10 Questions with Elizabeth Caballero

Elizabeth Caballero 

Florencia Grimaldi in Florencia en el Amazonas 

1.  Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Havana, Cuba and came to the USA in the 1980 Mariel Boatlift as a child with my family. I grew up in Miami, Florida.

2.  If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?

Probably something involved with animals. 

3.  The first opera I was ever in was…

Gosh, I don't remember. I want to say Trouble in Tahiti? 

4.  My favorite opera is…

Usually the one I'm singing at the moment. 

5.  My favorite food to cook or eat is…

Recently I've gotten really good at making Chicken Francese. My favorite food to eat is pizza. 

6.  People would be surprised to know…

I didn't discover opera until college. 

7.  If I could cruise down any river in the world, it would be ... 

Probably the Rhine River.

8.  I like to binge-watch…

Game of Thrones. 

9.  What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?

Puccini, Beethoven, Wagner, Van Gogh.

10.  Everyone should see Florencia en el Amazonas because…. 

Florencia is a beautiful opera about love found and lost. It's set to a beautiful, lush musical score that feels like you're watching a movie.

11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).

Q: What's another thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: My grandmother played in the women’s national baseball and basketball teams of Cuba in the 1940’s.

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Don't miss the chance to see Elizabeth in the Madison Opera premiere of the beautiful Florencia en el Amazonas. Performances are April 27 and April 29 in Overture Hall.  Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.

10 Questions with Mackenzie Whitney

Mackenzie Whitney 

Arcadio in Florencia en el Amazonas 

1.  Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Janesville, Iowa, a little over a 3 hour drive from here. 

2.  If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?

Possibly something in real estate, or something involving the environment.

3.  The first opera I was ever in was…

In my sophomore year at the University of Northern Iowa, I was the scribe Ezekial Cheever in The Crucible. 

4.  My favorite opera is…

It's hard to beat Carmen for me. I do enjoy all genres,  but operas more in the verismo realm are what I find myself drawn to more often than not. It's all about the drama for me. 

5.  My favorite food to cook or eat is…

I love all foods, but if you twisted my arm I'd have to say taco pizza - a beautiful Midwest creation that I have to have every time I come back home to Iowa. 

6.  People would be surprised to know…

I was an all-conference point guard in high school, and almost pursued it to a small school in Iowa before I decided to give music my full attention. I even dunked a basketball a few times; however, that was many years ago. I still play a mean game of HORSE though! 

7.  If I could cruise down any river in the world, it would be ... 

Am I taking the easy way out if I say the Amazon? I honestly think that would be incredible, minus the mosquitoes. I'd also love to take a trip down the Rhine. I recently took a trip to Europe and saw the Rhine in all its beauty when I was in Basel, Switzerland. I'll never forget seeing a man swimming along with the current in a wetsuit (this was in November) and stopping mid-stroke to wave at me.  

8.  I like to binge-watch…

Where do I begin? Netflix has allowed me the ability to binge probably too many shows. I'll start with the most appropriate title when it comes to binging - Shameless; followed by Game of Thrones, The Office, Family Guy, and too many more to name. 

9.  What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?

Teddy Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, Luciano Pavarotti, Steve Carell. 

10.  Everyone should see Florencia en el Amazonas because…. 

Who wouldn't want to be part of a voyage down the Amazon? It's an exotic story filled with beautiful music. What more could you ask for? 

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Don't miss the chance to see Mackenzie in the Madison Opera premiere of the beautiful Florencia en el Amazonas. Performances are April 27 & April 29 in Overture Hall.  Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.

10 Questions with Kristine McIntyre

Kristine McIntyre 
Stage Director of Florencia en el Amazonas 

1.  Where were you born and raised?

Philadelphia, then San Diego.

2.  If you weren’t a stage director, what profession would you be in?

A film director or a doctor (I was pre-med in college. I was supposed to be a neurosurgeon). 

3.  The first opera I ever directed was…

The Barber of Seville - remounting a production for the WOT tour. First show of my own was Dialogues of the Carmelites! 

4.  My favorite opera is…

...whatever I'm working on at the moment. Seriously, directing is like falling in love. You should be faithful - at least for a while. 

5.  My favorite food is…

Chocolate. In every form. 

6.  People would be surprised to know…

I love baseball and knitting. 

7.  If I could cruise down any river in the world, it would be ... 

...through the fjords of Norway.  It looks so beautiful. 

8.  I like to binge-watch…

Star Trek and The British Baking Show. 

9.  What four people would you like to invite for a dinner party?

Dorothea Lange, Josephine Baker, Margaret Atwood, and Frances McDormand. 

10.  Everyone should see Florencia en el Amazonas because…. 

It's awesome, you've never seen it before, and nothing beats contemporary opera with great music. 

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Don't miss the chance to see Kristine's production of Florencia en el Amazonas, a Madison Opera premiere. Performances are April 27 and April 29 in Overture Hall.  Tickets start at $18; visit madisonopera.org for more information.