BWW Q&A: Cadie J. Bryan on THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at North Carolina Opera

Comedic capers and uproarious antics take center stage as Mozart’s classic opera battle of the sexes and the classes returns to North Carolina Opera. Follow Figaro, the cunning confidant, and Susanna, the sly servant, as they navigate a maze of matrimonial mayhem and mischief. With hilarious hijinks and a sensational score, the greatest opera ever written will have you rolling in the aisles! Performances run April 4 and 6, 2025.

Louisiana-born soprano Cadie J. Bryan is praised for her “glittering, brilliant soprano,” and “scene-stealing stage presence”. She received her Bachelor of Music from Louisiana State University and continued with Graduate and Post-Graduate studies at Indiana University. She was a Fellow of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute (2017-18) and a member of the Young Artist Programs of The Santa Fe Opera (2023-24), Arizona Opera (2018-20), and Des Moines Metro Opera (2017-18) where she debuted some of her most notable roles to date including Susanna/Le nozze di Figaro (AZO, 2019), Musetta/La bohème (AZO, 2020), Clarine/Platée and Prilepa/Queen of Spades (DMMO, 2021), and Giannetta/L'elisir d'amore (SFO, 2024) and covered roles including Zerlina/Don Giovanni (SFO, 2024), Mélisande/Pelléas et Mélisande (SFO, 2023), and Laurie/The Tender Land (DMMO, 2018). She regularly appears with The Atlanta Opera, recently as Musetta/La bohème (2024), Woglinde/Das Rheingold (2023), and Berta/The barber of Seville (2022), and has also performed with The Dallas Opera Orchestra, The Santa Fe Symphony, New Orleans Opera, and Las Vegas Opera. She was a 2024 finalist of the prestigious Giulio Gari Foundation Competition in New York, and next season, she joins The Metropolitan Opera roster covering the leading soprano role in the season-opening premier of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. She recently joined the North American tour circuit of beloved Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, continuing to appear as a featured soprano soloist. Other notable roles include Clara/It’s a Wonderful Life, Marian/The Music Man, Maria/The Sound of Music, Bess/Riders of the Purple Sage, Chan Parker/Charlie Parker's Yardbird, Annina/La traviata, and Lisette/La rondine.

What drew you to the role of Susanna in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO?

Susanna’s Act 4 aria, “Deh vieni, non tardar,” was the very first aria I sang as a freshman in college, and I have loved her ever since. It’s the longest soprano role in the repertory, so I’ve always had a bit of an athletic chip on my shoulder! I idolized the role and the opera, and I still think it’s absolutely perfect from beginning to end.

How has your past experience in this production, especially in New Orleans, influenced your portrayal of Susanna in the current North Carolina Opera production?

There is no end to what one can glean from the score alone, without considering Beaumarchais’ source material, the geopolitical state of the world at the time, and all of the other details that went into Mozart and Da Ponte’s composition. Chas has a passion and a knack for presenting the truest essence and humanity of every character in every scene, and having worked with him in New Orleans meant that we could pick up where we left off and continue digging deeper and discovering what’s hidden beneath the surface.

Can you give us a sneak peek of what audiences can expect from this production?

I think they can expect to laugh, to cry, to see at least one character with whom they can relate, and to experience the genius of Mozart in some profoundly beautiful music. I can guarantee they will have a very fun night in the theater.

Comedy plays a significant role in opera – can you share your preparation process for a comedic role like Susanna?

Timing is everything for me, and in order to have great timing, I have to really be on top of what everyone else on stage is saying and doing. Mozart hands out comedic beats on a silver platter a lot of the time, so it’s a matter of listening and knowing when they come. My greatest challenge in reprising a comedic role is staying in the moment and not anticipating what I know is next — it requires 100% of my attention.

Can you share a little about your experience working with the team in Raleigh during the rehearsal process?

The Raleigh team has been a dream! Working with Chas is at the top of my list of favorite things to do. We have a great rapport and the same exact sense of humor, so it’s just easy. Aaron is truly a gift — even if he hasn’t expressed what he wants or feels in any given moment in the score, his ability to show you with a gesture is exceptional, and he is incredibly kind to boot. The cast is one of the best I’ve ever encountered and full of dear friends. In fact, my Figaro, Wm Clay Thompson, has been a friend for almost a decade and was a groomsman in my wedding! You can’t ask for a better rehearsal process!

You've toured with Andrea Bocelli as a featured soprano soloist. What are some key lessons or experiences from that tour that you've brought into your current work?

Touring with Andrea has forever changed me in so many ways — I could write a book. Offering up your voice and artistry to 20,000 people who are absolutely psyched to be in their seats and discover you is an experience I wish I could share with everyone in the world. It’s a strange juxtaposition of being impersonal yet deeply personal, extremely risky yet totally safe. He is so generous, and everyone on the tour inspires me every day to work harder and to find joy and lightness in what I do. I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me feel invincible. I think the most important part of that feeling of invincibility is that it’s not rooted in applause and adoration, but rather in my sense of self, my work, my focus, and my presence.

With a future role at The Metropolitan Opera on the horizon, what are some of your dream roles or venues you aspire to perform in?

I am beyond excited to step foot into The Metropolitan Opera as an employee next season. As a young American soprano coming up through the ranks, that is THE goal. I definitely have dreams about singing Juliette at the Palais Garnier, Violetta at La Scala, and Arabella at the Wiener Staatsoper. Rusalka is my second favorite score in the world (behind Le nozze di Figaro) so that is up there, along with Marguerite, Manon, The Governess, Vixen, Mélisande, Blanche de la Force, and Tatyana, to name a few!

Why do you think audiences should see this production of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO? Who do you think will particularly enjoy it and why?

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