Liz DeLillo
Staff writer
The Chautauqua Opera Conservatory students will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Fletcher Music Hall. Tonight’s recital features “An Evening of Musical Theater with the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory and Claudia Catania,” in which students will perform pieces from musical theater.
Renowned singer and returning Opera Conservatory faculty member Catania provided insight into how tonight’s selections were curated.
“I like students to sing what they like to sing because I think when they do, they sing better,” she said.
Catania had each student list their favorite musical theater pieces, and the repertoire was curated according to what they wanted to perform.
“It’s their one opportunity in the summer to do this kind of thing, so I want them to sing what they love,” she said. “That means that there are a lot of different choices and selections.”
From Guys and Dolls to Ragtime to Les Misérables, this recital will showcase a variety of showtunes. Although this evening’s repertoire is a change of pace, Catania said learning and performing musical theater helps with classical training in numerous ways.
“It’s a kind of pragmatic business tool,” she said. “While they are honing their crafts and working on their voices for opera, they can do something that is related to their craft and not be a waiter and not be a temp and not be a nanny — they can really work in the business.”
On the other hand, singing pieces from musical theater allows students to focus less on the technical elements of the performance.
Musical theater, unlike opera, is in “the native language of most of the people studying, and it tells a story easier,” Catania said. “It lets them relax to tell a story — they don’t have to worry about all the words or the style of the music.” Her mission is that “(the students) can just, from their hearts to the audience’s hearts, tell a story.”
Reflecting on the rewarding experience of teaching, Catania recalled, “it’s one of the huge things that I’m grateful to Marlena for because there was a moment where she said to me, ‘Now is the time,’ ” referring to former Voice Program and later Opera Conservatory Director Marlena Malas.
“I had a long and very lovely career, and she said, now is the time to teach,” Catania said. “I’m very grateful — I never considered that I would love it as much as I loved performing, but truly the truth is I probably love it more.”
