Interview With International Opera Star David Pittsinger About “South Pacific” at the Fox Theatre

K: Have you performed at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis before?

D: I sang several years ago in a really famous production of “Faust,” directed by Collin Graham at the Opera Theater of St. Louis.  I really enjoyed St. Louis, and stayed with a family there. I really, really just had a wonderful time and I’m looking forward to getting back there.

I’m going to be gone for two days during that tour, on November 11^th and 12^th, to sing with my son and his choir.  I’m a guest soloist at the St. Thomas Cathedral on 5^th Avenue in New York doing the “Fauré: Requiem.” That’s a really big deal, because his career is off and running.  He had his operatic debut at 11 this past summer. While I was in LA singing “South Pacific,” he was in Virginia in his first major role in an opera as a boy soprano. This is going to get a lot of attention, and my colleagues and family all support me in doing this.  His voice is only going to be a boy soprano for so long, and to have the opportunity to sing together in a professional situation like that in one of my favorite classical pieces is going to be an experience.

I’m very proud of him.  11 years old, and he’s just got such poise.  Unfortunately this weekend, I’m not going to get to see him do the Chichester Psalms in New York City.  He’s the soloist in that.

K: You and your wife, Patricia Schuman, are both opera singers.  How did you meet?

D: We met doing “The Marriage of Figaro.”  We had never met before, but knew of each other.  She had sung on Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater, so there’s a connection there.  And of course I knew about her. I would see her pictures being done by Hirschfeld in the New York Times. We finally met, and sang together, and that was it. We were married a year later.  She doesn’t sing quite as much anymore, but had a major career… and now she’s got her hands full with a bigger career of working with me and the children and keeping us on our game. It’s a big job!

It’s going to be interesting, because we are going to be working together this summer. There’s a piece being written for me – Jeanine Tesori, who wrote the musical “Shrek” on Broadway, and wrote “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Caroline, or Change,” along with Tony Kushner – who is a Pulitzer Winning guy and a playwright. He’ll write the book for this.  It’s called “A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck.” It’s based on the life of Eugene O’Neill and his wife Carlotta.  We’re going to do that together at a festival this summer, and hope that it’s a huge success and has legs – and take it around.  Any time you get a chance to do a world premiere and work with a preeminent Broadway composer, you have to take those opportunities.  It’s a result of having done this part for this piece.  I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for this experience.

K: After the tour of “South Pacific” is over, and the show this summer, do you think you are going to try and do more Broadway – or stick mainly to opera?

D: My eyes are wide open.  There are so many things that have come up. I’ve been approached by different movie houses, and producers, so I’m not ruling out anything. Music is the basis by which I sort of move through this world. It’s a great source of expression.  I’ve always had a career in sort of operatic styles, and recitals and concerts of popular music.  I’ve recorded songs of Charles Ives.  I’ve had a very diverse career, and this is just another avenue.

I could name you 15 parts in the world of musical theater that I know I could do very well. Whether it was Don Quixote de la Mancha, “Man of La Mancha” – I’ve done that in opera. Don Chisciotte – I’m one of the few Americans that have ever sung the part, and would love to sing the musical.  I think there are more parts in Rodgers & Hammerstein pieces, or Richard Rodgers pieces.  “No Strings” – certainly that would be a consideration.  If a good production of “Carousel” came around. “Carnival” is not a Rodgers & Hammerstein piece, but it’s a wonderful thing that hasn’t been revived in years.  That was Jerry Orbach’s part.  “The Fantastics,” or “Sweeny Todd.” Sweeny Todd would be a great role for me. So there are a lot of possibilities, and it just opens up to a whole new avenue when this part of the tour ends – I think in February (2011).

I’ll go back to the Miami Opera, to sing the title role in “Don Giovanni.” And then from there I’ll spend the summer working on “Medea” and “A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck” that I told you about.  2012 will probably put me back there singing a revival of “Camelot,” as King Arthur, made famous by Richard Burton opposite Julie Andrews. That’s a really great opportunity for me to sing a tricky part that hasn’t been revived very often.  “Fannie” is another one – that’s another Pinza role. So, I guess it’s not like I’m be any means leaving the operatic world.  But as did many opera singers, including present day people like Domingo.   He’s done movies, zarzuelas, popular music and opera.  It has really just added to his whole dimension as an artist.  I want my dimension to be large; both on-stage and off.  And have life to live in reserves.  Considering these parts will allow me to do that.

The honest truth is, it’s just like the opera.  I don’t except every part that comes my way.  But if I think that I have something to say in the part, and feel like I can do it better than anyone else, than I’m apt to accept it.  And I feel the same way; I don’t feel that musical theater is that far from the opera. The opera is really just an earlier form.  And musical theater is sort of an American version of it.

Some of the more recent stuff with smaller orchestras, or recorded music, isn’t something that I’ve been interested in.  But when you get something like this, with a full orchestra and original orchestration, it’s pretty clear that these are opportunities you have to consider really, really carefully.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

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Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” will grace the Fox Theatre stage for 16 performances, November 9-21!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fabulousfox.com or MetroTix.com!

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