This photo is from a production of Don Giovanni in 2006. I am in gold as Elvira protecting her "Don"Before this production I had done a few roles but none taught me as much about character and singing and stamina and pacing and... than Donna Elvira.
Before learning the entire role I used to think of her as an angry, shafted woman and while I still believe those are parts of her character, I feel that she is so human and her conflicting emotions are very real. Elvira is on stage more than any other female character and is often described as Giovanni's counterpart, or possibly even equal. That would explain why he actually married her and stayed with her for 3 days which is more than one could say for any of his other conquests. Due to the amount of time on stage and her most difficult aria coming at the end of the opera, this role is an amazing lesson in pacing and stamina as well as character development. Not only vocally but physically. For example, before we even made it to production I was in costume fittings for 7 hours! Talk about a lesson in stamina!
I will aways have a special place in my heart for Elvira and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn through her.
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