Summer Splash REP - UnVEILED!

This weekend, New Wave Opera will present our inaugural event: Summer Splash! This week, our performers shared what works they are most excited about and what listeners can expect to hear.

Today, we hear from NWO resident soprano, Lindsey Rae Johnson!

NWO Resident Soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson - who also recently celebrated a birthday!

"One of the pieces I'm most looking forward to performing is Rita's Aria from William Bolcom's The Wedding [libretto by Robert Altman & Arnold Weinstein]. During the aria she is trying to communicate hilariously-detailed instructions regarding drinks - the energy is very high and rather chaotic. I attended bartending school when I was in Texas for my graduate degree, so it was really fun to encounter an opera aria with so much of the jargon from that part of my life. Musically, there are a lot of huge leaps and colorful moments - the stakes feel so high for something we might not consider terribly important; it is a great encapsulation of a truly 'dramatic soprano' moment, and I love performing it."

The piano part for this work is also highly demanding, though you wouldn't know it to hear our pianist, Stephen Lewis tear through it!

"We actually have two wedding-themed soprano arias. The other one we've programmed is from Jonathan Dove & Alasdair Middleton's The Enchanted Pig. The whole opera is so fantastical, and I love the waltzing, dance-like feel of the music - it really helps to convey a playful tone even as the character is saying some pretty awful things [...do I look like I mind if some nuns have gone blind? The whole bleeding convent can drop down dead...,  or ...the doves...won't do. Shoot them all! They're too small,"]. After all, who doesn't want a perfect wedding??"

Soprano Lindsey Rae Johnson at a recent rehearsal, with pianist Stephen Lewis.

Lindsey will also be singing a duet by NWO Resident Mezzo & Composer, Lisa Neher on the program.

Lisa Neher (L) and Lindsey Rae Johnson (R) during a performance of "I'm use to the way I move," from Lisa's opera "Sense of Self"

"Lisa's duet, I'm use to the way I move, has some really beautiful text by Kendra Preston Leonard. The story is about two strong women navigating a challenging situation. My character, Maya, is a triathlete that gets diagnosed with breast cancer and must decide between surgical options - my mother is a breast cancer survivor, so the topic is very personal to me. In this duo, the other character - her coach Naomi - offers some real encouragement and support during the aria. It's a really beautiful moment of connection between the two characters."

You can hear Lindsey on these works - and a whole lot more - THIS SATURDAY at our inaugural concert, Summer Splash! Read more about the event, or RSVP to secure your seats today at the links below:

FULL EVENT INFO

RSVP FOR SUMMER SPLASH