Back in Birmingham

HEY BIRMINGHAM!  I'm back!  It's been almost a year since I was here last for The Magic Flute, and I'm so excited to start 2014 'RIGHT' with Rigoletto and Opera Birmingham.  It's going to be a FANTASTIC show.  Most exciting of all is the fact that I get the opportunity to share the stage with my new husband, and love of my life, Ben LeClair.  He'll be playing Sparfucile, and sorry for the spoiler, but he has the very important job of 'doing away' with me at the end of the opera!  Talk about a warped form of marriage counseling!  We were just married a couple of months ago at a beautiful ceremony in Houston with about 150 of our closet friends and family. One of those guests was your beloved GD, and fellow newlywed himself, John Jones.  It was absolutely magical!!

We actually met during our time at Des Moines Metro Opera playing Mimi and Colline in La Boheme.  It will be the first time sharing the stage since.  We've been living in Oldenburg, Germany for the past year and a half where Ben has been a festival artist at the State theater, and I've been auditioning and traveling back and forth to the US for gigs like this one.  We couldn't be happier to be spending time together singing some of the most beautiful music ever written in one of the friendliest, culturally rich, best foodie cities out there.

I've only had the opportunity to sing a concert with Todd Thomas, so it's going to be very exciting to be able to share the stage in a role he's very well known for.  I am also looking forward to singing again with Michael Wade Lee.  He played Don Jose opposite my first Micaela back in my young artist days with Chautauqua Opera.  I'm thrilled to be working with conductor Steven White for the first time.  I've heard nothing but wonderful things about him from friends!  AND who wouldn't be excited to work with Marc Astafan again!  He's the absolute best.  You all saw what he did with Flute!  So.. stay tuned for great things this month in one of my most favorite cities in the South!