By Morgan Roberts

Some people think that the opera is just like a cartoon — a big lady with two long braids running down off her head onto her shoulders with a Viking hat and an oval shaped mouth, but it’s not.

In opera we tell a story, just like in musical theater but we don’t have microphones, and our voices are kept in a way that we don’t have to sound like a character — our main goal is to project and make sure we keep our voices in pristine condition.

Last Tuesday (April 10) in rehearsals for Seattle Opera’s “Turandot” (Tur-And-Oh) we had a conversation about this, all of the differences between musical theatre and opera.

But I’m going too fast. Let’s start where I began, at my audition for my first opera, “Carmen.”

I walked into a huge rehearsal hall, all stocked up on sets from their latest show, “The Magic Flute,” other than that there was a single person and a grand piano.

It could be very intimidating for someone who hasn’t prepared for things like this her whole life, but even still, there were butterflies in my stomach.

I walked in with my sheet music that I had prepared earlier with my voice teacher Fran Reid, and handed it to Beth Kirchhoff, the chorus master who was auditioning us and prepared to sing. The song that I had picked for this audition was a classical Italian song named Bella Bimba. I chose it because it’s in Italian and it can show off that I am able to sing in a different language since we would be singing in French for “Carmen.”

I tried not to show that it was the first and only song I had ever sang in a different language — even still I felt prepared. The song you choose to audition with always depends on the show, for example I wouldn’t want to go in there singing a song from “Beauty and the Beast.”

When I open my mouth and start to sing I try to remember everything Fran has taught me, diction, annunciation, support, breathing techniques, sending the sound out and away, it’s not easy to remember, let me tell you that! Those were the two minutes that I had to impress this one person to let me be in this show I had been thinking about for the last couple of months. Two minutes to impress.

So, because I am writing this article I went back and asked Kirchoff about my audition such as what she saw in me and what she was originally looking for.

She said she was looking for only 14 youth choristers for “Carmen.”

“So each voice needed to be a strong, solo quality size,” Kirchoff said. “In opera, a big, strong sound is what we love. In “Turandot,” I could have 30, so I can have some younger, smaller voices as well. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe I listened to nearly 100-plus young singers for the “Carmen” auditions, allowing five minutes per singer. In opera, we are looking for unchanged voices in boys, which usually means between ages 10-14, and for girls 10-15 or 16 years old. Singers need to be able to read music, and some choir experience is helpful, but not required. I also look for a strong sound — an easy, natural sound — not a belt’ quality, and no artificial vibrato. Opera voices need to have a healthy head voice, which means high notes incorporated into the basic quality of sound.”

In addition to the voice quality Kirchoff said she was looking for other attributes.

“It is also important that every chorister be willing and able to follow directions, from me and the stage staff/directors. We have very limited rehearsal time on stage — three or four rehearsals with the group at McCaw Hall — so a resume with past experience is very helpful but not the most important factor,” Kirchoff said. “Attitude is very important. If I hear a wonderful voice, and the person has no experience, but is willing to work hard, listens carefully, is musical, then I weigh that mightily in their favor.”

Kirchoff had good things to say about my audition.

“Regarding your particular audition, I remember a large voice, and a joyous personality,” she said. “It was obvious to me that you love to sing and are willing to pay attention to details, listen well, and now I know that you are also a good colleague with your fellow choristers and with our staff management, all very important to the overall product.”

Thank goodness I did what I did because I made it! That show was one of my favorite shows I have ever been in.

The 13 other kids and I have grown to be like family. We still keep in contact and keep each other up to date on what we are doing. At the end of that amazing show Kirchoff was so proud that she invited all of the kids from the “Carmen” youth chorus to be in their next opera, “Turandot,” in an off-stage youth chorus where we will sing a beautiful lullaby of a song.

After she knew who all from Carmen said yes, she had auditions to fill the remaining spots to create a 30 kid youth chorus. About half of us said yes and on the last show of “Carmen” we said goodbye to the others.

I had to wait a couple of months — theater always seems to have waiting — until our first rehearsal for “Turandot.”

Only two rehearsals have passed so far and I can already hear the music stuck in  my head. I could probably sing it in my sleep even by now. The Italian is hard, but not impossible if you know the translation. When I tell my friends I am in another opera they wrinkle their eyebrows and ask me if i’m going to sing like one of those big ladies with the Viking hats on in the cartoons, but nope, sorry, that’s not what an opera is at all.

An opera is a story, it’s live and anything can happen. Some of my favorite memories have been doing operas and I don’t intend to stop doing them.

This is my dream, to have the lights shining down on me and all I can see is the outlining of people staring up at me. I’m living that dream. Next week I’ll let you know how rehearsals are going and introduce you to some of the amazing people I have met.

Morgan Roberts is a 13-year-old from Maple Valley preparing to sing in her second Opera with Seattle Opera.