Cuban-American soprano Elizabeth Caballero recently starred as Musetta with the New York City Opera to rave reviews and will soon be making her Metropolitan Opera debut in the same role with the Met in the Parks concert series. A 2001 Met National Grand Council Finalist and former Young Artist with the prestigious Merola Program in San Francisco, doors have opened for this up-and-coming singer.
Recently, Caballero has taken proactive measures to ensure that doors continue to open. Last year she wondered if her figure—somewhat more Rubenesque than those of the most popular leading ladies—might be keeping her from getting some roles she wanted. Now, after dropping 50 pounds, she shares how she did it while managing to keep her singing as beautiful as ever.
Where were you born?
I was born in Havana, Cuba, but I have not been back there since I was a child. In 1980, I came to the United States by boat and I grew up in Florida, where I still live.
Did you always have a weight problem?
To some degree, I did. Most of my relatives are on the heavy side. I grew up eating a Cuban diet and that’s heavy with carbohydrates. Personally, I think that is where most of my weight gain has come from. My mom never made us clean our plates, but she did not insist that we eat our veggies, either. We could eat what we liked and leave what we didn’t want.
It’s not that you can’t eat “carbs”—you can and I still do—but I’ve cut down a great deal on them. I did have some white rice on Christmas Eve because there are times when I need to have my rice and black beans! That’s our tradition, but I did not have white rice for a long time before that, even though I love it. It’s just like eating a bowl of sugar, unfortunately.
You have to eat that kind of food in moderation. I’ve had to get used to not having rice at every meal. A cup of white rice is quite a few calories out of my daily allowance, and I have to think about what else I would like to have that day. I could have the rice and go hungry the rest of the day or I could have a piece of steak with vegetables and a small piece of chocolate. There really are many other tasty choices, so I might prefer to have the rice some other time.
I’ve tried every diet there is, I think, including the liquid ones. What seems to work best for me is Weight Watchers. Since I’m one of those people who like to write everything down, keeping a record of what I eat each day is no problem for me. I love to make lists and cross off things as they are accomplished. Setting goals works for me, too.
Did you put on weight when you got to college?
Since I did not go away to college, my diet didn’t change when I graduated from high school. I attended the University of Miami and lived at home so that I could continue to work part time. I had worked since the age of 16, so keeping my job while I attended college was natural for me. My parents never said I had to work, but I wanted to have my own money. My dad is a mechanic and my mom is a manicurist. They wanted me to have the opportunities they did not because they grew up in Cuba. I’ve worked in a pharmacy. I’ve done telemarketing. You name a job and I’ve done it.
I have the greatest parents in the world. They did not know anything about opera to begin with, but they have always been tremendously supportive of my career. As soon as I said that I wanted to study opera, my dad picked up a book and began to learn about it. Now, every time I start to study a new work, my dad reads the story and looks up material on the composer. Both he and my mom are always there for me and they try to see my performances whenever they can. They really loved coming to New York when I sang Musetta in the New York City Opera “Bohème.” They first came to New York when I sang in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Finals on the Met stage. They where incredibly proud and excited!
It was when I went away to a Young Artist Program that I found that I was gaining a lot of weight, possibly because of the stress I was under. Those programs are designed to either make or break you! At that point I found comfort in food. I agree that it is a good thing to introduce young singers to the real world, but it is really difficult at first.
Do you exercise much?
I walk when I can, especially if I am in a city like New York where it’s easy to do. Miami, unfortunately, is not set up for pedestrians. Right now I am forcing myself to walk to the nearby hall where I am rehearsing, because it is only a few minutes from my home.
It is much too easy to get addicted to junk food like McDonald’s fries. One of the problems young singers encounter is that fast food is tasty, quick, and affordable when they have little time and less money. Of course they are tempted to eat fast food often, but if they do that, they may put on weight in a hurry.
Did you lose any auditions or contests because of weight?
I don’t think so, because up until the last couple of years the emphasis on a slim figure was not as strong as it is now. It really has changed radically, though. Now, you absolutely have to look the part and many phenomenal singers are struggling with their weight. For that reason, I think the opera world is missing out on a great many good voices.
Did you ever consider weight loss surgery?
No, I was never so heavy that I thought of doing that. Actually, I never thought of myself as fat. I pictured myself as voluptuous or zaftig, instead, because I was always well-proportioned. That was fortunate. What made me lose weight was that it was one of the ways I could improve my chances of being chosen for leading roles. I knew I could not control whether or not a general manager liked my voice, but I could control my preparation for a role and my weight.
Since singing is my business, I know I need to do everything I can to make companies want to hire me. Realizing that the opera world was looking for slimmer singers, I decided to lose weight so that I would be more likely to get engagements. That was my New Year’s resolution for 2006, the year of my New York City Opera debut. My original goal was 20 pounds before I sang there, and I exceeded it by five pounds. I kept up the diet and, to date, I’ve lost 50 pounds. This is where I want to stay, so I’m now on a maintenance program.
Has the weight loss required you to change your singing technique?
It really hasn’t because I lost the weight very slowly, over a little more than a year. It is really important for a singer to lose weight very slowly. I have had to watch my breathing constantly. My teacher, Manny Perez, has been directing me so that I always keep my technique in shape. He always tells me when I am getting lazy. That’s an ongoing problem. My breathing will get lazy if I don’t watch it.
Singers always need a teacher to keep them on track. It’s also important to be sure you’re eating properly so you don’t tire or feel strained.
The only time I encountered any difficulties was during the first two weeks of dieting when my body was not used to the lack of carbohydrates. Once my body got accustomed to the change, I was fine. I do notice a few problems during the days before my menses, but then, every woman has to battle her hormones at that time.
The truth is that I feel great now. I look good and I’m eating a normal diet but with fewer carbs and more veggies than before. If I want to indulge once in a while I certainly can, but I don’t do that every day. I still enjoy chicken, but I take the skin off now. I like to “bank” as many calories as I can so that I can splurge once in a while.
I also keep interested by trying on new clothes. I put a picture of myself at my heaviest on the refrigerator. That makes me slam the door if I don’t really need to get something out of it. I know now that I look good. I sing well and I’m getting work. That motivates me.
If you want to succeed, you have to do everything possible to make people want to cast you. My new pictures are part of my advertising. That is as important to me as it is to the person selling cars.
Are you married?
Yes, I have been married to Mauricio Martinez for seven years now. We don’t have any children and don’t plan on having a family, but if it happens, that will be good, too. When I met my husband he was a Florida police officer. Since then, he quit the force so that he can work at his first love, being a club disc jockey. Now he can travel with me and work at that anywhere in the world. He also owns and operates a low-power, Miami FM radio station. Thanks to new technology, he can do that from anywhere, too.
What are some of your upcoming engagements?
On June 15, I will be making my Metropolitan Opera debut singing Musetta in La bohème for “The Met in the Parks” at Pelham Bay in the Bronx. In the fall, I return to the New York City Opera as Musetta and I sing my very first Nedda in I pagliacci there. I love that role! In early 2008, I sing my first Adina in L’elisir d’amore for San Antonio Opera, and then I’m off to Florida Grand Opera for another “Bohème,” but this time as Mimi. I conclude the season with my international debut in Trieste, Italy as Magda in La rondine with Teatro Verdi di Trieste.
