Curious about Orphée⁺ , our contemporary re-imagining of the Gluck baroque opera? Joel Ivany knows you, and our cast, have a lot of questions about our ambitious undertaking (electric instruments! baroque dancers! aerial artistry! a virtual global chorus!). So, Joel sparked an email conversation with New York-based classical soprano, aerialist and burlesque performer Marcy Richardson (aka @operagaga, of Company XIV), who will sing the role Amour airborne.
Orphée⁺ is a new AtG co-production with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and Opera Columbus.
April 26, 27, 28 at 8 p.m.
Fleck Dance Theatre
207 Queens Quay West, Toronto
Buy tickets ($42–$110) online at atgtheatre.com/orphee, by phone (416-973-4000, press 1), or at the Harbourfront Box Office (no fees!).
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
Hi Marcy,
Hope all is well!
I just saw your performance at the Gala for Opera Columbus. You were singing, spinning and making it look so so so easy.
When you’re performing like this, does one ever take precedence over the other? Is it constantly switching?
You must have such control!
Joel
FROM: MARCY RICHARDSON
TO: JOEL IVANY
Hi Joel! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed and were able to check it out!
Singing is always the most important. My priority is that if you close your eyes, it sounds just as perfect and beautiful as if I were just standing there. It is inevitable that sometimes you hear heavier breathing because of the physicality and I do have to breathe more frequently. But if the singing is not really beautiful, [the aerial performance] is just a gimmick and makes it look like you’re trying to distract or hide a flaw. Which defeats the purpose in my mind—I want the combination to elevate the singing and music and make it even more beautiful and transportive.
That being said, my voice teacher actually thinks my singing is the strongest when I’m in the air or inverted, because my core and lower support is so activated, and my head and neck even more free, so I am never concerned about the singing suffering at this point.
The key is really making any transitions between phrases so as not to bump the vocal line, or to know which transitions are possible to do in the middle of a line without disturbing it.
I do have a lot of control, yes! I am thankful for it of course—I started studying pole and acrobatics almost eight years ago, and the control comes over time like with dance or any other physical skill I guess! 🙂
M
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
May sound silly, but have you ever had a voice lesson in the air?
Or does your teacher come to performances?
Joel
FROM: MARCY RICHARDSON
TO: JOEL IVANY
My teacher has not come, no—it’s not so easy for her to come to stuff, especially if it’s further in Brooklyn. (Plus she is always insanely booked/busy!)
But she’s seen a zillion videos and we Snapchat videos from shows and lessons to one another—she actually thinks many vocal things she wants from me happen naturally in the air, so it wouldn’t be necessary.
M
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
I love that the freest singing can be done up there.
Have any other singers you know given it a try?
Do you miss being in the air when you sing in an opera where you’re just walking around? 🙂
Joel
FROM: MARCY RICHARDSON
TO: JOEL IVANY
There are some singers I’ve seen testing the waters in workshops, student showcases, etc., but I’m the only one doing it as pretty much my main profession—AND I’m the only one I know of equally adept at doing it on Lyra/hoop, silks, and acrobatic pole. It’s taken a lot of work to be performing at a professional level in all three, though hoop and pole are my favourite.
Of course I do lots of gigs where I’m just doing aerial work without singing, and gigs where I’m just singing without aerial work. With just an aerial gig, I’m able to enjoy the music (I’ll often perform improvising in the air with a live band/rock singer and love reacting to them with movement). I also love the stand-and-sing concert format as well or fully staged operas — at that point, it is all about the character or musicality. That’s beautiful in its own right. I think it would be boring to not have that variety!
M
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
Variety is key!
Is there anything you’re curious about in this production coming up?
Will it work? Do you think all the elements (virtual chorus, aerial and burlesque performance, digital orchestra, projections) are too much?
I’ve been telling people that the way we digest information has never been more overwhelming in terms of sheer volume. We enjoy stimulation and details subconsciously in a weird way, which still allows us to focus on the dominant voice.
Joel
FROM: MARCY RICHARDSON
TO: JOEL IVANY
As far as all the elements in Orphée⁺—there’s never too much!
I’m actually most curious about Act 2 and the parts of Act 3 where my character [Amour] isn’t even involved. What does the underworld look like? How do the Company XIV dancers come to play in that space?
M
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
That’s what’s kind of cool.
In my mind, you don’t disappear in Acts 2 and 3. I see your character more as Orphée’s subconscious.
In Act 1, when he’s all alone and no one is around, you show up and speak to him.
For me, what he sees in Act 2 and 3 are manifestations of you.
We know in the opera he descends to the underworld to retrieve his lost lover, Eurydice. But in this production, in reality, he hasn’t even left his room (or forest spot)—rather it’s his subconsciousthat takes him on this journey.
Act 2 is everything missing in his life that he remembers as erotic, sensual, carnal; it’s one part of his love for Eurydice. And it’s something he won’t get back (from that one woman).
Act 3 is what he imagines to be the peaceful, the tranquil, the “better place” underworld. It’s a place so wonderful that even if we knew our lost loves still lived on there, we’d still want to pull them back. Because as humans we’re selfish beings.
Also love is a powerful thing.
Joel
FROM: MARCY RICHARDSON
TO: JOEL IVANY
Hmmm—so do you think love conquers all in the end, and that Eurydice is reunited with Orpheé in real life, or was it all somewhat of a dream brought on by his subconscious?
In any case, love IS a powerful thing. I think it’s easy to look at Amour as a character and interpret her (or him) as something cute or childlike, when in reality, amour or “love” is strong and powerful. I hope to bring, quite literally, strength to the character/Orpheé’s subconscious, and can really see “love” being the powerful driving force that takes him on this journey.
M
FROM: JOEL IVANY
TO: MARCY RICHARDSON
Yes.
And not just on this journey of the opera, but past the opera… and for us all.
It’s universal.
I don’t think Eurydice comes back to life in the end.
It’s all a learning/coping mechanism of Orphée’s, simply because no one tells us how to grieve.
We experience it. We can’t know what it’s like until it arrives.
And you, Marcy, are a main main main part of this story.
Can’t wait!
Joel
***
Photo: Marcy Richardson (Company XIV), by Corey Weaver