La Boheme Artist Blog: Maureen Mckay as Musetta

Apr 3, 2009

I have already been charmed by the friendly hospitality of the Omaha-nians (coined after our La Bohème bohè-mians) and the “Old Market District”, in particular. There are some fantastic “antique boutiques” in Omaha! I found a post-card from 1925 depicting the New York City skyline. I am going to have it enlarged for my apartment in Long Island. What a find!

We are in full-swing rehearsal mode at Opera Omaha. This week the cast began working with the talented adult and children opera chorus ensembles – the impressive music coming from these Omaha-nians is brilliant! What is in the water here, or should I say… steak?

This La bohème is special to me for several reasons. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make my debut as Musetta under Garnett Bruce’s direction and Hal France’s baton – the sky is the limit for artistic possibilities and fulfilling music-making with this artistic team. They are enthusiastically guiding me through the process of exploring this role for the first time. Garnett cleverly directed my first Pamina in Die Zauberflöte last season at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. It is also a treat to work with old friends and meet new ones- the cast is stellar. Musetta’s love interest, Marcello, will be played by my friend Jeremy Kelly. Jeremy was my first Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro during our young artist days at Seattle Opera. We are going to have a blast creating another operatic dynamic duo. I am pleased to have the opportunity to sing my first Musetta in Italian – its original language – before I shift gears and perform it again in German this fall in my debut with the Komische Oper Berlin. Also, I am honored that I will have a dear aunt and uncle in the audience in two weeks along with some other family members!

Opera Omaha’s La Bohème promises to be a special event- it will warm your heart and stir your soul. I am looking forward to meeting and greeting our “Omaha-nian” audience in a few weeks when the curtain rises!

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