Joyce DiDonato Markets New Album With Famous Friends

Stephen Costello Gets Some Limelight Love From WSJ

Stephen Costello (l) with Keith Miller (r)
in Anna Bolena (Photo: Ken Howard)

"Mr. Costello—who arrived for our interview wearing green soccer sneakers, precise facial hair and a slightly rumpled yet European blazer with jeans—began his opera training later than most singers do. He played the trumpet for 15 years, then attended the University of the Arts in his hometown, initially to study musical theater, before going to the prestigious, opera-only Academy of Vocal Arts, also in Philadelphia. Based now in Tennessee with his opera-singer wife, Ailyn Perez, Mr. Costello comes to New York often for continued study with his voice teacher. He also makes a point of seeing Broadway shows when he's here. 'I'm trying like crazy to see Book of Mormon. I have three connections. I'm hoping one of them will work out,' he said, adding that he had already asked the Met's head wig and make-up artist, Tom Watson, who has a number of Broadway credits, including Wicked. 'I said, 'Please tell me you did Book of Mormon. He said no.' The subject of wigs,

Costello with Anna Netrebko as the
title character. (Photo: Ken Howard)

however, brightened Mr. Costello a bit, because in this production of Anna Bolena, he doesn't have to wear one. 'It's kind of nice to use your own head,' he said. "Usually, you've got this wig on, and there's someone poking at you.' That said, the role of Percy calls for other costume constraints. When his character is jailed, he has to sing with his hands bound in front of him. 'It's kind of difficult to breathe, but I'm trying to figure out a way to get comfortable in that scene,' he said. And in an earlier scene, he has to wear a hooded cape, which he's supposed to pull off his head when he enters. But the historically accurate costumes are held against the body with a series of hidden ties that constrict the range of movement. 'The problem,' he said, 'is that it ties under your armpits. So I can only raise my hands so high.' But it's all in a day's work, and at the end of the day Mr. Costello is prone to relax with a burger at the P.J. Clarke's near Lincoln Center: "They have beer. It's my spot.'" [Source]

New York Post Profiles MET Opera Singer Keith Miller

Read the feature about the football player turned opera singer by clicking here.

Big, Large and In Charge: Opera Singers With a Football Past

Ta'u Pupu'a letting his tenor out
(Photo: Michael J. Lutch/New York Times)

Back in January this blog did a post on football players trading in the pig skin to sing in the opera world. Now the New York Times has a full-blown article about the people Opera Fresh mentioned and more! "Opera singers with a football past include Ta’u Pupu’a, a lineman drafted by the Cleveland Browns; Keith Miller, a former Arena League fullback who appeared in two bowl games with Colorado; the former Harvard players Ray Hornblower and Noah Van Niel; and Morrison Robinson, who played on the offensive line for the Citadel." Read the whole article by clicking here. In addition to photos of the football players turned

opera divos, the article has a wonderful video that features Noah Van Niel in the locker room being supported by his teammates, who dub him Pavarotti, as he sings "God Bless America" in full tenor voice. Watch the video here. A previous New York Times feature on Noah while he was at Harvard can be found here.

Football Players Turned Opera Singers

On stage and on the field
(top to bottom): Keith Miller,
Lawrence Harris and Ta'u Pupu'a

Before Ta'u Pupu'a and Keith Miller, there was Lawrence Harris. It seems a natural transition for these hulking football players to swap the astroturf stage for the opera house stage. No matter how far these worlds seem apart, they both require putting on a performance. The biggest difference may just be in the locker rooms.

"Lawrence Harris may have the distinction of being the only ex-pro-football player/Native American opera singer in America (he’s half Choctaw on both sides of his family). A former offensive lineman for the Houston Oilers, Harris quit professional football in 1989 to start on a second career as an opera singer and performer. Harris has received a number of accolades and acclaim for his work as an opera singer. The New York Times critic, Bernard Holland hailed Lawrence Harris as a 'major voice' following his New York debut. Jon Vickers praised Mr. Harris as having one of the most beautiful voices in the world. Phyllis Curtin, having heard Mr. Harris'

Keith Miller: Smoldering Presence & Booming Delivery

(Photo: Dario Acosta)

"Sure, I want to sing more Mozart, I want to sing more Rossini to keep the voice healthy and agile. But on first look, I guess I have a kind of intimidating presence — which suggests darker, heavier things to the people doing the casting."

Learn more about Keith and his upcoming performances at Opera News.