Spotted: Opera star Angela Meade on the red line train.
Soprano Angela Meade headlines with Washington National Opera in her first fully staged ‘Norma.’ (Photo by Dario Acosta)
Opera singers, especially sopranos, are sometimes perceived to be grand and high maintenance. From huge gestures to dramatic speech, some singers fall prey to the not-so-true stereotype. During recent travels around the city via metro, WL Performing Arts encountered just the opposite. Traveling on the red line train, a young lady was observed sitting alone, engrossed in what appeared to be a score on her electronic tablet. We tried not to stare, but it was hard once we realized that the woman was someone significantly familiar in the arts realm.
When the woman got off at our stop, we approached the starlet and asked, “Are you opera singer Angela Meade?” With a smile of surprise, she responded “Why yes!” The soprano was quite delightful, approachable and appreciative of the congratulatory statements we offered on her run of Bellini’s “Norma” with the Washington National Opera. The amazing part of the experience was that even on the train without costumes or the guise of elaborate makeup, Meade’s presence radiated through. One can only imagine what her audiences are in store for when that personality is coupled with her singing.
Ms. Meade headlines in her first fully staged “Norma” with the District-based company March 9-24 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Garnering praise for her immense talent, she is the winner of the 2012 Beverly Sills Artist Award and the 2011 Richard Tucker Award.
Recently named among the Forty Under 40 for his contributions to arts and humanities, Patrick D. McCoy received a B.M. in vocal performance from Virginia State University and a M.M. in church music from the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va. He has contributed arts and culture pieces to CBS Washington, The Afro-American Newspaper and the newly published book, “In Spite of the Drawbacks” (Association of Black Women Historians), which includes his chapter on legendary soprano Leontyne Price. McCoy has interviewed some of the most acclaimed artists of our time, including Renée Fleming, Denyce Graves, Norman Scribner, Julian Wachner, Christine Brewer and Lawrence Brownlee. Listen to these interviews and others at Blog Talk Radio. McCoy may be reached via email at wlperformingarts@aol.com and on Twitter @PatrickDMcCoy.
