Ravinia 2019, Issue 5, Week 9

7en \eDrs remoYeG Irom her SortrD\DO oI &ODrD in 6Dn )rDncisco 2SerDȅs DccODimeG broDGcDst SresentDtion oI Porgy and Bess bottom , %OXe ZiOO steS into the titOe roOe in D neZ SroGXction Dt the 0et this IDOOȂits first in neDrO\ 0 \eDrsȂ hDYinJ stDrreG Ds %ess Zith 6eDttOe 2SerD ODst sXmmer toS “Look at somebody like Beyoncé, she’s been influenced by so many genres of music. That’s one of the things that makes her a great artist. In the classical realm, I feel the same way .” gure out how to navigate around turbulence—or avoid it altogether, if you can. But if you do have to go through it—hold on. “I felt fortunate, though, because I would always nd someone who would be willing to work with me, to coach me on things I needed to work on at that speci c time.” E VEN FOR SOMEONE as gi ed as Blue, launch- ing an opera career is like trying to jump onto a fast-moving merry- go-round. Young artists regularly nd themselves singing roles for the rst time alongside artists who have performed their roles for decades. “I sang my rst Bess last year,” says Blue, referring to performances at Seattle Opera in August . “One of the guys I was singing with had done over performances of Porgy and Bess , includ- ing of that particular production. When I was a kid doing piano compe- titions, I’d be talking about how other [kids] in the competitions had played a piece before and I’d never played it before. My dad would say, ‘Angel, just do your job.’ at’s my motto going into any opera production now.” Blue’s father was a huge in uence on her life and career, and he will be on her mind during her Ravinia recital with pianist Catherine Miller. He opened her ears to all kinds of music, and unlike some young singers, she doesn’t limit herself to one kind of repertoire. Her operatic roles stretch from Puccini and Verdi to Alban Berg and Benjamin Brit- ten. “If I only sang Puccini, if I only sang Strauss, I would do myself a great disser- vice,” she says. “If you look at somebody like Beyoncé, she’s a pop singer. But she’s been in uenced by so many genres of music. You’ll hear elements of rock and roll, elements of hard rock, elements of country. at’s one of the things that makes her a great artist. In the classical realm, I feel the same way.” Blue’s Martin eatre recital re ects that range. She plans to open with the Alleluia from Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate followed by four songs each by Strauss and Rachmanino . Also on the pro- gram are arias by zarzuela composers Pablo Luna and Ruperto Chapí, songs by American composers Bruce Adolphe and Jake Heggie, and three spirituals. “I feel like there’s a little bit of Puccini and Verdi, Mozart and Handel, and Jake Heggie and Bruce Adolphe in what I do,” says Blue. “All of those just create who I am musically.” Unlike opera, in which singers inhabit distinct char- acters, she sees recitals as a chance to tell stories. “What I love about opera is becoming a character,” Blue says. “I love acting. I like to pretend. I like make-be- lieve. But in recitals, I’m a storyteller. I can tell my story. I can tell whatever story I want.” (Her Ravinia audience will include members of her husband’s family who live in the area. e recital marks her Chicago debut.) “ e rst half of my recital is very [neatly packaged],” Blue says. “It’s what we think a recital should be, very heartfelt, but [straight-edged]. I start out with Mozart and I sing the Strauss and the Rachmanino . A er intermission it’s kind of let-your-hair-down time. e singing for me becomes more free. “It’s sort of like being on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland,” says Blue. A true California girl, she has held a sea- son pass to Disneyland since she was . “It starts out nice and then it gets kind of crazy and then it kind of comes back down so we can get o the ride easily. I hope the audience comes with me on our little journey.” :\nne DeODcomD ZDs cODssicDO mXsic critic Ior the Chicago Sun-Times Irom 1 1 to 200 DnG hDs been Dn DGMXnct MoXrnDOism IDcXOt\ member Dt 1orthZestern 8niYersit\ 6he is D IreeODnce mXsic critic, Zriter, DnG OectXrer CORY WEAVER/SAN FRANCISCO OPERA; PHILIP NEWTON/SEATTLE OPERA 22 RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 29 – AUGUST 11, 2019