Central City Opera Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In the final episode of Season 10, we sit down with star of Once Upon a Mattress, Marissa Rosen, to discuss what a career on Broadway is like, and what it's like for a performer to cross over from musical theatre to opera.

We then chat with John Heginbotham, choreographer for this year's production of Once Upon a Mattress, to discuss movement in an opera on a jewel-box stage.

Finally, we'll hear from Candace Leyland, CCO's resident wig and makeup designer, about the dozens of wigs used in this years shows, and how she works to ensure the hair and makeup you see on stage is beautiful without interfering with singing and dancing.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org. 

https://centralcityopera.org/2025-festival/

Hear from Deborah Brevoort, librettist of The Knock, about the process of writing an opera, bringing The Knock to Central City, and where she sees the future of contemporary opera and world premieres.

Then, listen in to our conversation with Armando Contreras, star of The Knock, about originating a role in a new work, his Colorado roots, and why this opera in particular holds a special place in his heart.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org. 

https://centralcityopera.org/2025-festival/

On this episode, Developing Artist Isaiah Feken and Digital Marketing Manager Peter Constas discuss Isaiah's role as a "gangster" in this year's production of Kiss Me, Kate. Learn about what it's like to be on stage with Broadway legends as an opera singer, why it's more fun being the villian, and the commonalities between opera and dogs. 

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and to buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.

https://centralcityopera.org/2023-festival/

On this episode, Music Director John Baril and Central City Opera CEO Pamela Pantos discuss the three main-stage productions being featured in this year's Summer Festival. Brush up on your Shakespeare, because this season includes productions of Romeo & Juliet, Kiss Me, Kate, and Othello. Join John and Pamela as they detail the rarity of seeing six tenors in one opera, how Cole Porter keeps the drama on the stage, and how Central City Opera is making opera relevant for contemporary audiences. 

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. Remember to subscribe to our podcast to get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org. 

https://centralcityopera.org/2023-festival/

On this episode, we hear from David Duffield, a historian with The Center on Colfax in Denver, Colorado. David was part of a panel of experts hosted by Central City Opera on June 12, 2022, to give perspectives on the themes within the chamber opera TWO REMAIN. I asked him to be on the podcast to dig even deeper, and he shares about LGBTQ history in Colorado and beyond, art as activism, and cultural representation. One of my favorite things he says in the interview is, "You feel a little more human when you see yourself in the artmaking."

David Duffield is from Denver and is a social studies teacher with Denver Public Schools. He helped found the Colorado LGBTQ History Project in 2014 with The Center on Colfax, focusing on Oral History, Archiving, Education, and Networking. Among the accomplishments of the History Project are over 100 oral histories, the donation of 36 archival collections to receiving institutions, the creation of lesson plans, exhibits, and public tours of queer history in Colorado, and dozens of other talks and collaborations with people around the world.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.

On this episode, we hear from sopranos Rebecca Caine and Diana Newman, principals in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. Rebecca plays the role of Margaret Johnson, and Diana plays the role of Margaret's daughter Clara. This is the first time they've worked together, and watching them onstage, you'd think they were old friends. Rebecca shares how much she loves playing a woman of a "certain age," and Diana talks about how she approaches Clara's neurodivergence. You'll hear more about how the perfect costume helps get an actor into character, how much Rebecca and Diana love being onstage with each other and their castmates, and how the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe versus Wade influenced how they thought about this story. This interview was recorded on July 7, 2022.

Canadian soprano Rebecca Caine has had a career divided between Opera and Musical Theatre, making her West End debut at age 19 as Laurey in OKLAHOMA! She then sang the role of Eliza in MY FAIR LADY on the National Tour. While at Glyndebourne Opera Festival, she was asked to join the Royal Shakespeare Company where she created the role of Cosette in LES MISERABLES. She was also part of the original cast of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as Christine. Her long career continues to span the realms opera, musical theatre, straight theatre, and cabaret in the UK, United States, and around the world.  

American soprano DIANA NEWMAN brings "fresh and intense" performances to opera houses and concert stages across the United States and Europe. She has recently appeared with the Dallas Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. A recent graduate of the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center, she returned this season for the company's Ring Cycle. Diana was also recently a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl for AMERICA IN SPACE in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.

On this episode, we hear from conductor Brandon Eldredge and soprano Tessa McQueen about Act One of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's chamber opera, TWO REMAIN. Act One focuses on the true story of Polish poet Krystyna Zywulska surviving the Holocaust – and the psychological trauma she dealt with the rest of her life. It's based on her searing memoir of 1946, "I Survived Auschwitz." Brandon and Tessa share more about Krystyna's life, about how challenging it is to perform and interpret a story of this magnitude, and how important it is to keep telling these stories.

Brandon Eldredge has built a broad-scoped knowledge and experience as a conductor, pianist, and operatic coach, working across the United States, Germany, and Sweden. He is CCO's Associate Conductor and Chorus Master this summer, working on all three productions. During the year, he is on staff at Virginia Opera as Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master.

Soprano Tessa McQueen is a first year Studio Artist in the Bonfils-Stanton Artists Training Program, and in addition to her role of Krystyna Zywulska in TWO REMAIN, she is in the chorus of Die Fledermaus and several opera scenes for the Short Works performances. Tessa received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Oklahoma City University and will begin her Master's degree at Rice University this fall.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.

On this episode, we pull back the curtain and hear from the Costume Designer for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, Edina Hiser. There are a LOT of costumes in this production, and Edina gives us the insights into the symbolism she embeds in the design, the anatomy of a quick change – since there are so many! – how she is able to engineer costumes to function efficiently yet not alter their authenticity, and the joy she gets from helping performers become more comfortable with their body images through well designed costumes.

Edina Hiser graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre design, and she is now the Resident Costume Designer for the Thornton School of Music at USC. As a designer, she is bold, colorful, and collaborative, with a passion for storytelling and a talent for creative problem-solving.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.

On this episode, we hear from two principal singers in DIE FLEDERMAUS: mezzo-soprano Kira Dills-DeSurra who plays the role of Prince Orlofsky, and tenor William Ferguson, who plays the role of Eisenstein. Both Kira and Will are seasoned comedic performers, and their healthy senses of humor are on full display during this episode. Will and Kira talk about the magic of live performance and how much the audience influences them, how April Fools' is a recognized holiday in both their families, how they got into opera in the first place, and the role that Central City Opera plays in the context of opera in America.

Kira Dills-DeSurra is a vibrant American mezzo-soprano whose magnetic stage presence communicates effortless charm and truth. A champion of new and rarely performed works, Kira has appeared in many American premieres, and she also cultivates skills in musical improvisation and circus arts as part of her broad-ranging palate of storytelling tools. She is a graduate of Roosevelt University and the University of Southern California.

Tenor William Ferguson has always pushed the boundaries of opera performance through his exploration of new repertoire and through the commitment of his characterizations. A Juilliard graduate, he has sung with Santa Fe Opera, Opera Australia, New York City Opera, Salzburger Landestheater, Opéra de Québec, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Dallas Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, as well as symphonies around the world.

Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at podcast@centralcityopera.org. To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at centralcityopera.org.