The LA Opera Ring opened last weekend, and it boasts a nice selection of Trappers turned Wagnerians. Below, the list of seven WTOC alums who appeared in Saturday night’s Rheingold. Several of them return throughout the Ring, and they are joined by Alan Held as Gunther in Götterdämmerung.
Richard Paul Fink, Alberich
Michelle DeYoung, Fricka (returning as Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung)
Morris Robinson, Fasolt
Beau Gibson, Froh
Stacey Tappan, Woglinde (returning as the Woodbird in Siegfried)
Lauren McNeese, Wellgunde
Ronnita Nicole Miller, Flosshilde (returning as Schwerleite in Die Walküre)
Wagner may never come to The Barns, but we won’t let that stop us from sending singers to Walhalla.
A Wagner aria was perhaps the first thing I ever sang on the Wolf Trap Barns’ stage. It also was the same aria I sang in a master class with Nico Castel when he came to work with the young singers. And of course, there was our “false start” of Wotan’s Abschied from “Die Walkure” during Kim and my recital at the Barns in 2006.
So Wagner has indeed reared his head at The Barns. I’m hoping you’ll stage a full and complete “Die Meistersinger” there some day. It would be hilarious to try and get everyone on the stage and even more fun to see the orchestra trying to fit in the pit.
Talk about being concerned over shattering the glass doors!!!
I hope it is yet another wonderful year at Wolf Trap. What a tremendous training ground for young singers!!! The best!!
Alan Held