Welcome back to Live at five and sorry about the technical difficulties
but it doesn't matter because I'm here with Carlota herself from the Phantom of
the Opera, Raquel Suarez Groen. Welcome again.
--Thank
you so much. Thank you. So, before we had that little break we
were talking about your background as a singer and that you do not have singers
in your family I find it strange.
--I mean they all sing. My dad's Spanish so you
know he's like naturally got that.
--That's your name. -- Yes, and my mom's Dutch which is why
I have such a complicated last name. Yes by you know like we sang at home but
nobody did it professionally.
--So when did you know that this was gonna be what... I
mean if you were studying voice for four hours a day at the age of 16.
--I was obsessed.
--dedication. When did you know this was something that you were really into?
-- I would say by about age 18 I really wanted to be a singer, and my dad was not
quite on board at that moment, so... --Because law is a good profession.
--Right yes well he made
me do a linguistics degree, so I did that for four years, and then after that
he said okay fine now you can study opera and I moved to New York and...
--What were your influences?
--Renee Fleming was a big part of my influence, Beverly
Sills, --Only the best.
-- Only the best. Maria Callas,
of course, who this role is based after, so
perfect! --Amazing, yeah, alright now the
fans are back. Thank you all for staying with us. People have some questions
because Phantom. Phantoms turning 30. --I know it's amazing, right?
--How amazing is that gonna be? That's just next month, and you're gonna be part of that 30
--I am. So exciting. --anniversary cast, and it's your Broadway
debut.
--Yes I know, crazy, right?
--Amazing. We
already know your 2018 is gonna be good. ---It's gonna be good.
--So Alec is asking, thank you for
staying with us, Alec, Your favorite scene or song in Phantom?
--Ah, I would have to
say that Hannibal is my favorite scene because you know, obviously, I come out in
that beautiful dress with the big head and it's just the start of the show, you
really feel like you're being shot out of a cannon, so that's my favorite. I
also really love Managers One. I would say those are my two favorites.
--Yeah what was your first experience with Phantom? Like when did you first see it?
--Um I had
to have seen it about 10 years ago. I had seen it in Las Vegas, and it was my
parents wedding anniversary. That's a show we went to, and actually my costume
now that I wear and masquerade is from Las Vegas, so that's the... yeah!
--How
do you know that?
--They told me. --They told you, obviously.
--They told me. It's very sparkly. --I don't know
how this all works. --I know so but I was obsessed with the
show I loved it. You know, as an opera singer you want to be a part of a
show that has opera in the title.
Where you can use your
opera training.
--Tell me about your opera training. What is that? And how is
it different from all the musical theater people who are watching and
training and studying right now?
--Um I mean the big thing that we learn in
opera, too, is you know we sing everything in Italian and French and German and
Czech --Do you always know what you're saying?
--Yes, you have to otherwise it becomes very
obvious to the audience, so like when I learn score, I write in there that
IPA which is the international phonetic alphabet, so no matter what language
--I don't know what that is but I love learning.
--You learn the symbol so you always know how to pronounce it,
and then I write in all the translations, so I know what I'm saying.
But you know
we work a lot on breath control, on vowels, on, I mean it's a slow process.
It's definitely a very slow process. --And with a degree in linguistics how are your languages?
--They're great. I speak Dutch fluently because I was born in Holland, so Dutch
fluently and my Spanish is not very good. --Why did I think you were from Canada?
--I am-- well, sowhen I ten --I do a little homework.
--When I was 10, I moved to Canada, so then I lived there for 13 years. So I'm
Canadian Dutch and Spanish.
--And also now on Broadway. --Yes.
--You're now your Broadway.
That's our nationality here.
--Yes! That's my passport.
--Do you speak Broadway --Yeah I do.
--The passports are really fabulous. They're bedazzled.
There's a lot of sequins on them. Martin is asking, thank you for asking a question
Martin on Facebook live, any pre-show routines?
I feel like opera singers must have many rituals.
--Absolutely. So, I always eat
three hours before. --And what do you eat three hours before?
--I usually always
eat fish, some sort of fish, vegetables, and like a rice or potatoes.
--Like sushi?
--Yeah, I eat sushi. --Sounded like a sushi description. That's why I
said that.
--But like you know things that will kind of keep me full for the show
but also not, so when I put on my dresses, because those are like 40 pounds each.
Are they? -- Yeah they're insanely heavy that
I'm not, you know, I'm gonna be nauseous
on stage. So I eat about three hours before, then I get to the theater about
an hour and a half before, and then I will steam and I will warm up, and then
my dressers come in about half an hour before...
--And get you to that forty pound ouutfit
--Yeah yeah.
--And the wig.
--And the wig, so beautiful . --Gorgeous.
--Yeah so beautiful.
--The thing about Carlotta is, also, and correct me if I'm wrong, I feel like the
age range for Carlotta is wide.
--Yes. --I feel like it can be any number of
people and they're not always the same type. Is that true?
--That's very true.
I mean, opera singers come in --You're a very young, pretty Carlotta
Not that they others weren't. I'm not saying that. Yes, I'll get my
cash later.
--Yes well opera singers come in all different shapes, sizes, age ranges, um
you know, and voices come and you know some people are small and have big
voices and you know vice versa and so it's hard to tell by a person what their
voice type will be, but opera is changing too, and you know...
--Yeah everything's changing. -- Yeah.
What's your favorite opera you've done? --That I've done?
--Or just your favorite
opera in general. -- My favorite opera is La Traviata,
but I've never done it, and
my favorite opera that I've done would be The Marriage of Figaro.
--I like how you said La Traviata I don't think I could...
--La Traviata.
-- Caroline ask if you have any wacky warmups. I like that question, Carolyn. Do
you've any wacky warm-ups? -- Oh I'm sure I do. I mean I always lip trill and I do it
on the street, so people think I'm nuts. --What's a lip trill?
--Like a [buzzes lips] --On the
street, like on the subway? --All the time. Yeah so if you see me going [buzzes lips]
--You aren't really good at that. --Thank you.
--I think you should do that
like into an iPhone and then put it on slow motion. I would like to see that.
--Yes it'd be like a. Yes, it would
be very sexy. --Just a little idea for Instagram.
This is a very serious interview, people. -- But
opera singers will always be humming or trilling in the streets.
--And that
warms up your... -- Yeah it gets everything
loose, flowing, gets your voice going. It's
great.
--I like that. Alec is asking your dream Broadway role,
besides Carlotta because we know you love Carlotta.
--Yeah that was my dream role. Um I
loved Amalia and She Loves Me. Yes, and I also love Wicked, Glinda in Wicked She's
so cool. So those would be my two --Good choices.
--My two dream roles. Good singing roles, good song.
--Yes. -- Amanda's asking is there anyone you'd
love to work with, besides Renee Fleming...
--Oh yes. -- I know you were going to say that.
--Oh my god there's so many people I'd love to work with
--She's also going to be on Broadway. --Yeah, she's going to
be in Carousel. Yeah um wow that's a tough question.
--I mean put it out there.
This is the place.
--I know who do I want to work with?
--We know Renee is
watching obviously.
--Placido Domingo? That would be a cool person to work with.
--I mean if you're yes you just yeah go right to the top, why don't you?
--Placido. --Placido. Hi, Placido. I know you're watching
I don't.... let me yet let me figure out this question.
Lisa is saying, when an actor tries out for a role and the vocal range is not quite
doable, but the actor is great, do they ever transpose?
--Um, -- I think there as
written.
--It is as written because Carlotta sings a high E every
night and that was the part of my audition. I had to make sure that it I had to
make yeah they to make sure I could hit that high E, so
--Is that as high as you go?
-- I can go to an F, so I can go one above that, but that's you know.
--That's a
really at the top of your range, then or anybody's range.
--Yeah I mean like
as coloraturas go, usually you don't sing higher than an F.
--Every night though? Because
opera singers don't sing every night, eight nights a week.
--No, but the nice thing is that were
mic-ed in the Broadway show whereas an Opera, you're never mic-ed so you know
that's a big blessing, too.
--Which opera house would you like to play in the
world?
--Oh my god the Met of course. So, Metropolitan Opera if you're
listening. --There there big broadway. They're big live at five.
Okay, so everyone is asking this question we may as well just get her out there.
Mishaps. What's gone wrong? They don't want to hear about what goes right.
--No... um,
so I'm super new, so --Been there for a couple of months
--Been there for a couple
months, just two months. The most amount of things that seem to go wrong are in
Masquerade, actually, cuz -- There are a lot of moving parts
--There are so many of us on stage, so
like last week, I was out there and I was doing my thing and dancing and my wings
came off, and Paul Shaffer decided to just dance with them and throw them off
so definitely would trip on them. -- Y'all take care of each other.
Oh no absolutely the first time that you know we'd actually done the entire show
on stage, you know, there's people who are smiling and going okay you gotta move
over here now you got to... --That's like the actors nightmare.
--Yeah, exactly, so. -- I'm not in the right spot.
Also Phantom is such a big show, and it's an old show as we know
it's 30 years old so it's not as automated as maybe some of something more
modern would be. I feel like there's just people doing stuff everywhere.
--Oh yeah but everybody will
help you you know in Masquerade it's like okay you're in the wrong spot, you're
just gonna go here and then they would continue singing, and and
--You're just
dying inside. It's okay. Yeah it's fine. Yeah normal. Um okay so do you try to
affect the style of your voice to maps musical theater style? This is a good
question from Angela. Or do you stick with the same opera style you're used to?
-- I stick to the opera style because Carlotta is an opera role and she's
supposed to be the opera diva and it's all written in opera land anyways, so I stick to
--But when you've done other musical theater... --Yeah, then I go into a more musical theater
--What's the difference? I don't know anything, everyone.
--I mean opera is more round, I would
say more woofy in a way, like it's more, --I love these words.
-- It's a little more
woofy, whereas musical theater is brighter it's more forward. Um
opera's forward too, but the sounds are just yeah one is a little more... I would
say rounded and the other ones more... -- So hard to describe.
--It's very hard to describe. --But, when you use your hands,
I know what you mean, so you just have to watch. If you're listening it's not the same.
Tell me
little bit about working with this cast. --it's been so great.
I mean everybody's been so nice. Oh yeah, I mean you just never know, like as a new
person, you're like you know are they gonna be friendly? And they've been
beyond kind and sweet and welcoming, and... --What was our first Broadway like the
actual debut day your Broadway bow. The first time you stepped on
-- Actually
that's a mishap.
--I want to hear everything. --So um the first time actually that we did, that
I made my Broadway debut, is the first time we'd done the whole show
--You rehearsed in parts? --Yes exactly so this
was the first time we'd done the whole
show with everybody in it, and so at the very end you know I like knew how to bow,
but I was standing in the hallway waiting for somebody to tell me go on
and people were just you know talking and we're all so excited that I miss my
bow.
--You missed your broadway bow? --I missed my Broadway bow.
So, literally, Laird Macintosh, who plays one of the managers
had to come and get me and grab me, so... --But you did it!
--So that was good. My Broadway debut
bow almost didn't happen. --Did you have people in the audience?
They were like where is she? --My mom was like, it's
brilliant it! It looks like it was supposed to be that way!
--She's a diva! She's taking her time! -- Yeah exactly
someone should come and get you. I'm like I don't think that's how that works mom.
--Okay this is a great question this is from Samantha. It's Sam and Will from the
hair room here. Hey Sam and Will. -- Oh, yeah!
--They want to know what tips to not get sick?
--Oh, um, steaming is like my number one friend. So I have these little steamer
and you stick your face in it and it's great 15 minutes you steam all that gunk
and bacteria away. --Us civilians we don't do that
--Ya no, but it's it's great I like
--I love the coughing in the room. Really well timed
--You wear masks when Michael coughs,
--Not Phantom masks. Surgical. --Yes,
exactly. I drink a lot of water. I get a lot of sleep. I eat healthy. I definitely
avoid anybody on the subway who coughs. I'm like one of those crazy people if
somebody coughs, I'm like okay thank you.
--I do feel like if you want to not get sick,
you should definitely talk to an opera singer
And they will now all the tips.
--Also really good thing is always open the door with
your scarf. --Always wear a scarf so you can open the door
--Always wear a scarf
so you can go -- Keep your hands clean.
--Yeah because people coughing then they open
doors and you just don't know who's there before!
--People are disgusting.
--Yeah and it's flu season, so, --That face you're making is
amazing. I'm so glad that the hair room
people want to know that. Very important. Thank you so much for coming.
--What can we expect from the 30th anniversary? What's gonna happen?
--I think
it's gonna be huge. It's gonna be grand. It's gonna be... I don't
yet, I mean they haven't told us yet.
--Are you nervous at all?
--I'm excited not nervous but I'm super
excited. So I mean, we're still waiting to hear you know what what's gonna happen
--Fabulous. --A lot of hand motions because now I'm playing an
Italian woman, so I have to use my hands.
--It's seeping into your life. -- Yes,
-- I love it.
Well, congratulations on your Broadway debut .
--Thank you. --We can't wait to see what
happens with the anniversary. It's a big deal. Longest-running Broadway show.
--Yeah. --Gonna be exciting.
--I love meeting a diva, I gotta say. You guys, we will see you tomorrow
with another fabulous guest. Have a great night. We'll talk to you tomorrow.