How Does Soprano Amelia Farrugia Like to Wet Her Whistle?

Amelia Farrugia likes to enjoy a celebratory
glass of chardonnay after a performance.
(Photo: Tamara Dean)

"Before a show, Farrugia indulges in nothing more toxic than a skinny flat white. At interval she soothes her vocal cords with a peppermint or chamomile tea and after a show she lets her hair down with a celebratory glass of chardonnay in the green room. 'Most opera singers are into herbal tea,' Farrugia says. 'Hydration is important for your voice. I also drink a ridiculous amount of water.' Private parties are another voice-preservation technique, says Farrugia, who is starring in Opera Australia's The Merry Widow at the Sydney Opera House with David Hobson, a fellow tea-lover. 'I have been doing a lot of entertaining; friends or family will come back up to the green room and have a glass of wine with me,' she says. 'My vocal cords are already tired from performing so I can't go anywhere too noisy or loud, anywhere I have to shout. You have to be a bit precious as a singer. Even at a private party, if it is noisy, I think 'Oh god, I can't stay very long because I can't bear to have to shout.' Celebrations at bars and restaurants for cast parties tend to be special occasions for me. Particularly in winter, the more exposure you have to people with coughs and colds the more susceptible you are to come down with something.'" [Source]