HE SAID
George Martynuk, Manager/Publicist
There are many major-league singers singing leading roles in major houses who lack even the slightest idea about appearance, refinement and dress. Their “packaging” is in need of an overhaul! The world of opera is entertainment and large, heavy, whatever! The point is that you can get up onstage with the right outfit, and it can help to an amazing degree. It’s gratifying when designers can do that for you, but many designers won’t if you’re simply too heavy. We’ve heard often enough: “I’m sorry, but we’re not in the upholstery business.” They can get very touchy, and many are clearly not fit for the world of opera. In Hollywood, you’re probably at the club with a personal trainer–yes, you had better be in great shape! The problem comes in with today’s public. They are visually-oriented. They watch movies, television, and read fashion magazines, and when they show up at the opera, they’re shocked! Sometimes they just get plain angry at what they see. That’s become a very serious issue in opera. And that means that many opera houses have turned their attention to the tastes of the public and have told us, “You can’t do this anymore!” We’ve been told in very specific terms that “we will not hire over-heavy singers to play young romantic leads, because our public is telling Us–‘Yes, we’re paying these prices, which are very steep in opera.’ It’s a very expensive entertainment. The public really expects to see something along the lines of a “package”: Look the part; sound the part; act the part. Today your attitude cannot be: “Well, I’ve got the voice from God!” You’ve got to look and sound credible and be able to act and develop a character, a convincing persona onstage.
The public is less forgiving these days. They are more aggressive and vocal about it. They expect to see more realistic productions, and those singers that are over-heavy face a difficult challenge to slim down. They get that from directors, conductors–who are themselves under similar pressure. Most opera is not comic, but when audiences laugh in certain places that should be tragic, producers have fits and start making demands on singers. It’s not easy. I know how hard it is–I’ve been trying to lose a simple 20 pounds for years. And sometimes someone has a huge amount of weight to lose, and I empathize greatly.
Today’s young singers should try to negate their physical problems; after all, it’s to your own benefit to do so. Put on an outfit or pants, or something, even a gown that is cut and colored and shaded in such a way that the illusion is created. That’s our business: Creating illusion. We have to do that onstage and in real life. It will only serve you in your career.
Less is always more these days. No questions. Use taste! What does that mean? Elegance. Don’t overdo it. If you don’t know these things, then ask your management, and if they don’t know, go to a consultant! There are opera image consultants, and they are specifically aimed at helping people present themselves in the best possible light. “Show and tell” people is what we are. We are entertainers. That’s what it’s all about.
The outstanding “packages” have been people like Kathleen Battle–whatever bad turns her career has taken happened not due to the way she dressed and presented herself onstage. And there are others out there who look incredible. Many have fought the weight problem–Chris Merritt, for example, lost the equivalent of a “small person.” He has kept it off and looks simply healthier and in control. Maria Guleghina looks fabulous; she was someone determined to work it out–and she’s done it. And what a voice! Deborah Voigt always looks fabulous. She walks out onstage with sophistication and grace, and not only delivers a fantastic voice, but a divine appearance. She knows how to present that package!
This is the most unfair business in the world. There is no fairness, so don’t look for it. Be smarter and be more sophisticated. Use all your attributes when you’re a singer. If you’re going into auditions, don’t go with a garish outfit or loud colors. No one wants to see that. Whatever happened to the little black dress? That’s a classic outfit: a tux for women!
Kelly Anderson is a 1994 winner of the George London Award and the Belvedere Competition. Mr. Anderson’s engagements have included a concert performance of Masetto in Don Giovanni in St. Louis and Mephistopheles in Faust with the Opera Festival of New Jersey
SHE SAID
Esther Nelson, General Director,
Glimmerglass Opera
Opera companies on the whole have a more critical eye with regard to looks, dramatic and musical. What you see today on operatic stages has changed from what we used to see 20 years ago. Companies do cast now taking the whole look into account as well as the voice. At Glimmerglass, we may ask a singer to change his or her look–say, shaving a beard or growing one–but not to the extent of what Broadway demands. The voice is an extremely important part of our hiring. If a singer has a glorious voice, you can sometimes stop focusing on their look and walk away satisfied having had a wonderful time. If, however, the person looks dashing but sounds bad, you feel dissatisfied. Ultimately the most important factor is the singer’s voice, and I hope it remains that way. Some companies may have gone too far in the direction of looks. That’s changed, certainly since earlier times when it wasn’t so important–just as acting was originally not a critical requirement, and it is today. Before, you could stand onstage, sing and do hand movements, and that was enough. Today you can’t do that unless you have a truly phenomenal instrument–and even then the director will beg you for more.
Unless something is drastically wrong, for instance, a physical problem that is so noticeable you can’t hide it with makeup and costume, I would say that cosmetic surgery is going too far. Looks are enjoyable, but if you have the most beautiful person on stage and that person doesn’t have a great vocal gift and acting ability, you will not be satisfied. God knows how many brilliant actors we’ve known who are not model-caliber beauties, and yet that did not diminish their great acting. Would these actors have been better with a nose job? To enforce this kind of pressure on an extremely gifted artist is misguided. It’s about a lot more than physical perfection.
This is not a license for artists to let themselves go. When singers present a role with powerful drama, or present a voice that gives me goosebumps, I am thankful that I spent an evening in the opera house. That is what moves us, and that is what we must focus on. Of course we’re living in an age where cosmetic surgery is readily available. If the artist himself is very uncomfortable, then it may add to his confidence to fix a problem, but that’s a personal call. But for the industry to dictate that only the physically perfect should be onstage–no.
First of all, we rarely have a person audition with only one piece. They may be singing three or four other pieces. And the people who are listening to the auditions certainly have more imagination than people may credit us with. We hear this “dress the part” idea all the time.
Look your best. Wear something nice that is comfortable, that allows you freedom of movement. Don’t wear jeans. It’s a matter of respect. We don’t just want your voice, but to see how you move. It’s not necessary to wear a wig or something unless it makes you feel more like the character you’re auditioning for. But casting decisions come down to voice and movement. We forget the hairdo. We say, “My God, listen to this voice.” You look right through these things, right past what they wear, their hair. You think, “Can they move? Can she make me believe the part?” Sound good. Project confidence. That’s more important.
What about clothing mistakes?
Too tight, not flattering–I’ve seen those things and I do remember them. One singer came to an audition in a miniskirt, and that was inappropriate. She didn’t have the figure for it either. But she was still cast! At the time, I chuckled and thought, “This is not the best thing for her to wear,” but I knew she wouldn’t be wearing it on our stage. Everything else worked so she was hired.
Confidence catches our eye. To be confident, you may need to be more physically fit. This doesn’t mean you have to be an athlete or a model, but you should be aware that you’ve chosen a profession which puts you onstage, and in opera, you are exposed. So take care of yourself, so that you are happy with what people see onstage. Primarily our focus here is the voice, the technique and the acting. Don’t worry about looking the part. Most people who listen come from the business. They do understand more than you may think.
Esther Nelson is General Director at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, NY. Before joining Glimmerglass in 1996, Ms. Nelson was General Director of Nevada Opera and Triangle Opera Theater in Durham, NC.
