These days it is an unpleasant reality that there are many more opera singers than jobs in the opera world. The competition for roles is fierce, and opera companies are ever more selective—demanding singers who can sing, act AND look the part—not to mention being cooperative and pleasant to work with. In order to become a superior performer and locate employment, more opera singers should consider “crossing over” to other forms of musical theater.
Some singers have successfully accomplished this and have acquired valuable stage experience as well as income. The great Metropolitan Opera bass Ezio Pinza comes to mind in his role as Emile de Becque in South Pacific. Placido Domingo, Veronica Villaroel, Juan Pons and Maria Bayo recorded zarzuelas (Spanish operettas—for example Luisa Fernanda and El Barberillo de Lavapiés ), revitalizing and re-energizing a unique national art form. Numerous “Christines” of The Phantom of the Opera casts were classically trained. Broadway star Audra MacDonald studied voice at Juilliard.
But why doesn’t every classically trained singer embark on this alternate route? Why not earn extra money and reap stage experience, both of which might assist the singer in fulfilling his or her opera dreams? What obstacles do singers face? What issues need to be resolved for singers to become competitive in the “other” performance arenas—such as musical theatre, zarzuela and operetta—and yet maintain their classical vocal technique?
There are quite a few myths about opera’s relationship to other forms of singing theatre that dissuade singers from crossing over. Outright snobbery—the belief that opera is “better” or “harder,” and a fear of belting are some of the reasons why many classically trained singers never even contemplate performing musical theatre or operetta. Some voice teachers do not “deal” with musical theatre, and some singers have never been exposed to it in the voice studio.
“Belting” is regarded as dangerous to the voice, in spite of the fact that there are specific techniques to teach it and others to safely approximate the necessary sound (the “fake belt”). And not all musical theatre roles require belting—quite a few call for “legit” (classically trained) voices, which would not require any change in technique for the singer whose voice is the right timbre and weight. Operetta and zarzuela, sitting on the fence between opera and musical comedy, actually demand classically trained voices.
So what’s the excuse? “Desecrating” an operatic voice by singing “lesser” literature is the anathema here. “Ruining” a Donizetti voice while singing Lloyd Webber seems to be a common fear. Why is it acceptable to determine during the voice lesson if the singer is right for Strauss or Handel, but not to determine if the singer can sing Violetta and belt as well? Furthermore, the most prevalent myth is “just because”—“just because it’s musical theatre/operetta/zarzuela, a different genre, I can’t do it.” The bottom line is that the range, capability and timbre of your instrument, your physicality and training are the determining factors. In other words, can you sing it, do you look the part and can you act it? Keep in mind that these same questions are being asked by managers and artistic directors of opera houses!
The separation of “singing theatre” genres (and therefore related performance and business practices) is not only confronted by singers and voice teachers. I observe conductors wondering how to design a résumé so that “opera people” will not look down on the musical theatre repertoire and “musical theatre people” will not fear a “starchy” conductor who works with “opera folk.” I am always curious where these conductors would list Die Fledermaus and whether they would call it “The Bat” for non-operatic consumption.
Historically, there is an elusive boundary between opera (defined as the classical side of the “singing theatre”) and musicals (anything from the Americanized import of the Viennese operetta to the stage version of The Producers). But who defines it? The one schooled in the conceptions of 50 years ago? The one who measures opera by radio broadcasts of the standard bread-and-butter repertoire? The one who claims that it is enough to recreate the “glories” of the past, the elusive “golden age,” the simply put “good old days?” The one who refuses to consider personality, physicality, and acting ability as requirements for today’s opera singers? Is the boundary determined by the respective audiences, in the contemporary context of diminished arts funding and the scarcity of public school music instruction? And who benefits from this distinction—this wall between genres? Surely not the classically trained singer who indeed possesses the motivation, acting skills, the right look and the vocal capability to cross over into musical theatre and operetta.
There have always been works that fall between the cracks, are impossible to define using pre-existing categories, or are devalued by elitism and snobbery. For example, when Puccini wrote La Rondine it was “dismissed” as an operetta. When Bizet wrote Carmen, it was not seen as worthy of the “real” opera house, and it was relegated to the “lesser” opera comique. When Wagner wrote the Ring Cycle, he had a new place built for it, because it certainly did not belong where “other” repertoire was produced. When Mozart wrote Magic Flute, it was meant to be performed in the outskirts of Vienna; when his Figaro came out—well, we all know the anecdote about the fact that it required the singers to dance, hence, it was not suited to please court standards!
Opera history is plagued with episodes of exclusion, classifications and narrow-mindedness, but that doesn’t mean that you, the singer, should let that restrict you or your career choices. Reason sometimes prevails, and inclusion and openness sometimes triumph. You need to be ready when that happens. We fear tearing down the barriers between El Barberillo de Lavapiés (a zarzuela about a barber); Il barbiere di Siviglia (an opera about another barber) and Sweeney Todd (a musical about a barber’s murderous razor blade). Geometrically speaking, what exactly is the distance between Barber of Seville and Sweeney Todd? Both are about barbers—one kills people and the other is a matchmaker who inspired the best of the Warner Brothers’ cartoons. Yet, the bloody one was destined to “Broadway,” and the older one to the elegant affair of haughty opera temples.
You might say it has to do with the difficulty of singing one or the other. Well, Johanna might be a bit easier than Rosina. So what have we proved? That from now on, we will ask singers, and if it is easy enough to sing we send the score to the “lighter” venues where it will be running for months, if not years; but if they find it difficult, we send it back to the opera houses for a short run and limited ticket sales? Simple, right? On the contrary, just think, if we were able to bridge these boundaries and link opera, musical theatre, operetta and zarzuela, our musical culture would be enriched and all the venues would prosper, drawing on a common audience—diversified and musically curious—and a highly qualified talent pool. And who better to erect that bridge than classically trained opera singers?
Admittedly the cross-over singer is up against a lot of unfair historical baggage. The stereotypical opera singer of the past is the one who “parks and barks,” and does not pay much attention to acting onstage. These stereotypes still linger, and composers who have to cast a lead for their latest “musical” may have serious doubts about casting the very successful lead of their own opera, because she is an “opera singer.” But why should this be the case? If you defy the stereotype, and you can sing, act and move, why shouldn’t you have the lead in the musical too?
Opera singers also inherit a legacy of training and protocol that is in direct contrast to that of the musical theatre. The “triple threat” (ability to dance, sing and act) is a given in preparation for a musical theatre career—these skills are consistently and seriously developed for success in musical theatre. In opera we may still encounter the stereotypical old diva that trains the young singer to be the next diva: “be difficult,” “throw tantrums,” “don’t lose weight…you’ll lose your voice,” “be a respected Opera Singer.” Fortunately, the current training of opera singers encompasses more than the voice studio. Nowadays more singers are encouraged to take acting classes, understand their characters, and to learn to move and dance onstage in addition to perfecting their vocal technique and expressing emotion with the voice. This is not always the case though, and some singers may have been educated in a more traditional way, in which the voice is first, foremost and the ONLY criteria taken seriously. In such cases singers should supplement their voice lessons with practice or study in acting and dance/movement, since even in opera the trend is towards a more theatrical (rather than solely musical) production.
Moreover, there is a formality in the opera audition and rehearsal protocol that does not exist in the musical theatre. For example, some opera companies have an unwritten dress code that pressures singers to attend rehearsals uncomfortably overdressed, making any physical display of characterization or simple stage action an impossible task. Auditionwear is similiarly semi-formal or formal for opera. In a musical theatre auditions, prospects are told to “come dressed to move/dance.” The performer knows to bring his or her leotard and tights or dance skirt and shoes. At rehearsals in musical theatre and drama, little attention is paid to what street clothes the performer wears—it is permissible to dress comfortably and informally and/or change into “rehearsal” clothes or dancewear. This facilitates movement and free expression.
So what exactly does it take to cross over?
-motivation
-knowledge of your vocal and physical type (leading man/lady, ingenue, character, etc.)
-a voice that has a range and timbre realistically able to fit in a musical theatre cast without damaging the technique or singing off the voice.
-an understanding of the style of musical theatre, operetta or zarzuela
-acting ability and training
-a speaking voice that projects well
-dance training, or at least the ability to move well onstage
-ability to investigate the trends in musical theatre and be able to tailor one’s “package”—i.e. résumé and photos, audition and backstage protocol, etc.
Motivation is key. In essence you need to be flexible and willing to adapt to a different environment if you plan to cross over. Once you’ve determined what musical theatre/operetta repertoire you can reasonably sing and what you could be cast in, you will need to find out as much as you can about résumé, headshot, audition, performance, management and union protocols for those fields. Backstage magazine is a good place to start. In the big cities and at many colleges and universities, there are numerous acting and dance classes to take if you need to develop or brush up those skills. Just as in opera, there are coaches (and voice teachers) who specialize in these other repertoires.
One of the most intimidating aspects of crossing over for opera singers appears to be the “typing,” or the looks factor. Musical theatre casting is heavily dependent on “type,” and beginning “Broadway babies” tend to be model/Hollywood thin while aspiring opera divas and divos come in a diversity of sizes and shapes. There are however, parts that do not require you to look like a model—if you don’t or can’t, research the parts that are routinely cast with a variety of looks and concentrate on those. True, physical appearance is becoming more important for opera singers, too. People want to see singers that “look and sound the part.” However, in an opera audition, everyone scheduled has a chance to sing—at least for now. In an open musical theatre audition, only those who fit the “type” or look necessary are invited to stay and perform. This is simply the reality of the casting process, and you need to be aware of it and not take it personally.
Obviously, more opportunities to work onstage and be renumerated for it are clear advantages of crossing over. Due to the actors’ union, Equity, wages for Broadway musicals are decent. Off Broadway, national and international tours of musicals will also provide steady income during the run. Another advantage of crossing over is more stage time and performances. Opera productions often consist of two casts and a small number of performances. Early in a singer’s career, especially, it is helpful to be onstage a lot. I call it “mileage.” The more miles a pilot flies, the closer to a jumbo jet he or she gets.
As long as the singer can protect and rest the voice, singing in a musical or operetta is a great learning experience that could exponentially improve a singer’s stagecraft. Depending on the production and the number of performances, 3-6 months in a musical, operetta or zarzuela could equal years of equivalent stage time in opera.
More opportunities, more money, more stage time, a multi-faceted musical experience, and development of acting and movement skills are the rewards when an opera singer crosses over. On the other hand, classically trained singers have much to offer the other genres. Classically trained singers bring a strong vocal technique and projection as well as exquisite singing. Classically trained singers also contribute extraordinary musicianship. When classically trained singers are used, less time and money needs to be spent on musical issues alone in rehearsals. More emphasis can be put on the overall production, yielding higher production values. The ability to sing in foreign languages with minimal coaching is helpful for zarzuela performed in Spanish, and American/British musicals that are done in Europe in the local languages.
Finally, classically trained opera singers can construct the bridge that links the genres of the singing theatre. As much as opera singers might bemoan the “typing” and dance requisites in musical theatre, it is theoretically easier for opera singers to cross over into musical theatre than for musical theatre performers to cross over into opera. Since most musical theatre artists are not classically trained in voice, they would have to retrain or train their voices in opera, a feat that could take years. Since a good number of aspiring opera singers have already added acting and dance training to their curriculums, they are already halfway there and would need less preparation to cross over.
Opera singers and the other genres of the “singing theatre” stand to benefit immensely from crossing over. Do away with labels (opera, musical theatre, operetta, zarzuela) and start thinking SINGING THEATRE. Make sure that your openness and readiness works for you. Instead of limiting yourself, you can broaden your job search, your potential for employment and your knowledge of music and performance. Even the Met produces Mahagonny! And if you start with Mahagonny, the sky is the limit. The rest of the Kurt Weill world will open up for you, and the neighboring genres are just around the corner. You can aim for a wider marketplace, and guess what? Your voice will not suffer, because it has been classically trained. Trust your classical foundation and magnify your possibilities!
