In The Wings

A New Interview Series from New Orleans Opera

NOOA Chorister, Shirley Stewart, at left, pictured with a member of the production team.

Have you ever zeroed in and focused on a chorus member during an opera and wondered what their story was? When you see children during the intermission, are you reminded of your own first theatrical experience? And what about the person sitting next to you right now? I bet if you don’t know them, you are (or will be) wondering what they think about tonight’s opera…right?

New Orleans Opera (NOOA) introduces a new video series this year titled In the Wings. Produced by our very own social media expert (and chorus member) Dylan Tran, the series will tell the stories of several of our Opera family members, both on and off stage. Clips from In the Wings will be posted throughout the season on the New Orleans Opera website and social media channels. Your thoughts are welcome via email and on video. If you want to participate in the series, email social@neworleansopera.org.

First up is Shirley A. Stewart. This weekend marks her 10 th Carmen as a chorister and 51 years with NOOA! Here is an excerpt from her interview, which you can find in its entirety on our website.

Will you tell me about your first experience with opera?

Shirley A. Stewart: My very first experience was actually seeing a production that NOOA did at the Municipal Auditorium. As a matter of fact, a teacher at that same elementary school asked, “Who wants a ticket to the opera?” So, I raised my hand, you know, and went home and I told my parents I had this ticket to the opera. They had no idea what that was.

They said, “Well, where is it?”

“At the Municipal Auditorium.”

My dad said, “I’ll take you, but I’m not going in. You’ll be right where I leave you with the security guard.”

“I promise.”

“Well, how long is this opera?”

“Oh, it’s only about an hour...”

Well, it was Turandot, first of all, which is like 3.5 hours with cuts. But I didn’t know that and neither did he, so, if he was upset, he never let me know.

What would you like to see happening in the future with opera?

Shirley: Because we have people like Carol [Rausch - Chorus Master of NOOA] who is working real hard to get the community involved in opera through the children’s chorus, there’s going to be a lot more representation in the theatre I’m hoping, fingers crossed…

I would like to see more children involved ‘cause there are a lot of operas written that have children’s choruses in them. Or even if the children are not singing, you need extras? All towns are not designed with just adults in them, you need to put some children on that stage…

I am certain that there are some children who can benefit from this. Putting something like the opportunity to sing in a professional company like New Orleans Opera would give them some incentive. Suppose there’s a child there who is really quiet but has a voice like Leontyne Price? We’re never gonna know! I got news for you: we got principals who’ve never been to an opera. I spoke to somebody just this afternoon about coming to the opera.

“Where is it?”

“What do you mean where is it? Sitting right there in the middle of [Louis] Armstrong Park, a big beautiful theatre.”

You can’t expect people to come to the table if they’ve never been invited before. They don’t even know that they have a place at the table.

We can’t wait for you to hear the entire interview. And, if you see Shirley in the hall this weekend, please tell her hello and thank her for being a member of the New Orleans Opera family for over 50 years!