Character Spotlight: OKLAHOMA!'s Will Parker

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Erin Joy Swank, of the Education & Community Programs Department, recently caught up with baritone Curt Olds. Below is an excerpt from that interview.

Welcome back toCentral City Opera! We last saw you on stage as John Styx in Orpheus in theUnderworld (2010). While keeping guard over Eurydice in Hades, youentertained us in song and dance. This summer you’ll once again charm theaudience as the dancing rodeo cowboy Will Parker in Oklahoma!
You’ve made a careerout of working as a “triple threat,” a performer who acts, sings and dances.Can you explain the similarities and differences working in opera, musicaltheatre and dance?
Thanks for the compliment of calling me a "triplethreat." The skills that might make me a "triplethreat" as you say (singing, acting and dancing) come out of my theatretraining and years of doing musicals as a child and young adult. In the musicaltheatre world, a performer definitely has to possess a singing voice, butsinging tends to be on equal footing with acting ability and, if the dramaticmoment calls for it, the singing might be compromised for dramatic effect.Regarding dance, if a singer also happens to have the ability to dance, then itopens an entire new world of casting possibilities. In the operatic world, singing and attention to the voice iseverything. If an opera singer possessing a world-class voice can also act -- and Imean not only just while singing, but also in the moments on stage that areunsung -- then they have the makings of a major career. But the voice and abilityto use it come first. And that is a very good thing. For most opera singers,acting skills are developed later because of the heavy requirements of foreignlanguages and the study of historical performance practices. With me, when Iwas studying opera, I put all serious acting, dancing and musical theatre studyon the back burner for a little over six years. I had to concentrate on vocalstudies and languages. My mainobjective when performing is to affect the audience, to move them, to make themfeel. Any extra skill to help do that is a bonus.

Central City Opera’s ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD (2010). Pictured (L to R): Joanna Mongiardo (Eurydice) and Curt Olds (John Styx). Photo by Mark Kiryluk.

You’ve played Curlyin a past production of Oklahoma! What is it like to preparefor the role of Will Parker this time?
When I played Curly, all I really wanted to do was play WillParker. I am definitely a casting possibility for Curly, but personally, I ammuch more like Will Parker and I understand the comic elements of the role.Curly is cool, steady. He has to be to deal so keenly with Jud Fry. Will is awild card and easily excitable. The great thing about Oklahoma! is Istill get to be handsome and cute outside of the central romantic leading man.I feel very fortunate to have played both roles professionally and Rodgers andHammerstein shows are always so fulfilling to perform. I did The Soundof Music earlier this season and Oklahoma! is apersonal favorite of mine. Win win.

Central City Opera’s OKLAHOMA! (2012). Pictured: Kaitlyn Costello (Ado Annie), Curt Olds (Will Parker). Photo by Kira Horvath.

You were also a pastApprentice and Studio Artist with Central City Opera. What did you learn orpractice in the artist training program that helped you in your careerdevelopment?
The Bonfils-Stanton Training Program was instrumental to anysuccess I have enjoyed over the past twenty years. I was a college kid fromMontana with no idea how to approach a singing career on a national level. Icame to Denver and sang for John Moriarty and it changed my life. Not only didCentral City Opera's training program offer wonderful classes in diction,audition technique, movement, and repertoire, but it also provided me withquality stage time in comprimario [supporting] roles, recital engagements andscenes concerts. That first summer with Central City Opera led to mygraduate studies at New England Conservatory and additionally, Central CityOpera gave me some of my first principal roles. I will be forever grateful.
The full interview with Curt will be available in the 2012 Opera Insider (festival resource guide) very soon. Stay tuned for more insider interviews!