BWW Interviews: Nicole Heaston Talks HGO's THE MAGIC FLUTE

"You have to come out, demand it, and sing it. People will go 'Wow.' If you do that, then nobody's going to be able to tell you that you're doing something you're not supposed to do."

True to her word, the Chicago-born soprano Nicole Heaston demanded my attention. She was warm, passionate and driven about her art, and generous and unguarded with her thoughts and opinions. I found myself rapt when she spoke. I think you will be as well.

Heaston is Pamina to David Portillo's Tamino in Houston Grand Opera's production of THE MAGIC FLUTE. At the opera's beginning, The Queen of the Night enlists the loyal Tamino, a prince, and the girl-crazy Papageno, a bird catcher who takes his job very seriously, to recover her beloved daughter, Princess Pamina. The maiden fair has been kidnapped by Sasastro and his evil henchman Monostatos. To save the princess, Tamino and Papageno must embark upon a spiritual journey of danger and adventure.

Becoming Pamina
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BWW: [When I was researching], I did notice that you have done Pamina quite a few times. Does that factor into your performance or the way you prepare for the role at all?

Nicole Heaston: It's always good to at least know the music. [Laughs] It helps out. It helps me prepare for the role. We are doing a different English translation. I've done it in two other English translations as well as in German, so you just have to learn it completely differently each time. Different translations mean different interpretations. It's like starting fresh musically as far as that's concerned.

BWW: What are the differences in this English translation?

Nicole Heaston: Well, I have to say, this translation has been the most different from what I've done in the English translations and the German translation. In itself, THE MAGIC FLUTE can be very male-dominated in its attitude, and the way this version is translated actually makes Pamina a little stronger. It gives her a stronger will than she would usually have in the German or in the previous English translations.

BWW: How so?

Nicole Heaston: She just stands up for herself a little bit more. When I was singing it, I was like "Oh, this is a completely different interpretation." In the German, there's one line where she says, "How sweet is the name of mother." And the way that Mozart has it set, it's very delicate, very sweet. He really paints it that way. But the words in this English translation are like, "How dare you keep me from my mother?" She's speaking to Sarastro, and she's trying to convince Sarastro to let her go back to her mother and to not punish her mother. In the German, she's like, "Oh, how sweet is the name of my mother." She just loves hearing the name of her mother. [I Laugh] But in this one, she stands up for herself: "How dare you keep us from each other?" And when I first read it, I was like "how dare you?" is a strong thing to say to someone in a position of authority, and to a man at that time. I thought that was kind of daring, so I rolled with it. I liked it.

BWW: Does that actually change the character?

Nicole Heaston: It does actually, and the director really wanted this opera to be Pamina-centric. I've always felt that she did put everyone on their path. This translation and the direction has made it much more clear that she is there to highlight and enlighten Tamino. To enlighten Sarastro. To try to reach her mother (but her mother is way too far gone). [I laugh] She's central to pushing all the action forward to make everyone a better person and the way this is directed, it comes off that way.

BWW: You've already done the role several times. Could you tell me what you've learned from each time you performed the role? Can you put yourself in your shoes when you were just starting out and jittery.

Nicole Heaston: I have not sang Pamina in quite a few years, but the role fit naturally back into the voice. That wasn't an issue, but I think I've matured more. There are a lot of things musically that I'm doing just slightly differently than I had done before. You grow the more and more you do certain roles. Even if you've had time away, you just bring your life and experiences into the role and add to it. I literally don't sing it the way I sang it 8 years ago. I just don't. Also, this translation truly lends itself to a whole different way of singing it. Pamina is a little stronger. It isn't as neat and sweet. Pamina's still very sweet and very kind, but I liked it with a different translation, because it did make me rethink the character and not just do what I've done.

BWW: Is that nerve wracking?

Nicole Heaston: No, not at all. Singing opera is fun. It's exciting and creative. It's actually better in a way. At first I thought, "I know this. I know a lot of translations." Then the director said we were doing a new one and I thought, "Oh great, I gotta learn a whole new translation." [Laughs] But when I started, like I said before this version is very different from the English and German version, it felt like something new, which is always fun. That's what I think is great about it as an artist. Even though I sang the same few roles over the last few years of my career, they're different every single time. Every director's going to want something different. Every conductor's going to want something different, so you have to be flexible and able to adapt. Even if I come in and say, "I sing it this way," the minute they say "No, try it this way," something enlightens something else and brings out something new. I think it would be tiring to sing the same role over and over again the exact same way every time I did it. Then it's boring. Opera shouldn't be boring. It should be ever creating.

Becoming Nicole Heaston
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Nicole Heaston: I was always interested in music when I was a little girl. My mother was a pianist. I wasn't a good pianist at all. My piano lessons were horrible, but my piano teacher told my mother, "She sings when she plays, and she sings better than she plays." [Laughs] So my mother put me in the Chicago Children's Choir. Once I was in that - I sang second alto - I loved it. I found out who I was in singing. I felt at home with the people I was with. It was the first time I really connected with, "This is what I want to do."

When I got to high school, my music teacher was Dr. Lena McLin. She said, "You're a soprano, and you're an opera singer." I looked at her and said, "No, black people don't sing opera." She said, "Yes, they do." She told me to turn around. In her classroom, she had pictures of Mattiwilda Dobbs, William Warfield, and Leontyne Price and all these black opera singers. She said, "They are all black opera singers. You can do this." She started me singing classical music. Then I won a few competitions in high school and said, "What have I got to lose? I'll go to school on a music scholarship." I was going to go to law school.

When I did my first opera, I was in the chorus of LA TRAVIATA. I'll never forget. I had a green and black off the shoulder dress on and a feather in my hair. You couldn't tell me anything other than I was fabulous. [Laughs] I thought, "How cool is this?" And, since it was Verdi, they always brought in professional singers to sing roles. We were a young college, and we didn't really have the voices to sing Alfredo and Violetta, so I got a chance to see professional opera singers up close and personal in rehearsals, and I realized that's what I wanted to do. From that point on, I was hooked.

BWW: Do you think being a black opera singer has affected your career trajectory?

Nicole Heaston: I think so. I think in some ways it does. No one ever just says, "You won't get this role because you're black." That's never, ever happened, but there have been times when I've sang auditions. One time I sang an audition for Sophie in DER ROSENKAVALIER. I sang the aria and I sang it well. The next thing out of their mouths was, "Do you sing Clara from PORGY AND BESS?" I said, "No, I don't." "Well, do you know it? Do you have the music?" "I don't. I came to audition for Sofie." They said, "Thank you," and I never heard back from them again. So you do get that.

I've had a good career, and I can't complain. I know there are a lot of really good African-American singers who have not lived up to, what I think could be, their potential, and because I don't hire people I have no idea what the reasoning is for their getting hired or not getting hired.

BWW: Is that maybe why there are fewer black opera singers?

Nicole Heaston: It's unfortunate, because a lot of times people say that there are not a lot of black opera singers out there. I didn't know. I was not into opera when I was in high school. The only thing I knew was, you always saw Luciano Pavarotti on TV. [I Laugh] Of course, at that time, Leontyne Price was singing the United Negro College Fund commercials. I still didn't connect that to a lot of black people singing opera. Now, when people see me whether they're African-American, Caucasian or whatever, it's kind of hard for them. They get shocked. I know it's because I'm an opera singer, but it's also because I'm a black opera singer.

I always try to tell young singers, especially young black singers, don't be afraid of it. I've gone to speak at schools and black kids will come up to me and say, "I'd like to sing opera, but people tease me, or say I'm trying to be white." I tell them, "No, I've never had that honey." When I was in high school, Nickie [Nicole Heaston] was the one who could sing, and everyone backed me up on it. I never heard that. I say, "You have to not portray yourself as being less than. "You have to come out, demand it, and sing it. People will go 'Wow.' If you do that, then nobody's going to be able to tell you that you're doing something you're not supposed to do."

I've never had that. I was always a very strong willed person in high school. I always had very supportive friends, and the high school I went to was predominantly black. Everyone in the class was singing classical music. Ms. McLin was serious about it. She said, "If you're going to sing gospel, you're going to sing this too." R. Kelly was in school with us, and he was singing classical music at some point.

BWW: That worked out well for him.

Nicole Heaston: Yes. [Laughs] Exactly. [Pauses] It's weird. I've heard other singers say they have been told they didn't get the role of Dorabella in COSÌ FAN TUTTE because they wouldn't look like Fiordiligi's sister. That's been in certain places in Europe.

Very rarely does anyone say anything to you, but there are quite a few people who I look at and think they could have had a bigger career. You look at a lot of houses in the United States, and you don't see a lot of African-Americans on their rosters. That's unfortunate to me, because I know there are some good singers out there.

BWW: Do you have any advice for a singer of color trying to make a career? How have you navigated it?

Nicole Heaston: I navigate it just like my mother always taught me. Coming in and doing your best at all times. It's silly, and it sounds so archaic, but coming into rehearsals prepared. Coming into rehearsals without drama or attitude. Little stuff like that. You'd be amazed. There are people who come in and they act real fools in rehearsals no matter what their color or race. But, if you come into a rehearsal, and you are on point, they have to give you an excuse. They can't say, "She didn't know her music." I knew my music. "She wasn't singing in tune." No, I was singing in tune. "She can't act." I'm acting. As long as you are bringing it one-hundred-eighty percent.

That's with anything. That should be a given.

I think a lot of times in opera, sometimes people get big enough where they go, "I don't have to do that," and they get lazy, which is fine. If they can get away with it, more power to them. But young singers see that and think that is the way you're supposed to act in a rehearsal. Then they try to do that and they're young. They will get kicked to the curb. You've got to come in from day one and be on point.

Also, have faith in who you are, and really sell yourself. Don't take no for an answer. Ask the questions. "What do you think I can work on?" A lot of times you can sit back and tell yourself, "I didn't get that because I was black." No, ask. The answer may be that you sang it wrong. And look at yourself honestly. As long as you are honest with yourself to say maybe I'm not getting this role because I'm too heavy. Or maybe I'm not getting this role because I was really offensive to my other colleagues. Or maybe I didn't get this role because the last job I went to I wasn't prepared. Because one thing this job is about is people talking. And if you're black, and you're unprepared, you're going to be the first one dropped. [We Laugh] But, just like with anything, be honest with yourself and always do your best.

God has a place for everyone at every time. You may be sitting there and someone may be ascending higher than you and you're kind of doing the same thing. At some point you will ascend as well. Your time will come. There's enough room for singers out there, and there are enough venues. Someone may be singing at Houston Grand Opera and someone else may be singing at the MET. And someone else may be singing at Louisiana Opera. There's different levels for everyone and you have to know that God has given you a gift that you need to use to create and to share. Sometimes it may not be exactly the way you want it, but when you become content in what you have as well as pushing forward to get better, you can't ask for more than that.

I have very famous friends - superstars in opera. Never do I have a shred of jealousy or hate for them or the things that are coming their way, because I know they've worked their tails off to get it. I'm completely happy with what I get, because I get more than most. I'm happy I have my family. I'm happy I have my children and my husband. I can't complain. But I will continue to work hard. I will still do what I need to do and, when I go on stage, do my best to deliver.

See Nicole Heaston deliver in Houston Grand Opera's THE MAGIC FLUTE. Remaining performances are February 7, 2015 at 7:30pm and February 14, 2015 at 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.houstongrandopera.org.

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