on the day and the particular demands of the performance. As I’ve grown as a performer, vocal care’s become really important for me. Depending on where I feel my instrument’s at, it can range anywhere from a light warm-up to hauling out the vocal steamer, really watching what I eat, moderating the amount of other activity that day, etc. That’s the thing about vocal musicians – we’re products of our environment, so we have to be in tune with ourselves.

And I’m a pacer. I always pace before the first few shows. I have too much pent-up energy to sit down!

What is your favourite opera?

I have a soft spot for early opera (Monteverdi, Purcell, etc.) and French opera (Debussy, Bizet). Offenbach, John Gay, and Edward German write great operettas (in addition to Gilbert & Sullivan, of course). And I love contemporary opera – it’s always great to see new Canadian works being developed.

Have you ever been asked to do something strange onstage?

I’ve done a fair bit of non-musical theatre, and they’re the productions where crazy things seem to happen. I acted opposite a fully naked man for the first 10 minutes and last 5 minutes of a production once…I was a chain-smoking former prostitute in another play…and I think quite possibly, the craziest thing was a piece of movement theatre where I was dressed up in a “king’s” costume made out of leather, tiled orange pieces which resembled the stuff they make yoga mats out of, and a layer of thick plastic lamination. Totally unbreathable and unmovable. I had to dance, crawl around, hang upside down off a chair, and scream like a crazy person while wearing this. Did I mention it was strangely fun??

What's the most difficult thing you've done onstage?

I memorized a play which was essentially a monologue over an hour long. Tricky, but rewarding! Plus, finding the balance in crying scenes is difficult – being connected enough to be able to go there emotionally, but not completely break down in the process. The Laramie Project was an emotional doozy for me: fulfilling as a performer, but so heartbreaking.

Favourite role you've ever played?

Favourite musical role: Dido in Dido and Aeneas. Favourite non-musical role: Martha in Anatomy Lesson.

What is your favourite activity that has nothing to do with singing classically?

Um…I like to watch Food Network (and drool over the recipes)…and watch my husband’s rock band (Incura) play!

A lot of singers have day jobs…do you?

I honestly don’t know if they could be considered as such! I’m heading into my sixth season as a professional chorister with the Vancouver Chamber Choir. I adore my choir and am so privileged to be working with such amazingly talented singers. We rehearse in the mornings; in the afternoons, I teach private music and group music lessons in Vancouver and White Rock. I count myself extremely lucky to be working full-time as a musician, and often have to pinch myself!!

(NOTE: See Jenny's website HERE)

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. Coffee makes me woozy. A high school friend of mine bet me that I couldn’t make it through the International Baccalaureate Program without getting hooked on coffee. I won.
Do you have a secret talent other than singing?

I play accordion! It was my first instrument (I started lessons at age 5). It still makes appearances at cabarets rather frequently. I can also talk like Alvin and the Chipmunks…

You're trapped on a deserted island. What three luxury items do you hope you have with you?

My hubby Jim, the entire Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Audra McDonald. I suppose that means I wouldn’t be deserted, then…

(NOTE: Jenny and I share a passion here. Audra McDonald, in my opinion, is one of the best singers of our time. Check her out HERE.)

Tell us a joke.

I’m not funny. ;)

(NOTE: NOT true!)

Any upcoming performances you want to share?

Yes! I’m singing with some phenomenal musical theatre performers in “An Elegant Legacy” at the new Orpheum Annex on September 24^th, celebrating the lyrics of Gus Kahn and E.Y. Harburg (tix: lande@telus.net). And the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s 10-concert season is kicking off a week after that with “The English Touch: Byrd to Britten” at Ryerson Church on September 30^th (www.vancouverchamberchoir.com has all the season details). I’m also in an Andrews Sisters-inspired quartet, The K Sisters – we perform all over the place!

We are delighted that Jenny has agreed to be part of our production of HMS Pinafore. Don't miss your chance to see this wonderful and vibrant performer in action!

John Arsenault, Music Director/Production Manager