Ten Questions with Stephanie Lauricella

Ten Questions with
Stephanie Lauricella, mezzo
Stephano in Romeo and Juliet






1.  Where were you born / raised? 
I was born in Port Jefferson, New York and raised in Wading River, New York.  I'm a Long Island girl. :)

2.  If you weren't a singer, what profession would you be in?
When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a veterinarian until I realized that I hated the sight of blood and needles.  But still to this day I LOVE animals.  So I would like to think that I would find some sort of work involving them, either at a shelter or rescue facility.

3.  The first opera I was ever in was...
The Merry Widow at Ithaca College!

4.  My favorite opera is...
Gosh, this is a difficult one for me.  When I first started singing, my favorite opera was La Cenerentola by Rossini (which I still love very much!).  But nowadays, I am constantly learning and discovering new music which is equally as exciting.  I would probably say that my favorite opera is whatever I am studying in the moment that you ask me. :)

5.  My favorite pre-show / post-show meal is...
I am pretty boring when it comes to my pre-show meal.  I always heat a home-cooked meal that is usually filling but not too heavy.  I also bring a snack of some sort of have during intermission.  Then after the show, it's a free-for-all!  Anything that you put in front of me, I will probably eat!

6.  People would be surprised to know that...
I still have one baby tooth! 

7.  A few of my favorite books are...
The 100 Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

8.  What do you like to binge-watch?
I recently binge-watched Luther and am currently watching all of Narcos.  And of course Orange is the New Black is always on my list of shows to binge-watch.

9.  What four people (living or deceased) would you like to invite for a dinner party?
I think I would like to invite all four of my grandparents, three of whom I never knew.  I grew up only knowing my maternal grandmother and she was a huge part of my childhood.  I would love to see her again and tell her about all of the things that have happened since she passed.  As for my other grandparents, I would love to meet them and pick their brains about all of our family history.

10.  Everyone should see Romeo and Juliet because....
It is a classic story that has been set to some of the most beautiful music.  For me, it is always interesting when a story like this can be told by so many different art forms.  Of course there is the original play by Shakespeare.  And most of us have probably seen the handsome Leonardo DiCaprio version (swoon).  But for me, the ballet by Prokofiev and the opera by Gounod take the story to a whole different level.

Bonus:  One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer):
Q:  What's your favorite holiday?
A:  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!  I love decorating the house and baking cookies.  I love buying gifts for everyone and watching them open them up on Christmas morning.  And lately, I love experiencing the holiday in countries other than my own.  Two years ago, I spent Christmas in Berlin and had such a lovely time at the markets with friends and family.  This Christmas, I will be in Paris with my husband.  Very romantic, no?

Don't miss the chance to see Stephanie in Romeo and Juliet, as Shakespeare's classic work comes to ravishing operatic life.  Performances are November 4 and 6 in Overture Hall.  Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.