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cast with
lighter voices." While this makes the high-flying sections
of the part effective, these light voices often vanish in
the lower reaches of the role.
Hogue,
the music librarian at Old Dominion University, describes
herself as a dramatic coloratura, a voice capable of reaching
the high notes, executing all the filigree written into
the part, and having enough heft to hit the low notes as
well. These voices usually are singing more demanding parts
in operas by Verdi, Rossini, and Donizetti — “the operas
no one wants to do,” Hogue laughed. But at this point in
her burgeoning career, she hopes the queen will get her
noticed enough so that some of those other parts might come
her way.
Hogue's
career path has not been the typical conservatory/competition
route of most singers today. The California native started
out at the New England Conservatory but returned to San
Jose State, where she majored in theater. For a considerable
time, she didn't even sing. Instead she headed into the
world of libraries and eventually ended up at the University
of Southern Maine. There she finally resumed singing and
was cast as the Queen of the Night in a school production
of "The Magic Flute."
When ODU
called five years ago, Hogue began singing in the Virginia
Opera chorus, eventually covering leading roles like Puccini's
Tosca. She also started playing smaller parts.
For example,
last season she gave two powerful cameos in Giordano's "Andrea
Chenier." Her portrait of the old blind woman Madelon was
especially moving, and it was the more notable as the part
is written for a contralto. She showed no vocal difficulty
at all and stole the scene from the principals during her
brief time on stage.
She is
thrilled at the chance to do the Queen again. Part of this
excitement comes from working with conductor Dan Saunders
and with the support she feels from her friends in the chorus.
"The energy
I feel from them is very special."
While
she has no plans to leave ODU, she now has management, thanks
to "Chenier" co-star Frank Porretta.
She adds,
"I know that if these doors are meant to open for me, I
will be ready to move forward."
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