SHORT TAKES : Bass James Morris Riding High

American bass James Morris has been described as a bigger-than-life cowboy because of his love for wide open spaces and his imposing presence on and off the stage.

He has also been described as demanding and aloof.

But after a Monday night season opener for the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Morris was in good spirits--partly because his wife performed in the same opera.

Morris sang Count Almavivia ,the philanderer in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” His wife, mezzo soprano Susan Quittmeyer, sang the role of Cherubino, a page and an unwitting foil for Figaro.

Quittmeyer said the casting didn’t happen by chance.

“These are never coincidences,” she said.

Morris agreed, saying scheduling was a problem in their personal lives.

“It’s great when we get a chance to be in the same part of the country and even greater to be together in a production,” he said. “I especially like it when we can both go to Santa Fe because I love the West, too.”

The couple lives in New Jersey.