It was a warm and humid summer morning on New York City’s Upper East Side, but the air was pleasantly cool on the second floor of the Liederkranz Foundation’s stylish building on 86th street. Matching her stylish surroundings, Martina Arroyo—dressed to the nines—sat surrounded by the cast of her program’s upcoming productions of opera scenes.
Arroyo had convened her twice-weekly role class to delve into the characters the singers were working to portray. Faced with doing one act each from three different operas, Arroyo had her hands full, with the complete casts of Falstaff, Don Pasquale, and Madama Butterfly in the same room. She worked quickly and efficiently, giving as many singers as possible a chance to participate.
Arroyo asked the singers tough questions: Where is the character they are playing from—what town, time period, and social class? How old is the character? What in the character’s background drives him or her to the actions of the opera?
Some singers were prepared with the answers, others were not. Arroyo was patient yet demanding, communicating her genuine desire for these singers to succeed.
So began a typical day for singers participating in Martina Arroyo’s relatively new Prelude to Performance summer program. This role class, which Ms. Arroyo herself leads, was the impetus for starting her own foundation. Seeing a need for more thorough role preparation among up-and-coming singers, Arroyo founded the nonprofit Martina Arroyo Foundation, Inc. in June of 2002. Arroyo and her foundation launched their first major endeavor in September of that same year with an eight-week role preparation course, held in the evenings. All enrolled students learned a full role, prepared a complete word-for-word translation of that role, explored their characters’ psychological motivations, and researched not only their character’s background, but also the background of the entire opera.
The foundation still features these eight-week evening courses in New York City during the fall and winter months. In addition, the foundation hosts Prelude to Performance, a six-week summer program. Summer 2006 marked just the second year of the program, and judging from the improvements over the first year, the program is off to a good start. The most notable new addition: a full orchestra for the final performances—under the baton of Maestro Willy Anthony Waters of Connecticut Opera and Opera Ebony, and of Maestro Steven Crawford of the Metropolitan Opera.
Some 40 singers from as far as Mexico City gathered in New York City to sing one of four operas: Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Verdi’s Falstaff. Don Giovanni was double cast and performed in its entirety, fully costumed and with orchestra. Singers in the other three operas were single cast, sang a concert version of the complete opera, and did one act fully costumed and with orchestra.
Performing four operas—and staging all or part of them—in six weeks is an ambitious undertaking, but the staff of Prelude to Performance worked diligently to make it a success. Diana Vassall, in particular, worked tirelessly to see that the program ran smoothly. She e-mailed a detailed weekly rehearsal schedule to all participants, as well as posting a hard copy in the lunchroom. She also e-mailed any and all changes to participants each night. The program owed much of its success to her tireless efforts.
In addition to Arroyo’s semiweekly role preparation classes, 2006 summer participants also enjoyed a semiweekly libretto class with New York City coach Ellen Rievman. Singers brought a copy of the libretto for the role they were learning, and read the words from the opera in Italian. Once their scenes had been staged, they would practice their blocking while saying the text. This allowed the students to examine the text without the music, and fully delve into the meaning of the text. Several singers said that working with Rievman was a highlight of the program.
The program also promised singers one private coaching per week. This worked out, however, to about four coachings during the six weeks, since rehearsal schedules during the final two weeks were so intensive they left no time for individual coachings. The value of these hour-long sessions depended greatly on the coach assigned to the singer. Most were excellent, including Kathy Olsen Simpson, Joan Krueger, Ron Land, and Carmine Aufiero.
Singers also attended twice-weekly Italian classes taught by Sergio Stefani, a native Italian and local New York City teacher. On the first day of the program, singers filled out a 3×5 card for Stefani outlining their knowledge of and abilities with the Italian language. From that information, Stefani formed two classes: beginning and advanced. Several singers more proficient in Italian met for a conversation class, speaking only Italian for the hour, while those just starting out with the language learned the basics of grammar. Stefani led a fun and lively class, providing singers with a packet of helpful Italian language exercises and tools.
Additional classes included a masterclass on makeup led by expert Steven Horak of the Metropolitan Opera. He shared great tips for applying makeup, as well as what products to buy and which to avoid. Ken Benson of Columbia Artists Management also joined singers for a discussion of the state of the business and his advice for obtaining management, keeping management, and general, sound business practices. One singer said she couldn’t write fast enough during his 90-minute session.
Singers also enjoyed a stage combat class led by Brad Lemons and Dan Revkin (www.thefightguys.com). Offered just three times during the six weeks, the class featured these two masters leading students in choreographed movements including slapping, punching, and throwing someone (or falling) to the ground. They gave excellent tips for staying safe while making the action look real. It was also a great way to let off a little steam, safely, during an intense six weeks—and the schedule was intense. The program went from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an hour break for lunch, Monday through Friday. Saturdays often included performances of the concert versions of Don Pasquale, Madama Butterfly, and Falstaff. Even so, the program directors took into consideration the wellness—both physical and emotional—of the singers, giving them occasional days off (such as July 4 and the day before the final concerts).
The hard work and long hours paid off, with three quite successful final concerts. Both casts of Don Giovanni performed the show in its entirety Friday evening and Sunday afternoon on the final weekend of the program. The casts of Don Pasquale, Madama Butterfly, and Falstaff performed one act of each show on Saturday evening of the same weekend. Three full acts from these operas made for a rather long evening, but audience members didn’t seem to mind.
The beautiful Teatro Heckscher at El Museo del Barrio on Manhattan’s Upper East Side provided a very nice setting for the performances, though the small orchestra pit left a bit to be desired, with string players spilling over into the aisles. Even in these less-than-ideal circumstances, Maestros Crawford and Waters managed to lead fine shows.
Putting the triple-act show together proved to be the most difficult endeavor, and program directors discovered rather late that they hadn’t allotted enough onstage rehearsal time with the singers and orchestra. Like a lioness protecting her cubs, Arroyo went to bat for her singers and at considerable effort and expense made additional rehearsal time—another example of her hands-on approach and deep commitment to her program.
The wigs, makeup, and costumes were first rate, thanks to the fine work of the aforementioned Horak and costumer Charles Caine. Both were on hand for the dress rehearsals and performances, using their expertise and attention to detail to make sure that every performer looked terrific.
Arroyo and her staff also worked hard to publicize the performances. Their efforts paid off when a New York Times reviewer attended the first “Giovanni” performance. Several singers in the cast received stellar reviews in the “Times”—not too shabby for a pay-to-sing!
Tuition for the program runs around $2,500 for the six weeks. This does not include food, housing, or transportation. Most of the past year’s participants hailed from the Big Apple; those from areas outside of New York City were responsible for finding their own housing. One singer stayed with the local pastor of her church, trading room and board for singing in the church’s weekly services. Another singer stayed with his uncle in Brooklyn.
One soprano found a sublet on the New Forum for Classical Singers (www.nfcs.net). She took a virtual tour of the apartment (pictures via e-mail) before arriving in New York. She paid $650 a month for a private room in a three-bedroom apartment she shared with one other singer. Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in Inwood (which some affectionately dub “the singers’ ghetto”), the apartment was a one-hour commute from the Liederkranz, but the relatively inexpensive rent more than made up for the travel time.
No program runs perfectly, and Prelude has a few kinks to work out. Singers in the Don Giovanni casts got more rehearsal time than those in the scenes program. They had one director and one conductor devoted entirely to them, rather than split between three casts. They sang the full opera in costume and were reviewed by the New York Times. Maestro Crawford, working with only the one opera, could dedicate his entire six weeks to its two casts. Maestro Waters, on the other hand, was forced to divide his time between three casts of three large works. He handled this difficult task well, but it was impossible for him to dedicate the same amount of time to these singers.
Prelude organizers are working to remedy this imbalance, discussing the possibility of producing two complete operas and eliminating the scenes program for 2007. This would allow for a more equitable experience for all singers.
Arroyo’s hands-on involvement and deep commitment to helping the singers in her program is obvious, sincere, and inspiring. She has the best interest of all those involved at heart and works hard to ensure singers have a good experience. Through terrific classes, exceptional faculty, and first-rate productions, her Prelude to Performance program provides a very valuable experience for singers.
For more information about Martina Arroyo and Prelude to Performance, visit www.martinaarroyofoundation.org.
