My Introduction to Opera

This past week, a conversation began in class about how we all were introduced to opera. I found it interesting, though certainly not unexpected, how many different paths have lead us all to where we are today. I followed just one more, different path.

I began an interest in musical theatre early on, appearing in my first musical, Oliver, at the age of 10. I was hooked years before this, though, by a recording my parents had of The Phantom of the Opera. They purchased the recording in 1993, when they went to the National Tour performance in Detroit, Michigan. I started listening to the two audio cassettes soon after, and was hooked. I think that this lead me to an early appreciation of the classically trained voice.

The next big hook for me came one morning when I was around 13 years old. The television show Good Morning, America, was holding a wedding in Times Square, and for a special song had brought in British tenor Russell Watson. He sang the song "Caruso", and I was amazed at his ability to switch between a lighter, almost pop-ish sound, to the full-voiced classical singing of the refrain. I began to purchase his CDs, and then took a chance on a compilation CD of various tenors. Of the 18 tracks on this CD, Watson sang one, Andrea Bocelli sang one, and Giuseppe di Stefando sang one. The remaining 15 were evenly divided between Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti. This was my first big exposure to The Three Tenors, and I instantly became a Pavarotti admirer. This was the final hook I needed to become a true opera fan.