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Professional Opera Singer Directs SBC Student Workshop Open to All Interested Students
By Carina Finn '09
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Overture

SBC voice teacher Marcia Thom will be directing several comic opera scenes, all done in English, as the final piece of her Opera Workshop. These will be performed in the Murchison Lane Auditorium in Babcock on Friday April 27th and Saturday April 28th from 7:30-9:00.

With all of the upcoming spring events, the Opera Workshop could potentially get lost in the shuffle of step singing, exams, and senior projects, but people on campus are already talking.

“I’ve always enjoyed opera but have never been able to see a live performance, so seeing opera live and knowing that it’s my friends singing it makes it very exciting,” said Catie Gumpman ’10.

The pieces featured explore such relevant themes as marriage proposals, wicked stepsisters, and boy troubles.

Act I

Sprawled on the floor of her office, the door of which is covered with newspaper clippings and funny cards from friends, Prof. Thom dispels any thought of the pretentious opera singer the moment you meet her.

“Oh my God, I can sing as loud as I want,” Thom said when describing one of the reasons why opera is a passion of hers.

On Friday afternoons, Babcock 127 transforms. The initial cacophony of thirteen talented girls, a “diva” professor, and an exceptional accompanist, like the discord of an orchestra tuning up, settles into the fun-filled melodies of Opera Workshop. Thom stands at the helm, with accompanist Mona Thomas at her right hand, guiding her charges though the challenging delights of opera.

Thom only does comedies in English because she feels that it is the best way to make opera accessible to the masses.

“Comedy is the best way to educate the community, and it is also fun for the girls,” said Thom.

Thom, a professional singer for 20 years, had no prior directing experience when she began teaching Opera Workshop three years ago at Randolph-Macon Women’s College.

“There was no venue for the students who were singing classical music to really perform. They would get up and do the juries, but there was no opportunity for them to make it real,” said Thom.

Juries, which are individual student recitals of one or two pieces given for the music faculty, are often the only chances some students have to show their work.

Thom emphasizes that there is more to opera than just being a great singer. A great opera performer must be a triple threat—in other words, she must be talented in singing, acting, and dancing. True, a fabulous voice is necessary for professional opera singers, especially since it is the only unamplified vocal art.

However, Thom had a student in a past opera workshop who literally could not match pitch, and spoke most of her part. Her acting abilities led her to give a good performance despite her having some musical challenges. “I can always find something for a student to do,” said Thom.

Though in the past she has always held auditions for Opera Workshop, she decided to forgo them for this first attempt at Sweet Briar, in order to encourage anyone with an interest to sign up for the class. She does not give leading roles to those whose vocal talents she doesn’t know, because she hates putting people on the spot. However, Thom refused to identify any standout students. She makes it clear that everyone – regardless of their ability or assigned roles – is working hard.

“The girls who only have ensemble parts put in just as much effort as the soloists,” said Thom.

Act II

Laura Jones ’10, a very enthusiastic opera student, says, “I have really started enjoying my parts. I am playing three leads in three different operas, Cenorentola in "Cenorentola", Yum-Yum in "The Mikado" and then I'm playing Hansel in "Hansel and Gretel.”

Though she is a musical theater veteran, Jones had some initial doubts about trying opera for the first time. “I wasn’t sure I would like it,” said the first-year.

The Opera Workshop is a showcase of the real talent at Sweet Briar. The entire cast will perform in two of the pieces, Cenerentola and The Tenderland, but all of the pieces put the spotlight on some students.

Music major Erin Rogers ’08 and theatre major Rosanna Hawkins ’07 will sing a piece from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. These ladies are not newcomers to opera. They both have a full opera under their belts, having performed earlier this semester in Caitlin Cashin’s senior directorial project, The Old Maid and the Thief.

Cashin brings her opera expertise to the workshop as well. Though she is not singing, she fills the important role of stage manager for the class and performance.

Rogers and Hawkins will be joined by senior theatre major Emily Olsen as they transform into love-struck witches for a scene from The Magic Flute.

“It’s great to be able to have the opportunity to be in an opera. I really enjoy it!” said Brione Smith ’10, who, along with Elizabeth Caldwell ’08, is one of the stepsisters in Cenerentola, an adaptation of the classic Cinderella fairytale.

“I think my favorite role would have to be Hansel because it’s really funny and doesn’t seem like opera,” said Jones, who plays Hansel opposite first-year Mary Massie’s Gretel in a scene from Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera.

The scene from Cosi fan Tutte, which translates roughly to “Women are Like That,” showcases five students, including one who comes from RMWC just to take this class.

It is easy to see that the girls are excited for their performances. One will even don a tiara for her part as a giggly schoolgirl in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

Act III

Putting on an opera workshop is no easy task. It requires the cooperation of students, faculty, and staff. Use of the theater, according to Thom, is essential. In order for the girls to get the full experience of performing opera, they need to be in the proper setting. In the ideal future, Thom also hopes to have the accompaniment of an orchestra.

“There is no better feeling than singing over an orchestra,” said Thom.

And she would know. Over the years, Thom has performed lead and supporting roles with such prestigious companies as Tennessee Opera Theatre, Des Moines Metro Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Iowa, and Opera Memphis, just to name a few. She has won several awards during her career including winning the Leiderkranz Competition, which gave her the opportunity to perform at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Despite her talents, Thom remains down-to-earth. Many students become immediate fans, and are eager to study with someone who has her experience and talent.

“Marcia is amazing. After having the opportunity to sing opposite her in The Old Maid and the Thief, I can’t wait to start studying with her next semester,” said Katy Johnstone ’10, a regular in theatre and music department productions.

Thom emphasizes the focus on the fun of performance, but she also makes it clear that it is not easy. “I don’t think there is another art that marries singing, acting, and dance the way it does. It is the most difficult. It requires you to be an educated musician and a really good actress. Opera is bringing a story to life in the most difficult way,” said Thom.

With just a few months to put on a performance of some of the most challenging music out there, there really is no time to second-guess yourself. The students have less than a full semester, with only once-weekly meetings, to prepare. Even though each class meeting is nearly three hours long, students in the Opera Workshop are also required to put in out of class practice time with the staff accompanist, and are expected to practice their pieces on their own as well.

“There’s no time to judge your own work or sound in Opera Workshop, you just have to do it, and then sometimes a student will stand there and not believe that the sound just came out of their mouths. I just love seeing a student do something they didn’t think they could do,” said Thom.

Finale

Both students and faculty are excited. “The opera workshop is going to be great. There are some really talented girls in it, and Marcia is a great director,” said Johnstone.

One of the reasons why such events are possible at Sweet Briar is because of the strong support of the faculty and administration.

“The students usually rise to the level we ask them to. It should be a very enjoyable event,” said Dean Jonathan Green.

To see what will surely be an outstanding performance in true Sweet Briar style, keep the weekend of the 27th open. The performances will be in the Murchinson Lane Auditorium in Babcock on Friday April 27th and Saturday 28th, from 7:30-9:30.