Tenor Ta'u Pupu'a Talks About Tackling The World Of Opera

When Ta’u Pupu’a Met Fellow Polynesian Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Polynesian Delight: Pupu'a and Te Kanawa

"In March 2007, I went to a performance of Il Trittico at the Met, and I saw a poster saying Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will be signing autographs at the performance. I was so excited because she is also Polynesian – she’s half, and I’m full. After Il Tabarro I went out and stood in line. They had me write my name beforehand so she would know to write 'To Ta’u Pupu’a, from Dame Kiri.' She looked at my name on the card and looked up to me. She then said, 'What do you do?' I exclaimed, 'I’m a tenor!' She asked if I was in school, and I said no. And then she said, 'How can I help you?' I looked at her and didn’t understand what she meant. She then said, 'I would like to help you.' Next, she turned to her assistant and said, 'Robert, give him my phone number.' And she turned back to me and said, 'Call me. Call me tonight.' I got her number and I was on Cloud Nine! The intermission finished with Suor Angelica and I was so anxious I couldn’t even sit through Gianni Schicchi. I walked home and kept thinking, 'What just happened??'" Read the rest of the fascinating and inspirational story over at the San Francisco Opera blog 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'