>>>
>>> TALK
>>> TALK ABOUT MARCH MADNESS, DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, THE
DALLAS OPERA OFFERS
UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC, NOT ONE,
BUT TWO OF THE GREATEST OPERAS
BY PUCCINI, MANON LESCAUT , OH,
MY GOODNESS, AMAZING.
JOINING US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT
THE FIRST OF THESE PRODUCTIONS
IS FIRST OF ALL, SOPRANO,
KRISTEN LEWIS AND JOINED BY
TENOR, GREGORY COONEY, WELCOME
TO BOTH OF YOU.
YOU HAVE PERFORMED THE DALLAS
BEFORE?
BEFORE?
BEFORE? >> THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, I AM
SO EXCITED.
SO EXCITED. >> WELCOME, WELCOME.
NORTH TEXAS WELCOMES YOU.
>> 2002 WAS LAST TIME I WAS
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. BEEN A WHILE.
THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME HERE.
>> IS A BEAUTIFUL VENUE AS WE
ALL KNOW.
ALL KNOW.
ALL KNOW. KRISTEN, SPEAKING OF YOUR
CHARACTER, THIS IS SUCH A
PASSIONATE ROLE, SHE IS SUCH AN
INTERESTING CHARACTER,
INTERESTING CHARACTER, SUBJECTED TO OPERAS, WHAT
ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS
PARTICULAR ROLE?
PARTICULAR ROLE? >> ACTUALLY, THE THING THAT
ATTRACTED ME MOST WAS THE MUSIC
AND IT SELF, AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE THIRD ACT, THER+@E IS A
KIND OF AN ORCHESTRAL INTERLUDE
THAT IS SOME OF THE MOST
PASSIONATE, MOST BEAUTIFUL
MUSIC THAT I HAV+@E EVER HEARD.
AND, THAT WAS THE THING THAT
ATTRACTED ME THE MOST.
THAT I HAVE TO SAY AFTER THAT+@
THE CHARACTER WAS VERY
INTERESTING BECAUSE, SHE HAS A
TRUE ARC.
TRUE ARC.
TRUE ARC. AND THAT SHE STARTS OFF VERY
NAOVELY, SHE HAS THIS MASSIVE
DE+@VELOPMENT AS A PERSON,+@ SH
GOES TO THIS VERY TRIFLING
STAGE OF REALLY BEING DRAWN TO
MUSIC, NOT MUSIC BUT ALSO MONEY
AND RICHES.
AND RICHES. >> SHE STARTS OFF IN AN ARTERY?
>> THAT WAS HER INTENTION.
THEN SHE+@ GETS LURED AWAY FROM
THAT BY YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF
HAVING EVERYTHING MATERIALISTIC
THAT SHE +@COULD EVER IMAGINE.
AND THEN GOING IN THAT
DIRECTION, SHE FALLS IN LOVE.
THAT CONFUSES HER AND SHE GETS
DRAWN BACK TO THAT, KIND OF
BECOME MORE OF IT.
>> YOU PORTRAY THE LOVE OF HER
LIFE, WHAT MAKES YOUR CHARACTER
SO COMPELLING?
SO COMPELLING? >> I THINK HE IS A PERFECT
EXAMPLE OF A GUY WHO FALLS IN
LOVE WITH THE FIRST, IT'S
REALLY JUST H+@IS FIRST LOVE.
HE DOES EVERYTHING FOR HER,
GIVES UP EVERYTHING, FOLLOWS
HER EVERYWHERE+@.
HER EVERYWHERE+@. HE BECOME+@S PART OF THIS
DECADENT LIFESTYLE AS WELL.
AND THEN, WHAT WE DON'T SEE IS,
HE GOES INTO THE PRIESTHOOD,
AND COMES BACK FOR HER, AND
AGAIN, IS DRAWN BACK, DRAWN
WITH HER INCREDIBLE PERSONALITY
, IT DOESN'T END WELL.
>> YOUR ROLE IS PRETTY TOUGH,
YOU ARE ON STAGE FRAMING, TO BE
A TENOR AND TO BE ON THAT LONG,
THAT COULD BE PRETTY HARD.
>> I'VE GOT ABOUT 15 MINUTES IN
THE SECOND HALF, THAT I AM NOT
+@
THE SECOND HALF, THAT I AM NOT ON, THE REST I AM ON.
>> ISN'T THAT TAXING ON YOUR
VOICE?>+@> AFTER PE+@RFORMANCE
VOICE TODAY.
VOICE TODAY. >> I MEAN, WHAT KEEPS YOU A+@T
THE TOP OF YOUR GAME ALL YEAR?
>> TRYING TO KEEP YOUR VOICE
INTACT, TRY NOT TO DO TOO MU+@C
AND PLAY A LOT OF GOLF.
>> GOLF GOLF GOLF.
HOW WOULD YOU SAY THIS MUSIC IN
THIS OPERA COMPARES TO SOME OF
PUCCINI'S OTHER WORKS?>> ONE OF
THE MOST FASCINATING THINGS
+@ABOUT JEANNIE AS A COMPOSER,
HIS ABILITY TO EXPRESS EMOTION,
YOU KNOW THROUGH THE MUSIC.
HE IS REALLY ONE OF THE GREAT
GENIUSES IN THAT, YOU KNOW HE
FINDS THE WAY, ALWAYS, TO
INTERPRET THE WORDS IN SUCH A
WAY THAT, YOU WERE JUST DRAWN +@
IN+@, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY DRAWN
INTO THE STORY.
YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING
ON, JUST BY LISTENING TO THE
+@
+@ MUSIC.
MUSIC.
MUSIC. +@AND MAKES IT+@ REALLY ACCESSI
TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE NEW TO
OPERA, BECAUSE YOU JUST, IT IS
SO EASY TO GET INTO THE STORY,
JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE JUST TAKEN
ON THIS JOURNEY, YOU KNOW
BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTY.
THE BEAUTY OF MUSIC, I AM SURE
YOU CAN.>> YEAH, THE STORY IN
PARTICULAR, HE WAS ALWAYS MY
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE. BUT AFTER I STARTED TO STUDY
THIS AND GET IT A COUPLE OF
TIMES, THIS IS THE MOST
EMOTIONAL OPERA.
EMOTIONAL OPERA. >> ISN'T THAT HARD TO TAKE ON?
YOU ARE SINGING BUT+@ YOU HAVE
MIRROR THAT IN THE WAY YOU
LOOK.
LOOK.
LOOK. >>
LOOK. >> IT SORT OF IS, I AM ONE OF
THOSE PEOPLE THAT REALLY GET
INTO IT.
INTO IT.
INTO IT. KRISTEN GIVES AN INCREDIBLE
PERFORMANCE.
PERFORMANCE. >> THANK YOU.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> I
+@ >> I AM IN TEARS AT THE END.
>> YOU GUYS LOOK FANTASTIC.
THE LITTLE BITS WE SHOWED.
I KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE LOOKING
FORWARD TO SEEING IT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING BY ON
MIDDAY.
MIDDAY.
MIDDAY. GREAT TO HAVE YOU AND, MANON
LESCAUT OPENED UP