It's all about the ladies in Cincinnati Opera's summer festival, which opens tonight. We asked each of the four leading ladies - Eva Urbanova, Catherine Malfitano, Hasmik Papian, Lauren Flanigan - in the four productions to tell us about themselves, and the roles they will play.
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Urbanova
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Malfitano
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Papian
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Flanigan
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| How I see my character:
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Turandot is an ice princess.
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Anna I is gutsy; Anna II is idealistic; the Woman is fragile and feminine; Medusa is mythic, bigger than life.
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The real happiness of life - to be loved by someone you love - comes to Violetta when it is too late. Therefore, I pity her (and) … I admire her.
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I see Norma as the embodiment of true love.
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| What makes her a strong woman?
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She has a strict upbringing.
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Medusa is strong because she is willing to make the ultimate sacrifices.
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Her ability to preserve her personal pride - from the beginning until the very end.
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She takes the ideals of fidelity to the extreme. … To Norma, death is the only answer to a life without love.
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| My biggest moment in the opera:
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Act 2
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When Medusa invites her salvation and allows her maternal self to overcome the disaster of her life.
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Act 2. In general, each time I step on stage. For me, it is still a miracle to do this profession every night.
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"Casta diva."
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| Home is:
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Prague
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New York City
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Where my family is. (Armenia)
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New York City
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| What inspires me:
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If it's not here (points to heart), I can't sing it.
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Endless creativity.
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To see packed houses in so many places in the world where I sing.
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I draw a tremendous amount of inspiration from the characters that I portray.
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| My biggest temptation:
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Diet Coke and French champagne.
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To live out the lives of my characters.
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To buy really good looking fashion.
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I love a new challenge.
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| Why I am/am not a diva:
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Today I am a prima donna, tomorrow no. It's like the weather: one day sunny, the next day rain.
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I'm a diva, because diva backwards is avid, and I am an avid pursuer of once-in-a lifetime experiences.
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I am a diva because all the parts I sing are 'diva' parts…. I try to stay in touch with reality - without giving up my self-confidence.
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I aspire to emulate the traditions of the great artists - the intense work ethic, the dedication to the craft, and the attention to detail.
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| Things I always carry in my bag:
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Perfume, lipstick, a special European gum, … and my talisman, a picture of St. Patrick.
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My own roasted green and vanilla spice teas, and a picture of my daughter.
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An alarm clock, makeup remover and Chanel No. 5.
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I don't carry a bag.
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| How I stay in shape:
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Yoga and pilates. I don't like fitness.
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Aerobics and a lot of weight lifting. I can press 500 pounds on the leg press.
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I never forget that I am a singer (which is not very easy sometimes).
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My best workouts take place when I'm on stage. Strength and stamina go hand-in-hand with vocal and dramatic ability.
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| To prepare myself on performance day, I always:
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Rest, and study my role. I am Turandot all day long.
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Put myself in performance mode.
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Stay in bed as long as possible; eat chicken for lunch six hours before the performance starts.
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Focus on inhabiting the character.
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| My most unforgettable opera experience:
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Jenufa, a Nic Muni production, that I just sang in Toronto.
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In 1992, while making the film of Tosca in Rome, the Vatican had to give me permission to kiss Placido Domingo in Act I.
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Singing Norma in front of 9,500 people in the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Orange under the silver moon of France.
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When I was covering for Aprile Millo as Giselda in the Met's I Lombardi, the day before the performance, I was called in to sing the role. … The director drew out my staging on napkins at a restaurant.
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