As a teenager, sumptuous soprano Amanda Atlas remembers belting out tunes from Les Misérables into her hairbrush, saying “music theatre has always been the genre that has appealed to me the most emotionally”. As her formative years passed however, it soon became clear she would need to decide which path her career as an artist would take, saying “I went into opera as I felt it more suited the size and colour of my voice (and my figure!)."
It certainly seems to have worked out well for the operatic diva, who has made waves internationally with a career spanning over ten years singing for various opera companies and orchestras in the US and Europe, performing title roles in operas such as Puccini’s Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Suor Angelica.
Operatunity’s From Phantom to Les Mis tour will shine a new light on Amanda’s talents, as she delves into the modern musical theatre repertoire of her youth. She says, "I don’t get a lot of opportunity to do so as most of what I sing is operatic and classical, so this is a real thrill for me!”.
When asked what it is that makes the musical theatre repertoire so appealing she says “For me the appeal is in the immediacy of the emotion - unlike most of the opera I sing, music theatre is in my own language. It sits lower in the voice for the most part, and the musical language is more accessible… Also, as an actress I love the fact that the slightly easier vocalism means I can make real dramatic choices with my voice - when I sing opera I am a little more constrained by the technical vocal challenges. I love exploring the dramatic abilities of my voice when I sing music theatre.”
Don’t miss Amanda in Operatunity’s From Phantom to Les Mis concert, touring 24 venues around NZ 5th March - 5th April 2019.
