One aspect of backstage drama that few people outside the opera world know anything about, however, is the high-stakes journey undertaken by aspiring singers as they reach for stardom. A new, feature-length
Shot by filmmaker Susan Froemke (the director of Emmy Award-winning documentaries about pianist
The documentary covers the climactic final phase of one the world's most prestigious competitions for up-and-coming opera stars. Over the course of 90 minutes, we watch the finalists as they select concert repertoire; work intensively with singing, breathing and acting coaches; rehearse with the orchestra; try on costumes; and finally stride onto the Met stage to perform. The intimacy of Froemke's cinéma vérité style reveals something of the intense pressures facing the auditionees. One singer candidly talks about his intention to take three sleeping pills to get a decent night's rest before the performance. Another paces backstage just before he's about to go on, repeating the mantra "I'm a tiger, I'm a tiger" quietly under his breath. At one point, Froemke shows us a close-up of a competitor's hand emphatically crushing a paper cup.
"First step" are the key words, for the challenges facing young singers are enough to put anyone but the most focused of aspirants off pursuing a life on the opera stage. "Reaching the National Council semifinals can kick-start a career by getting you noticed," says Gayletha Nichols, executive director of the auditions. "But the road that lies ahead is extremely tough." For many developing opera performers, even making it to the National Council semifinals seems like a distant dream, owing to the overwhelming competitiveness of the landscape.
Shrinking stages
The glut of American opera talent comes as a result of the mushrooming number of companies and training programs. According to the service organization Opera America, 72% of U.S. opera companies appeared after 1960, leading to an increased demand for singers and the growth of dedicated training programs. (Before the U.S. boom, newbies typically went to Europe to hone their craft.)
But in the intervening years, supply has far outstripped demand. The recent economic downturn has exacerbated this problem, causing many companies to scale back productions or, in the case of organizations like the
"Thousands of singers come out of conservatories each year. There are an awful lot of talented people out there," says Dan Novak, manager of the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center young artist development program. "Getting yourself known is a hurdle."
Soprano Kiera Duffy, 29, featured in "The Audition," got her professional start after graduate school when she earned a place at the Central City Opera of
Whether taking on talented performers for the summer season (as is the case with courses housed at such institutions as Central City, Santa Fe Opera and San Francisco Opera) or for the entire year (in the case of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Houston Grand Opera and Los Angeles Opera, among others), these operatic "boot camps" provide would-be professionals with financing, performance opportunities, coaching, language training and crucial networking possibilities.
"I applied for 15 to 20 programs that summer, and Central City was the only one that accepted me," says Duffy, who tried out for the Met National Council Auditions four times before reaching the finals and recently made her concert hall debuts with the New York and
Sheer tenacity seems to be a key attribute of all opera artists on the make. Besides the unnerving size of the competition, the considerable artistic and financial challenges cause many a potential star to burn out prematurely. With opera companies seeking to make the art form more appealing to modern audiences through such methods as filming their productions and working with visionary directors, opera houses are demanding more from potential hires than ever before.
"First and foremost, we are looking for high-quality instruments. But we also want people who, through their acting, can communicate something to us," says Sheri Greenawald, director of the San Francisco Opera Center, the company's training wing.
The eyes have it
For better and for worse, the emphasis on presentation skills has brought with it increased pressure on singers to look as attractive as they sound. "The Audition's" Ryan Smith, a Los Angeles-born tenor with a heart-palpitating voice who died last year at age 31 from lymphoma, gave up singing completely in his mid-20s after being told he was "too fat." Smith spent three years working in an Atlanta video game store before his friends persuaded him to start singing again.
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Certain issues are common to almost all developing performers. These include the voice- and confidence-ruining dangers of singing a repertoire that a young artist is not vocally ready to attempt and the considerable financial risk of working toward a professional career. (A conservative estimate is about $140,000 for undergraduate and graduate schooling.) Young artist programs can provide crucial financial support. Yet the system isn't right for everyone, especially those with unusual voices like countertenors or voices that mature particularly early or late.
"We can't expect a conveyor belt system to deliver polished performers," says Marc Scorca, president and chief executive of Opera America. "What really matters is that every singer has his or her own team of vocal teachers, coaches, acting instructors and other advocates to provide a steady source of advice throughout their career."
Near the end of "The Audition," Alek Shrader looks supremely relaxed and confident while swaggering his way through "Ah! Mes Amis" from Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment." The then-25-year-old tenor apparently hits the ambitious aria's notorious nine high Cs as effortlessly as he pockets one of the competition's $15,000 grand prizes later that day. Of course the ease with which Shrader approaches his craft is the product of many years of hard work -- not to mention the careful guidance of a few deeply invested mentors.
"Stephen Lord of the Opera Theatre of St. Louis helped me to secure my vocal technique.
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