In
the wake of a series of triumphs as Micaëla at the Met, Ophélie
in Barcelona, all four of Hoffmann's heroines in Dallas, Léïla
at NYCO, and Thaïs in St. Louis, Mary’s fans have been hoping
to soon hear her Manon. And although the right offer for the right time
has yet to materialize, Mary shares everyone else’s enthusiasm.
“I think my voice is very well-suited to the French style. It
allows for a lot of warmth and richness in the middle, with full, round
sound at the top. As for Manon, musically and dramatically, she suits
me beautifully. From the ingénue of Act I, to the show-off of
Act III to the repentant woman to her death, it’s such a long
and interesting path. It’s the perfect role for my voice since
it runs the gamut of those musical emotions.”
Mastering the progression of character development is one of
Mary’s defining strengths as a performer, and that ability is
certainly put to the test as the Heroines in Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
“It’s a great honor and a challenge to sing all the Heroines.
The characters are completely different, so it requires a lot of work
to flesh out the roles with the specificity needed so that they become
very distinct women. As vignettes, you have to be ready to jump into
each character’s skin quickly and completely, or the act is already
over and you’re just getting started.”
