story by ODILE FREDERICKS
Be prepared for love and heartbreak when North Carolina Opera presents Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” a sweeping tragedy of devotion, betrayal and unforgettable music, January 30 and February 1 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.
For Eric Taylor, a compliment in college changed the trajectory of his life, propelling him into the spotlight as a professional opera singer. This past season, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and will be playing Pinkerton in North Carolina Opera’s highly anticipated production.
Pinkerton is his signature role, and Taylor is known for his passionate portrayal of the charming U.S. Naval officer who marries the young geisha, Madama Butterfly, in Japan and later leaves her to raise their son alone. He returns with his American wife to claim his son, and Madama Butterfly, dejected, commits suicide. In playing the character, Taylor says he seeks to imbue Pinkerton with charisma, allowing viewers to fall in love with him first, so that they are conflicted by the time they discover his misdeeds. With Puccini’s music soaring around them, the singers have all they need to evoke passion, he says.
“Puccini does something so special in a theater,” he reflects. “I think it’s unmatched. … So, you go out there, and you act. I like to get just larger than life—open up my soul, throw it on stage, give it to the audience and let them hopefully jump into the world and experience those emotions with you.”
Photo courtesy of Daniel Welch
Growing up in Puyallup, Washington, Taylor was the only one of his five siblings who never took voice lessons. Yet, he’s the one who became a professional singer. His mother, a piano teacher, played for high school musicals and asked each child to audition for at least one. In his senior year, he played Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”—his only performance—then went to college intent on becoming a dentist like his father. Two years later, on summer break, he got Facebook message from an opera singer he never met who had seen his high school musical and advised him to try out for a summer production in Utah. He did, and got the part.
“I’ve always been one to follow the adventure of experiences in life, so I said, ‘Sure, why not? I’ll come see what opera is,’” he says. “It honestly made me fall in love with singing.”
The next day, he called his college and asked to do music and pre-med studies. The college was building its music program and said, if he joined the choir, he could get a full-ride scholarship. At 22, he did his first competition at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition, after which he was hooked.
“Once I started singing, it slowly took over, and I saw the light,” he says. “Instead of going to the office every day and working with patients, that music just spoke to my soul. I had to follow it.”
For students interested in a singing career, he offers this advice: First, follow your passions.
“I have been so blessed to be able to be rewarded for following my passion,” he says. “But if you never take that first step to trying something, you never know what you could be. So I think my advice is: one, try it. Open your mouth and sing … Enjoy yourself. Let your voice out!”
Second, he says, ask for advice.
“Especially in today’s age, you can find any singer on any social media. Most of us have our websites. You can go on there, click on ‘contact me’ and reach out and ask the questions. I’ve had countless discussions with some of the most famous singers in the world.”
After all, it was a tip from that opera singer that transformed his life.
“It’s really shown me how important it is to not leave a compliment unsaid,” he notes. “My entire life has changed because one person decided to reach out and tell me that they thought I was special, and she didn’t have to do that. She could have just moved on. But somebody taking a moment to tell me, ‘Hey, you’re good at this. This is something that you should look at.’”
He says he particularly enjoys having students in the audience because they tend to express their emotions out loud.
“The raw emotion that these kids are experiencing in the theater is the best thing and is the best gift on stage,” he says. “The theater just erupts with laughter or booing or nervous giggles or the exclamatory, ‘Oh my gosh! What’s happening before the first kiss.’ That’s what theater is about—letting the experience out.”
He practices singing every day to understand the lyrics and nuances of the languages he sings in and to keep his voice strong. To protect his voice, he says nothing beats staying hydrated by drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep.
Puccini’s beloved opera “Madama Butterfly,” composed by the Italian maestro himself and sung in Italian with English subtitles,
tells a story of love and heartbreak. Production photos courtesy of Karli Cadel for The Glimmerglass Festival, 2014.
He hopes that people who go to see “Madama Butterfly” stop by to meet the cast after the show after they change out of costume.
“We don’t have a formal line usually, but stick around say hi, and come talk with us,” he says. “We just hope to see people in the audience. Come and experience the amazing music!”
North Carolina Opera presents two performances of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” on January 30 at 7:30 p.m. and February 1 at 2 p.m. at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Due to its mature content, “Madama Butterfly,” which is sung in Italian with English subtitles, is best suited for teens and adult audiences. Parents are advised to research the show before buying tickets to make the best decision for their family.
Tickets for college students are $15 each at ncopera.org/student. Regularly priced tickets start at $25. To save on fees, which can be high for online orders, call the North Carolina Opera Box office at 919.792.3853 ($5 handling fee per order) or visit the box office in person (no handling fees) at 612 Wade Ave., #100, in Raleigh. Ticketmaster is the only place to find legitimate tickets online, and North Carolina Opera cautions against purchasing from resellers who charge significantly higher prices.